Richmond, Virginia. The ministry is given through Brother Stephen Kong.
We thank the Lord for the privilege of seeing you, dear brothers and sisters, again after two months, I suppose.
Will you please turn to the Book of Numbers, Chapter 1? Numbers Chapter 1, beginning with the first verse:
And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, according to their fathers’ houses, by the number of the names, every male by their polls;
From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel, thou and Aaron shall number them by their hosts.
And with you there shall be a man of every tribe, every one head of his fathers’ house.
Verse 44:
These are they that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: they were each one for his fathers’ house.
So all they that were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;
Even all they that were numbered were six hundred and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
The Book of Genesis is a book of purpose. The Book of Exodus is a book of the work of God. The Book of Leviticus is a book of the call of God. Then what is the Book of Numbers?
In Genesis, we see God’s purpose. God’s purpose is a corporate man—not a natural man, but a man who has been created through the Holy Spirit according to the image of God’s Son. That is God’s purpose.
But because of the rebellion of man, you find God beginning to do the work of redemption. So, in the Book of Exodus, you find God’s work. He began to work toward the realization of His original purpose.
And of course, we know that redemption is more than just bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt. Redemption is to bring them into the Promised Land. It is more than just redeeming out of sin, out of the bondage of sin; redemption is to redeem us into Christ, the riches that are in Christ.
So, in the beginning, you find the children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt through the Paschal Lamb. And toward the end of the Book of Exodus, you find the tabernacle being erected, and the glory of God filled that tabernacle.
In other words, we are redeemed that we may be God’s house; that we may be a holy habitation of God in the Spirit; that God may fill that house. And that is the purpose of redemption. That is the consummation of the workings of God.
Then, after the tabernacle was erected, you find that in the first month after the tabernacle was erected, God spoke from the tent of meeting. There He called His people to come and serve Him.
Now, in the case of Israel, of course, we know they disqualified themselves when they worshipped the golden calf. So the tribe of Levi and the house of Aaron were chosen as a substitute.
But of course, in our case it is different. We are as living stones, being built up together as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. So all those who are the Lord’s redeemed are called to serve the Lord as a holy priesthood.
All believers are priests, but not before God individually, independently, and unrelatedly. We are called to serve God together, collectively, as priests under the direction of the great High Priest, who is Christ. And what a privilege it is to serve.
Then, in the second month after the tabernacle was erected, God spoke again out of the tent of meeting. And that is where we have the Book of Numbers.
The Book of Numbers is a book concerned with the ways of God. God has His purpose in Genesis. God reveals His work in Exodus. God shows us His calling in Leviticus. And here, in Numbers, He shows us the ways of God.
Probably, if you read just one passage, that will give you the key. Will you please turn to Deuteronomy Chapter 8? Deuteronomy Chapter 8, beginning with the second verse:
And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or not.
And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
And thou shalt consider in thy heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.
Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, and to fear Him.
The whole experience of the journey in the wilderness is summed up in these words. In other words, what is the meaning of these forty years in the wilderness?
They were not in Egypt, but neither were they in Canaan. They were in the wilderness, journeying through the wilderness. And what was the meaning of such a stage in their lives?
We are told that those forty years were very important and essential years. Of course, as a matter of fact, the journey through the wilderness should only have taken eleven days.
Because, in the first chapter of Deuteronomy, we are told that from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, which is the southern border of the Promised Land, it is only an eleven-days’ journey. It was extended to forty years because of the unbelief of the children of Israel.
But still, you find this journey through the wilderness is a very important stage in the life of God’s people. Now, what is the meaning of this journey through the wilderness?
The meaning is summed up in these verses: God led them in the wilderness to humble them and to prove them, to know what was in their heart—whether they would keep God’s commandment or not.
You remember, after God brought the children of Israel to Mount Sinai in Exodus 19, God told them how He brought them to Himself on eagles’ wings. And if they would keep His commandment and observe His words, then God would make them a nation of priests, a peculiar possession among the nations. They would be God’s people, and God would be their God.
And immediately their response was, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” This happened not once, but three times.
They were redeemed. They were in the joy of their redemption, and somehow they lost their heads. They thought because they were redeemed, they were now God’s people; therefore, they were able to do everything that was commanded of God.
They forgot that in themselves there was no good. Even though they were redeemed, yet in their flesh there was absolutely no good. They did not know themselves. And because of that, God had to lead them through the wilderness to humble them.
God had to humble these people. Why? Because they were a proud people. They were proud of themselves. They did not understand themselves. They thought they could please God. They thought they could do everything that God commanded.
So God put them to the test. And through the failures in these trials, they were humbled. Brothers and sisters, is it not true that God’s ways with us today are the same?
How often, after we are saved, in the joy of our salvation we are literally in the third heaven. And because we are in the third heaven, we think that we are angels from now on. Nothing is impossible with us.
We think that we can please God, that we can do everything that God requires. It is a good heart, and yet we do not know ourselves. We do not know our flesh. We do not know that in us—that is, in our flesh—there is no good.
And because of that, God often has to humble us. God does not need a proud people. He resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
If we do not know how to be humbled before Him, then He has to humble us. If we are not humbled before Him, then we have to be humiliated in order to be humble. And how we dread the very thought of being humiliated.
God said He led them through the wilderness to humble them, to prove them, to know what was in their heart. Of course, God knew what was in their heart, but they did not know.
Therefore, God had to prove them to bring out what was really in their heart. In their mouths and on their lips, they said, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” You cannot judge by people’s lips.
God had to bring out what was in their heart—not to show God, but to show them; to show what was in their heart, whether they would really keep God’s commandment or not.
God humbled them and suffered them to hunger. When they came out of Egypt, the food they brought out was very limited. So, after they crossed the Red Sea and after a few days, the food was all consumed. There was no more food.
And how they murmured and cried unto God. How they misunderstood God. They were reduced to hunger, and that tested them to the very core.
God allowed them to be hungry. There was no prospect of any supply. There was no time to sow the seed; there was no time to wait for the reaping. Even if they had sown in the wilderness, which they could not, why did God bring them to such places?
Why did God bring them to the brink of death again and again, without food and without drink? Why? To humble them.
To assure them that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. In other words, to deliver them not only from themselves and their flesh, but to deliver them from their dependence upon their environment; to bring them into faith in God.
God was raising them from the earthly level to the heavenly level. And that was what God was doing. Did God not care for them? He did.
Because immediately you find that in those forty years their clothing did not grow old upon them, neither did their feet swell. Now, these were miracles. You cannot wear the same clothing for forty years and have it not grow old.
How can you walk for forty years and your feet not swell? These are miracles to show that God did care for them, and yet God put them to the test.
Not only did He test them, but when they failed the test, God chastened them. God disciplined them. Now, in the Book of Numbers, you find that God often disciplined His people.
Why did God discipline them? Because He chastened them as a father chastens his son, in order that they might be made partakers of His divine nature, of His holiness.
So, dear brothers and sisters, you find the whole history of the wilderness experience is of great importance and is very essential in the life of the nation of Israel. Only after they had learned were they ready to enter the Promised Land.
Of course, historically, the first generation did not pass the test. It was the second generation that entered into the Promised Land. But spiritually speaking, the second generation represents those who have learned from the experience of the first generation.
Everything that God taught His people was gathered in the lives of the second generation, and by grace they entered into the Promised Land.
So, dear brothers and sisters, it is God’s will that we should enter into the riches that are in Christ. He is our Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey.
It is not God’s will that we should just barely be out of Egypt, barely saved, as though snatched out of the fire. It is God’s will that we shall enter abundantly into the kingdom; that we should experience and know the riches that are in Christ. That is God’s will.
But before we can enter into the riches that are in Christ, as represented by Canaan, God has to do something with us and in us.
There is a way of God with His people. There is the way of discipline and chastening. There is a way of testing and proving. And when we are being tested, proved, and humbled, it is not a very pleasant thing to us.
It does not look very good either. Oftentimes, when you read the Book of Numbers, you feel a little depressed. Why? You find this people never seem to understand. They always seem to be so hard, always erring in their heart, until God finally gave them up and said they could not enter into the Promised Land. Very tragic—and yet they are brothers and sisters.
Through that tragedy, you find God has His way to lead His people into the Promised Land. It is the way of the cross. It is the way of death and resurrection.
We cannot enter into the riches that are in Christ unless we know the meaning of the cross, unless we have been put to death and come to the other side of the cross, which is resurrection. No one can really stand in the Promised Land if he is not on resurrection ground.
So, dear brothers and sisters, the Book of Numbers has much to say to us today: the way of God. God has a way with His people. God’s way, of course, is higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. But He has His way.
If only we understand what His way is, and learn to submit and learn to cooperate, it will be much healthier, much easier, and much quicker. It will not take forty years. Eleven days should be quite adequate.
But I would like to ask a question: What is the principle that lies behind the way of God? To put it in other words, why must God deal with His people in such a way?
Why can He not just let them go more easily? Why must He deal with them so strictly? Why?
When you read the Book of Exodus, you find that after they came out of Egypt—or, of course, before they really came out, when they were at the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s armies were chasing them—how immediately they cried and began to break down.
But God opened the Red Sea and let them walk through the sea on dry land. And God drowned the army of Pharaoh. So, in Exodus 15, you find Miriam and the women singing the song of victory. They celebrated the victory of God.
Then they started forward. For three days they had no water. In Exodus 15, when they came to water, it was bitter—Marah. They could not drink it, and how they murmured.
But God graciously told Moses to throw a tree into the water, and the tree turned the water from bitterness to sweetness. There God gave them ordinances and statutes for them to keep.
And as they went on, you find they cried for food, and God rained manna upon them. In other words, in the Book of Exodus, you find that they did murmur and did many things, yet God never chastened them. Whenever they cried out, He said, in effect, “All right, I will supply the need.” And that was it.
But when you read the Book of Numbers, you find it was different. They murmured again, and God chastened them. They cried out again, and God chastened them. Why?
Why is it that God’s way with them had changed? There must be a reason. And I think that is something we need to find out: the principle that governs the way of God.
To me, I think the key word is one word. You find that word repeated eight times in the Book of Numbers, and that word is testimony.
In the first chapter of the Book of Numbers, you find the tabernacle called the tabernacle, or tent, of testimony. The ark is called the testimony. The word testimony is repeated from time to time.
Now, brothers and sisters, what is a testimony? A testimony, if you look it up in a dictionary, is a public declaration. It is a public attestation of a fact. It is used as evidence.
You have seen something; you have heard something; and you begin to speak out as a witness. This serves as evidence. In court, there is testimony.
Now, what is the testimony mentioned here in the Book of Numbers? The tent is called the tent of testimony. The ark is called the ark of testimony. The Ten Commandments are called the testimony. Sometimes the ark is called the testimony. Now, what is it?
When God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, He brought them out by His mighty hand. He led them through the Red Sea to Mount Sinai. He said, “If you keep My commandments, you will be My people, and I will be your God.”
There God gave them the Ten Commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances. In other words, when God brought them out of Egypt, they were simply a people delivered.
But beginning from Sinai and onward to Canaan through the wilderness, they were in a very different relationship with God. God had revealed Himself to this people. God had given them the Ten Commandments. God had given them the tabernacle.
In other words, God had committed Himself to this redeemed people, and this redeemed people had committed themselves to God. From that time on, God’s name was in this people. They were God’s people.
God had involved Himself with them, and they had involved themselves with God. The testimony of God was entrusted to this people.
This did not happen when God first brought them out of Egypt. It was simply a matter of redemption—being redeemed. But here you find God had committed Himself to this people. God had not committed Himself to any other people.
No one knew God but His people. God revealed Himself to them. They had seen Him, they had heard Him, and they had spoken out.
So here you find a new relationship. God had committed Himself to them, and they had committed themselves to God. God and they, shall we say, were inseparable.
When they journeyed through the wilderness, what did they carry with them? The tabernacle of the testimony of God.
Day and night, whether they travelled or encamped, the tabernacle of testimony was at the very center of the life of this people. God was with them.
They had the testimony of God with them, and the whole world was watching. As they passed through the wilderness, they were surrounded by enemies, and these enemies were looking to see how they maintained the testimony of God.
Did they live up to that testimony, or did they bring disgrace to the name of God? That is the reason why, when they began to murmur, God chastened them. It was contradictory to the testimony that was in their midst.
Brothers and sisters, apply this to us today. Remember, we are not only a people redeemed; we are a covenanted people.
In other words, God has covenanted with us—not with the old covenant of law, but with a new covenant of grace. And it is sealed by the blood of our Lord Jesus.
We have just had the Lord’s Supper. We have just broken the bread and drunk the cup, and this speaks of the covenant. God has covenanted with His redeemed people.
What is meant by being covenanted? It means that God has committed Himself to us, and we are committed to Him also.
To use the New Testament term, we have the testimony of Jesus. The children of Israel had a testimony of God, represented by the tabernacle, the law, and the ark. But today we have the testimony of Jesus with us.
Our Lord Jesus, in a sense, has committed Himself to us, and we are committed to Him. As we travel through this world, the world is like a wilderness to us. We do not travel alone; we travel bearing the testimony of Jesus upon our shoulders.
And you remember in the Book of Revelation how the apostle John, because of the testimony of Jesus and the word of God, was exiled to Patmos, the Isle of Patmos. The testimony of Jesus.
Dear brothers and sisters, the testimony of Jesus is upon us. The testimony of Jesus is entrusted to us.
How do we maintain that testimony? Are we faithful to that testimony? The testimony is always faithful to us. The ark always tried to find a way for the people. But are we faithful to the testimony that has been entrusted to us?
What is the meaning of the church? What is a church? A church is a vessel into which the testimony of Jesus is deposited. That is the church.
And because of that, God cannot, as it were, close one eye and open the other to things that are going on among His people. The testimony of Jesus is involved.
And when that testimony is involved, it is a tremendous thing. Dear brothers and sisters, it is not just you and me. It is the testimony of Jesus in God’s people.
And because of that, you find God has His special way with His people. I think that explains all these chastenings that you find in the Book of Numbers.
I wonder if you take this as a key, whether it will open up the Book of Numbers to us in a clearer way. Probably that may help us understand the way of God.
Otherwise, we may misunderstand Him. We may think God has changed: formerly He was very gentle with us; now He is very hard and harsh. But if you understand that the testimony of Jesus is involved, it is a different story.
Now, of course, as you open the Book of Numbers, you find it is called the Book of Numbers because the children of Israel were numbered twice: in the first chapter and in Chapter 26.
Why two numberings? Because in the first chapter, it was at the beginning of their journey. Before they started their journey, they were numbered. And in Chapter 26, it was at the end of their journey.
The old generation had all passed away, and a new generation was raised up. Therefore, there had to be another numbering. One was numbered to prepare them for the journey; the other was numbered at the end of the journey to prepare them for entering into the Promised Land.
So this book is called the Book of Numbers. But, brothers and sisters, what is the meaning of being numbered? Why does God number His people?
When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, they were not numbered at all. There was no time to number them. They came out in a hurry. They were literally pushed out. So the children of Israel just came out—just rushed out.
They were not numbered. And on the way from the Red Sea to Mount Sinai, they were not numbered. They were a great mass of people. Nobody knew how many. Unnumbered.
But here you find that, before they began the wilderness journey, God called Moses and Aaron to number this people. Now, what is the meaning behind that? Why number?
You know, a shepherd numbers his sheep. He not only counts his sheep, but he numbers them. A shepherd not only knows how many sheep he has, but he knows every sheep by name.
By numbering, it shows that these sheep belong to that shepherd. And because they belong to the shepherd, the shepherd takes care of them. They are under the care of the shepherd.
Now, you remember, in the Bible we are told that even our hairs are numbered. We are numbered. Even our hairs are numbered—not only counted, but numbered.
People try to tell us how many hairs we have, and there seems to be some difference between different races. But even so, it is only a rough estimate. Nobody really knows how many hairs he or she has.
Nobody has ever numbered his or her hair, but God has numbered them. Our Lord Jesus has numbered every hair that is upon your head. And when you comb your hair this morning, perhaps number 1,001 falls down, and He knows which one.
In other words, it shows, on the one hand, that you belong to Him. You are dear to Him. You are precious to Him. And on the other hand, He takes good care of you.
Can you ever doubt that you are precious in His sight? Can you ever doubt that He does not take good care of you? Sometimes we do. But when you think that the very hairs of your head are numbered, how can you doubt His love? How can you doubt His care?
You belong to Him. He takes full responsibility for you. He takes good care of you. That is the first meaning of being numbered. That is the basic meaning of being numbered.
But, of course, to be numbered here has a deeper meaning. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, they were just a mass of people—shall we say, unorganized, like scattered sand.
When you go to the seashore, you find the sand spread along the shore: a massive spread of sand. How many grains, you do not know, but they are scattered. Every grain stands by itself.
They may be put together, but they are not one. When the children of Israel were first brought out of Egypt, they were just like a mass of sand: a great multitude, but all individuals. They were not organized.
But here you find that, before they started the wilderness journey, God—I do not like to use the word organized, because the word has a bad connotation today. It smells of the human hand, and I do not like that word. But I do not have any better word, so shall I say they were organically organized?
Before they started the wilderness journey, God could not afford to let them journey as a bed of sand. They would never make it. Not only for themselves, but so far as the testimony of God was concerned, they would never be able to maintain it.
God had to organically organize them into one body. And that is the meaning of being numbered. When people are numbered, they become one people.
No longer is it just you and me, he and her. Here you find they become a unit, a people—a people united under God. And it is only to a people united under God that God will entrust His testimony.
Do not think that God entrusts His testimony to you alone. God never does. He entrusts His testimony to the church, not to an individual.
No individual is able to bear the testimony of Jesus in its fullness. He is just not big enough. That should humble us.
Do not be so foolish as to think that the testimony of Jesus is entrusted to you, is upon your shoulder, and nobody else’s. He never does. He knows you too well.
He entrusts His testimony to a corporate vessel—to the church, one people united in spirit in Christ. And that is the meaning of being numbered.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, are you being numbered? Are you still an individual Christian?
Of course, God does not take away our individuality. You will be an individual, not only in this age but even in eternity. How do I know? Because when you come to the Book of Revelation, you find even the twelve foundations bear the twelve names of the apostles. Still, twelve apostles.
God does not take away our individuality. Every precious stone has a different lustre. But God does take away our individualism. God has to take away our individualism.
We are so independent that we refuse to be related to one another. We think we can go it all by ourselves. You try it.
In the first place, He never entrusts His testimony to you. In the second place, whatever little you may have, you will find yourself unable to maintain it by yourself.
Therefore, before they could go forth with the testimony of Jesus in this world, they had to be numbered so that they would become one people, united as one and organically organized.
And thank God, we are organically organized. We are numbered, but sometimes you forget your number.
We are all numbered, and somehow some numbers are missing. Why? Because when your number is called, you do not answer.
Oh, how we need to be conscious that we are members of one another. How we need to remember our number. How we need to know that we are not all by ourselves. We are related one to another under the one Head. We need to remember that.
And that will make us one people. To this one people, God entrusts His testimony. The testimony of Jesus is in the church.
Furthermore, when God numbered His people in the Book of Numbers, you find there are different numberings and different standards of numbering.
The two numberings in the first chapter and in Chapter 26 are not actually the numbering of all the children of Israel. Would that surprise you?
This numbering is concerned only with males twenty years old and upward who were ready for military service. In other words, it is the numbering of the army of the Lord.
There is another numbering, nevertheless. All the firstborn of the children of Israel were numbered. And all those one month old and upward of the tribe of Levi were numbered.
Why? Because the tribe of Levi would substitute for the firstborn of the children of Israel. When these were numbered, there were some numbers lacking among the firstborn, so they had to be redeemed with redemption money.
Now, that is one numbering. Spiritually speaking, that numbering refers to the fact that we are all numbered. Our names are in the book of life of the Lamb of God.
All the firstborn—we are the firstborn, the church of the firstborn. And because of that, every name is written in the book of life. That is one numbering.
But here you find another numbering that is different from that primary numbering, if I may use that word. It is a numbering that is a little higher.
Not just the Levites, one month old and upward, to stand for all the firstborn of Israel, but from all the tribes of Israel, every male twenty years old and upward, ready for military service, was numbered.
You know, in the Bible, the male and the female represent two different sides of truth. The male represents the objective side of truth; the female represents the subjective side of truth.
In other words, the male represents strength, and the female represents wisdom. So here, the male twenty years old and upward, fit for military service, was numbered.
So the numbering is more than just the numbering of the people in general. It was the numbering of the army of the Lord. They were numbered to be the armies of the Lord.
Why? Because they were to fight their way through the wilderness into the Promised Land. They were to enter into spiritual conflict with the testimony of God in their midst.
The enemy would contest their testimony every inch and every step of their way through the wilderness. They had to fight their way through into the Promised Land.
And, brothers and sisters, before we were entrusted with the testimony of Jesus, there was no spiritual conflict. But after the testimony of Jesus is entrusted to us, immediately you find there will be spiritual conflict.
That is the reason why our Lord Jesus said, “I will build My church upon this rock.” Thank God that He will build His church upon Himself, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
As soon as the Lord begins to build His church upon the right foundation, immediately all the gates of Hades will open. The assault will begin. But thank God, the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
And that is the reason why you find the church is church militant. That is Ephesians Chapter 6.
Because we have the testimony of Jesus, we are involved in spiritual conflict. And the conflict is over this matter of the testimony of Jesus.
It is not because of you or me. Do not think because you are so spiritual that the enemy is afraid of you and has to attack you—not at all. He will let you be as spiritual as you like, even in the fourth heaven, if there is such a place.
The reason why there is spiritual conflict is because the testimony of Jesus is with you. That is the reason.
And with the testimony of Jesus, there is bound to be battle. Therefore Paul says, “I have fought the good fight,” not fighting against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the evil spiritual forces in the air.
There is a spiritual conflict going on, and you need an army for it. No one person can enter into that conflict. If you expose yourself, at that point you will be shot.
We have to enter into this conflict together as the army of the Lord. But remember, it demands certain maturity.
The numbering does not begin with those one month old and upward. It begins with those twenty years old and upward.
Babes in Christ cannot enter into spiritual conflict. Babes in Christ are not able to take up the responsibility of the testimony of Jesus. Babes in Christ can only be fed and taken care of.
Until they grow in the Lord to a certain degree, they will begin to understand responsibility. Then they will be joined in the responsibility of maintaining the testimony of Jesus.
So it requires some spiritual growth. Brothers and sisters, how important it is that we grow in the Lord—not just in the sense that you may be more spiritual, but in the sense that you may be numbered among those who can take care of the testimony of Jesus.
Oh, dear brothers and sisters, how we thank God. We are not just passing through. Oftentimes we say, “Well, we are just passing through,” and we say it lightly, you know.
Yes, we are passing through, but not just passing through. We pass through with the testimony of Jesus.
We have tremendous responsibility upon us. How we need to be humbled before God. How we need to look to Him for every strength, that we may bear and maintain the testimony of Jesus through the wilderness into the Promised Land, without letting the testimony suffer in any way.
This is a tremendous thing. And I believe these are probably the meanings of the numbering—why the people were numbered.
As a matter of fact, the first nine chapters of the Book of Numbers, up to Chapter 10, verse 10, are really preparations for the wilderness journey. God prepared them for that journey.
Only after the preparation was complete, in Chapter 10, verse 11, did God begin to move them off.
So, dear brothers and sisters, let us be prepared by God as a people, as the army of God, bearing the testimony of Jesus with us. I think probably we will just stop here today. Shall we pray?
Our heavenly Father, how we praise and thank Thee. Even though Thou dost know what we are, what material we are, yet Thou dost dare to entrust Thy treasure, the testimony of Jesus, to us. It humbles us, O Lord.
How we need to be before Thee. How we need to look up to Thee, that we may not fail Thee. The competency is not in us; it is of God.
And we just cast ourselves upon Thy mercy and upon Thy grace, trusting that Thy grace is sufficient for us; that we can do all things through Him who empowers us. But in ourselves, we are undone.
So, Lord, do prepare us, that we may be a corporate vessel, Thy people, able to maintain Thy testimony intact through all the attacks and assaults of the enemy through the wilderness.
O Lord, that we may hear Thee say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
O Lord, we pray that these may not be just words, but that there may be burden, there may be vision, there may be charge. We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.