Starting a home… Has challenges Begins with God’s blessing

1. Starting a HomeNumber 22-36 Starting a home… Has challenges Begins with God’s blessing It is easy to get sidetracked by the promise of pleasure We have to take care of everyone… The leader, the weak and the community Arriving is always a developing story

2. Number 22 2 Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3 and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites. 4 …So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5 sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the River, in his native land. Balak said:

3. 6 Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country...”

4. Balaam comes to Balak, the king of Moab, but he does not get what he wants Balaam could not act on his own The blessing was not his to give The blessing was from God

5. First Blessing Numbers 23 11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!” 12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”

6. Second Blessing 25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!” 26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?” 27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.”

7. Third Blessing Number 24 10 Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. 11 Now leave at once and go home!

8. The people are knocking in the doors of the promised land… However the promised land is not a place of ease There are still difficulties Some are obvious other are more subtle

9. Some problems are disguised as pleasure They still lead to loss, separation from God and enslavement

10. Numbers 25 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

11. As they are about to claim more land new issues arise What is the value of a woman? How do we protect our weak? These were issues of justice, fairness and equity

12. Numbers 27 The daughters of Zelophehad… They approached 2 the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly, and said, 3 “Our father died in the desert... 4 Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”

13. 8 “Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, turn his inheritance over to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 …This is to be a legal requirement for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.’ ”

14. The Lord was concerned about the lowest and the highest The sisters without a father and almost without an inheritance were important It was also important to have a leader who was commissioned and blessed

15. 22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.

16. Some of the people found their land before others They were ready to build But this was not every man for himself – this was about God’s people They were a family It was all or nothing

17. Numbers 32 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks… 2 So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, 4 the land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock.

18. 5 If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.” 15 If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the desert, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”

19. 16 Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. 17 But we are ready to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place… 18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his inheritance.

20. It was essential for the people to revisit who they were and who they have become They were slaves Now they are free They are strong And they now have land

21. Numbers 33 Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2 At the Lord’s command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages:

22. 3 The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. They marched out boldly in full view of all the Egyptians,

23. There are lots of surprises when we start a home We may be at home But we are not done People who want to see us fail Decisions and choices Problems and corrections

24. The thing about journeys is that when we arrive... Our journey is just starting again New difficulties New struggles Every journey leads to a new beginning In life we never graduate

25. Practical lessons from Numbers In life we never graduate There will always be enemies and difficulties God is with us because we are his children Some enemies are disguised and covert but they are still deadly

26. Practical lessons from Numbers We are not alone God cares about the weak God cares about the strong God cares about the whole community Remember your history and God’s blessing