in for this gathering and for this book of numbers and we just pray that in the section that we're in we'll see the importance of even how what we'll find here relates to what's even going on today and how important your relationship with Israel is and how sure the fulfillment of your covenant with Israel is. And so, Lord, help us to understand what we read at the end of this particular chapter. And may we grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and understand your purpose and plan as you're working through history. We'll ask all this in Christ's name. Amen. Just a reminder, because we're only going to do two sessions on Numbers 21, the outline, which is basically four movements. We covered the first two last week. In the first three verses you have the Canaanite king of Arad conquered. So you see a lot of battle in this chapter. And then in chapter 4, I'm sorry, 21, 4 through 9, Israel will complain and then God is going to send judgment on Israel with the bronze, with the actual serpents and then you have the bronze serpent as the remedy. We looked at this last week. A famous passage, especially because Jesus in John 3 quotes, from this text and then relates it to himself. So we looked at that last week. Now we get to the second half of our study, Israel's continued journey in 2110-20 and then we have Israel's victory over Sihon, the Amorite king. And watch how many times they say the Amorites and that's important. And we'll see that in 21-35. So let's just read through this text with minimal comment and then when we get to the end we'll bring up some points. So in 2110, now the sons of Israel moved out and camped in Oboth. They journeyed from Oboth and camped in Ea Habarim, which is in the wilderness opposite Moab to the east. From there they set out and camped in Wadi Zarid. From there they journeyed and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites. For the Arnon is in the border of Moab between Moab and the Amorites. Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord, Wahab in the Sufah and the Wadis of the Arnon and the slope of the Wadis that extend to the side of Ar and leans to the border of Moab. So the Jews making it to Moab at this point was celebrated from a quote from this text called the Book of the War of the Lords. I don't know much about this. Maybe there are others that do. You couldn't find too much information about it but it's a poem from some extent text, a collection of writings that was in existence at that time. So they did have other writings, they were writing things down. It's not holy scripture, but they just are making a quote from it. So in verse 16, from there they continue to, it's not beer, it's ha-be'er. That word be'er means a well, like where you get water. So notice they continued from this location. That is the well. You can see why they called it a well because it's the well where the Lord said to Moses, assemble the people. that I may give them water. Then Israel sang this song, here's their song, spring up a well, sing to it, the well which the leaders sank, which the nobles of the peoples dug with the scepter and their staffs. And from the wilderness they continued to Matanah, from Matanah to Nah. Haliel from the Haliel to Bamoth and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the land of Moab at the top of Pisgah which overlooks the wasteland. Aren't you glad to get to heaven you don't have to know how to say these words? That would be tough. So God had previously provided water from the rock. We've seen him do this supernaturally. Now the people come to this location, which they call Ba'er, meaning well, because God provides water. But how did they get the water this time? They dug for it, right? I mean, God's blessing comes to us and sometimes we just sit and it pours on us, and then other times there is effort on part of people to get the blessing, so they have to dig the well. And I'm sure that took some time, but it even says in the song they sang, even the instruments they used to dig the well. So the Jews sing this song to commemorate God's provision of water. And then verse 21 through 35, and then we'll go through this and then we'll make some broader comments of why this text is important. So verse 21, that Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, let me pass through your land. Now listen how the Israelites, again, we're not taking anything, we just want passage. We'll not turn off into the field or the vineyard. We won't drink water from the wells. We will go by the king's highway until we've passed through your border. So we come in peace. We don't want any trouble. We're not even going to take anything. But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border. So Sihon gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the wilderness. I should have left it alone, huh? And came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. Then Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, took possession or inheritance of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok as far as the sons of Ammon. For the border of the sons of Ammon was Yazir. Israel took all the cities and lived in all the cities of the Amorites. Notice the Amorites, that's important, we'll review that in a second. And Hezbon and all her villages, for Hezbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand as far as the Arnon. So he had defeated others and taken their land, now Israel is doing this. Therefore, those who use Proverbs, this isn't the book of Proverbs, these are these sayings. Those who use Proverbs say, Come to Hezbon, let it be built, let the city of Sihon be established. For a fire went forth from Hezbon, a flame from the town of Sihon. It devoured Ar of Moab, the dominant heights of Arnon. Woe to you, Moab, you are ruined, O people of Chemosh. Chemosh was a false Moabite god. He has given his sons as fugitives and his daughters into captivity to an Amorite king, Sihon. But we have cast them down. Hezbon is ruined as far as Dabon and we have laid waste even to Nofah which reaches Medeba. Thus Israel lived in the land of the who? Amorites. So we will see a promise in Genesis again related to that. So Moses sent to spy out Yazir. And they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites, once again, the Amorites who were there. Then they turned and went up by way of Bashan and Og, and the king of Bashan went out with all his people for battle at Edre. And the Lord said to Moses, Don't fear him, for I have given him into your hand and all his people and his land, and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon. So they killed him and his sons and all his people until there was no remnant left him and They inherited or possessed his land So there's the end of the chapter it ends with travel and battle Israel's victory and which is very important. Something I did not put into the service this week, and I did this morning, so it's probably more brief than I want it to be. In verse 21, is there anything that, any words you'd want to look up and think about? I see two, and I'm only going to work on one. If you're just Bible studying, What there might you want to develop? No, verse 35? 2135. Okay. Yeah, what is a remnant and then a possession, possessing the land, inheritance? We've worked on inheritance quite a bit, so I want to talk about how many of you have until there was no remnant left? OK, you have survivors, OK. Some Bibles translate, there's two actual Hebrew words here, but the word remnant is the word sarid. It'd be pronounced S-A-R-I-Y-D, like sarid. So if you have survivor, that's fine because the word sarid in Hebrew means remnant, survivor, something that's left or left behind. This word shows up in Joshua. You know when they go in to do battle, to take conquest of the land under Joshua? This is used over and over, this same phrase, where no survivors of the enemy are left in battle. So they just go in and defeat the enemy. It's also used of Israel though. We always talk about the remnant in Israel. There's another word for remnant as well, but let me give you a couple of passages where it's used of Israel. I didn't have time to even make slides for you, but Joel 2.32, a significant prophecy text in Joel 2, really going from 2.28 through 2.32, but I'll just read you 2.32. It will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved or delivered. I think Israel will do this in the tribulation and be delivered into the land when Messiah returns at the second advent. From on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape As the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls, the word survivors there is sarid, a remnant. Isaiah 37, 31, the surviving remnant of the house of Israel will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. What does that mean to you? Israel's going to bear, to take root downward and bear fruit upward. What does that symbolize to you based on Old Testament? Well, where do you have to be to take root? In the ground. They'll one day be in their land, take root in their land, and grow up, and then what? Bear fruit. It's not just physical, God will bless them in the land and they did have fruit trees that literally bore literal fruit they could eat, but he wants Israel as a nation planted in the land and fruitful to him spiritually. That's why John the Baptist comes to the earth and tells Israel, return to the Lord, bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And then Jesus gives the parable of the sower, four different soils, but the fourth soil did what? produced a crop fourfold. The seed fell on that good soil and it produced fruit. This is really connected to the book of Hosea. One day Israel will be planted in their land and will go up and bear fruit. And so again, you have the surviving remnant of the house of Judah. Jeremiah 50 verse 20, in those days and at that time, declares the Lord, search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, there will be none. for the sins of Judah, but they won't be found." What is this telling you? In some future day, Israel will be what? Forgiven. Can anyone tell me the passage in Jeremiah 31? Where's Clay? 31-34, Israel will be restored and their sins will be remembered no more. So then in Jeremiah 50 verse 20, I think it's picking up on the same covenant. But it goes on to say, I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant. Now, in the New Testament, I'll read you one and we'll turn to another. In Romans 11.5, dealing with Israel, God has temporarily set them aside, but will He forsake His covenant promise to them? No. In Romans 11.5, in the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. So, Israel is this nation. He will not fail to keep His promise. Go to Matthew 24. I want to pick on a controversial text. As someone said, all the texts in the Bible are controversial. There's always somebody who wrote a dissertation on every verse. I want to show you how sure God's covenant promises to Israel are. He can wipe out the enemy so that there is no survivor or remnant. But will God ever allow Israel to be wiped out with no survivor or remnant? No, if He does, if He allows that or that ever happens, then He didn't keep His word. Because He made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and that seed that Israel will survive and they will be brought into the kingdom of Messiah when he rules on the earth. So if Satan knows that and he knows his time is short and he's got to make God a liar, wouldn't it be in his best interest to try to wipe out Israel? And say, hey God, you have no one to fulfill your promises to. So if you look through history, you'll see the promise of Genesis 3.15, the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent. Well, that war between the Lord and the devil has been going on and will go all the way through the end of history with the Antichrist versus the Lord. So if Satan's the ruler of this world, who is behind the nations? Satan. That's the one behind the kings in Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14. We say, well, those don't refer to Satan. Even though a literal king is mentioned, who's the power behind that king? Because there's descriptors in Ezekiel 28 that don't fit that king specifically. It goes beyond that and describes Satan, I believe, the ruler behind the rulers of the world. And so the Lord's people are always under attack by the devil and who does the devil use? The nations. And we're getting ready to get into the Balaam oracles. Balaam is going to curse Israel because King Balak is afraid of them. That is a satanic attack on God's chosen people. And Satan is all over that, he is all behind that. And so when you see Israel winning battles, God giving them the enemy into his hands, this is very important. But look at Matthew 24.30, Jesus who is the seed of the woman, he is on earth, He has been rejected by the nation, but he describes his second coming in Matthew 24. So look at verse 30. And the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. So now he's referring back to Daniel 7. 13 and 14 where the son of man will come with the glory of the clouds and he will receive a kingdom from the ancient of days. And so he says in verse 31, and he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of the sky to the other. And then he says, learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branches have already become tender and put forth its leaves, you'll know that summer is near. So from agriculture, you know when a season's coming, right? We can see that when we see I have a loquat tree in my backyard, or a large one, too. And I know when I see flowers on it, it's going to be in December. And I know what's coming early spring is the fruit. I just know that tree. That's the kind of tree it is. It never produces fruit in July. So he uses an agricultural illustration and then says, so you too. Here's the comparison. When you see all these things, recognize that he, the Messiah, is near right at the door. So this is second coming, right? Seven year tribulation, second advent. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass. Now what confuses people here is verse 34 says this generation, which some think Jesus means the generation there at that time who is hearing his words. Therefore this would have to have been fulfilled in that day, right? And you'll get in the view of preterism that will do this. But who is this generation? It's Israel. And if you trace the word generation, the Hebrew word in the Old Testament, and then go into the New, I think he's just saying Israel will never pass away because I've made a covenant with them. They will make it to the end. They will survive. And so when Jesus comes back, are there Jews on earth? Yes, because he kept his promise and Satan could not defeat him. And so Satan will actually be thrown alive into the abyss for a thousand years during the reign of Jesus when he's on earth on David's throne, then released at the end of the thousand years, and then Revelation 20.10, thrown into the lake of fire forever. So I don't take the this generation, meaning that generation on earth at that time will see it. I think that this generation refers to Israel and will work itself out in the tribulation generation who will see the Messiah coming. That, if you want to talk more about that, we'll have to do that at a break and probably need more time to go back and look at, you'll have to look at all the words for generation dealing with Israel. So, this is very Jewish. It's dealing with the kingdom for Israel and Bible prophecy and the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24 and also into chapter 25. So, I wanted to make a comment about the remnant. Israel will survive. A remnant does have the idea of surviving. Israel's a nation will never be blotted out. Have they had attempts at it all through their history? How about Adolf Hitler? Six million of them. Are they still here? Yes. Whenever you see a Jewish person, believer or unbeliever, you're looking at the faithfulness of God. So let's go back to Numbers 20. At the end of Numbers 20, Edom would not let the Jews pass through But God said for the Jews to leave them alone since God had made a covenant with them. Remember, Edom was Esau. We saw that in a comparison with Genesis 36 to Deuteronomy 2, 1-5. God had made a promise with them. He says leave them alone. Remember, and it did say Edom was Esau, so Esau was the brother of Jacob. So they weren't allowed to go into battle with them at that time. But in Numbers 21, the Jews are going to battle and the Lord is giving them victory over these other people. So who was one of the main people you kept seeing? The Amorites. Now remember, the Amorites were among the peoples whom Israel was told by God to destroy. Lest we forget, Exodus, an earlier time, Exodus 33, 2. I will send an angel before you and will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. So those people groups, God says, I'm giving them to you. Exodus 34 11 be sure to observe what I'm commanding you this day behold I'm going to drive out the Amorite before you the Canaanite the Hittite the Perizzite Hivite and the Jebusite So they were already told but where else would you go even prior to this? Genesis any particular chapter. Yeah, would you go before Genesis? No, you can't, because you'll be on your index. Just kidding. How about Genesis 15? Let's go there. I have part of it on the board. Let's read a larger section. Remember, Abraham's the first Jew. The line will go through Abraham, then his son Isaac, then Jacob. Not Ishmael and Esau. He blessed them and gave blessing to that line, but the line of the covenant promise and the Messiah, all that goes through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and that seed. So God tells Abraham, let's start in Genesis 15-7, God said to Abram, I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans. So we know that's where he came from. To give you this land to possess it. So you keep hearing that word, possess the land, all the way through our passage in Numbers. And he said, O Lord God, how may I know that I'll possess it? And he said to him, bring me a three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old female goat, and a three-year-old ram, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon. Then he brought all these to him, and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other, and he didn't cut the birds. The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, terror and great darkness fell on him. And God said to Abram, so even though he's in this sleep, he's still coherent. He can still hear the revelation of God. He says, know for certain that your descendants, or seed, will be strangers in a land that is not theirs. Now the descendants are going to be Abraham, and then Isaac, and then Jacob, and then the 12 tribes that come from Jacob. They will be enslaved and oppressed 400 years. What story is that? It's Egypt in the book of Exodus, early chapters. But I will also judge the nation whom they serve, and afterwards they'll come out with many possessions. So didn't God judge Egypt? And they left with spoil. Did he keep his word? He did exactly what he said. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried at a good old age. Then in the fourth generation, they'll return here. So they're going to come back to the land, which is where they're headed in numbers, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full or complete. So now in numbers, is it time? Yep, they're going to that land and now God's going to give them the victory. So it came about when the sun had set, it was very dark, and behold there was an appearance, a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between the pieces. And on that day the Lord, literally it says in the Hebrew, cut a covenant with Abram. To your descendants, I've given this land from the river of Egypt as far as the great river of Euphrates, the Kenite, the Kenzanite, the Kadmonite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Rephaim, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Girgashite, and the Jebusite. So it's a land promise, isn't it? We talk about the land covenant. Will God go, well, there's just too many enemies in there today. I'm going to go give them another piece of real estate where there's less problems. Australia looks pretty open. No, it will be on that piece of real estate. That temple mount that has no Jewish temple on it and the enemy has it, it will not be that way forever. God will remove that. They will have a millennial temple. Jesus will rule from that exact place He said. So if you watch TV and you watch the news, everyone is going, why is this big battle over that piece of real estate? Well, this is a God thing. God made a covenant with these people and this is a fight between the Lord and Satan, the enemy, and there's a lot going on. So you have this, notice God cut a covenant, it's unilateral, they split the pieces of the animal. This was an ancient way to do covenants. Two parties would cut animals in two, they'd hold hands and go through the pieces together, lest if we break this covenant, this is what will happen to us, what happened to these animals. But who goes between the pieces here? God alone. So He's obligated Himself to this nation Israel unilaterally. He will fulfill it. That doesn't mean there doesn't have to be a faithful remnant for Him to give the blessing to. That's often overlooked. So he will give it to this nation, but Israel was waiting for a faithful king. Did they get him? Absolutely. Jesus was without sin. Now what's God waiting for? A faithful remnant. And that's yet to happen. And that will one day. And then Jesus will establish his kingdom. But God can now not make this covenant. He can't annul it with Israel and then go give it to someone else. He will give it to these people. So watch, be careful with anti-Semitism. A lot of theology starts moving that direction of saying Israel's not important anymore, they're insignificant, they're really the problem. And sometimes you almost get some Christians saying this. Israel is a problem and they did a horrible thing, they rejected their Messiah and said crucify him. One day the faithful remnant, the believing remnant in the tribulation will call on him and he'll establish the kingdom. But the church has not replaced Israel as the covenant people of God. The church has an important role, but that's not it. That last statement was not controversial. Now, back to our text. Moses reviews their travel victories as we're seeing in our text. And Deuteronomy 3, 1-11. If you want to just read through that later, you can. But Deuteronomy 3, 1-11 is something we'll get to eventually here. Because it's the next book after Numbers. Here's a couple other ones that review it. You know, the Psalms come later. Psalm 135, 8. In review, God, He, smote the firstborn of Egypt, both man and beast. Know how often they go back to God's victory over enemies as time goes on. Verse 9, He sent signs and wonders in your midst, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants. He smote many nations and slew mighty kings. See, we're going through that historical section now in our text. There is Sihon, there is the king mentioned, king of the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan and the kingdoms of Canaan. And he gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people. This happens in Psalm 136, 17-22. This is a neat psalm because The psalmist will give one of the great blessings of God and then the people probably, as a responsive reading, would say, Ki le'olam chasdo. Ki le'olam chasdo. Ki le'olam chasdo. Which is, you notice in every verse, for His loving kindness is everlasting. Chesed, that loyal love of God, it's everlasting. So, to him who smote great kings, verse 17, for his lovingkindness is everlasting. And he slew mighty kings for his lovingkindness is everlasting. Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his lovingkindness is everlasting. Og, king of Bashan, for his lovingkindness is everlasting. He gave their land as a heritage for his lovingkindness is everlasting. Even a heritage to Israel, his servant, for his lovingkindness is everlasting. So it sounds like the previous psalm we just looked at, but now they add that His loving-kindness is everlasting. So really when you say His loving-kindness is everlasting as a Jew in this response, what are you basically saying? He's a God of faithfulness to His covenant. Because the word loving-kindness, chesed, is often used in covenant context of God's faithfulness to the nation Israel. So as we wind it up, we'll probably have to turn to one more after this. But remember Ezekiel 36 is a chapter on the new covenant, which will be enjoyed by Israel in the future. You will live in the land that I gave your forefathers, so you will be my people and I will be your God. By the way, what has happened since the time of the wilderness wanderings up to Ezekiel? A lot of problems, right? Israel keeps screwing up and they keep getting knocked out of the land. And God told them, if you keep sinning against me, I'll bring pressure on you and judge you and then knock you out of the land. So one day Israel will live in that land under the blessing of Messiah who will be physically on earth. Let's just review this one. So Ezekiel 36, 28 has a good passage. Go to Ezekiel 37. And we'll read 21 through 28. Remember, I'm just showing you, you've got to read these passages like in numbers, in a broader sense. Because some Christians read them and go, ah, boring, okay, it's battles and what, what, what. This is huge, and how all this will end up working out. Now remember, Ezekiel 36 and chapter 37 is Bible prophecy. Ezekiel 37 is famous for the Valley of the Dry Bones. And within that text, as the bones that were very dry, the flesh comes back on them and God puts spirit within them. All this, I think, is going into John 3 with Nicodemus. But you also have a passage in here where the north and the south, remember the kingdom split in 931? You have the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom, Judah and Israel. He says one day the two sticks, the nation in division, will be made one. Because Ezekiel saw the two sticks were made one in his hand, so he says I'm going to bring the two back. So there's going to be a restoration in Israel. And then in 21 it says, Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land. This is Deuteronomy 30. And I will make them one nation in the land on the mountains of Israel, and one king will be king for all of them, and they will no longer be two nations and no longer divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions, for I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them, and they will be My people, and I will be their God." So God's never going to, the nation Israel will never disappear. He's made a promise and it will come to pass. My servant David will be king over them and they will all have one shepherd and they will walk in my ordinances and keep my statutes and observe them. And I know there's a big debate here over is David, is it literally King David? I think King David will be resurrected and will rule in the kingdom. But some believe my servant David here would be like, just really a reference to Jesus the Messiah, the one in the line of David who will rule as king, fulfilling the Davidic covenant. I'm more partial to that, though I do think we will see King David raised in the future. But that's always a comment that comes up in verse 34. So they'll live on their land that I gave to the United States, No, to my servant Jacob. Remember, Jacob was one man, but he became Israel after he wrestled with God. So Jacob refers to the nation at this point. in which your fathers lived." So they had been on this land. One day they'll possess it in its fullness. They'll live on it, they and their sons and their sons' sons forever. And David, my servant, will be prince, their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace, a covenant of barish shalom, a covenant of peace with them. Isn't it interesting? Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. Sar shalom in Isaiah 9, 6. So I will make a covenant of peace with them, it will be an everlasting covenant with them and I will place them and multiply them and set my sanctuary in their midst forever. My dwelling place will also be with them and I will be their God and they will be my people and the nations will know that I am the Lord who sets apart or sanctifies Israel when my sanctuary is in their midst forever. So is Israel going away? No. Never. So just watch this politically. And theologically, I've always said, if our country ever starts going against Israel and making decisions against that nation, we might as well hang it up. Genesis 12, I will curse those who curse them. And we think it's just some sort of political thing. There are politics related to this. I think the Jews have a right to the land politically. but spiritually and through covenant by the living God, absolutely, and most importantly. Well, as we close, I'll just quote you somebody who, from where this map came from, just kind of looking at the travels in numbers where we are, he says, quote, the attempt 40 years earlier to move from K-Barnea north into Canaan had been rebuffed. Remember, they were going to go into the land But they came back with a bad report, so now they have to travel in the wilderness for 40 years. He goes on to say, this time Moses wanted to go east through Edom and north through Moab toward Canaan. However, the Hebrews were refused passage through both territories despite kinship with the peoples. Instead, Moses went south to Elath, then north and east, bypassing Edom and Moab, north of the Arnon River. They defeated the Amorites and were poised to cross the Jordan from the east to enter Canaan. So you can see they go up to the right side of the map. Canaan's way at the top, and they're going to go in from the east. So there's where we are in our travels. Boy, an 11-day journey, according to Deuteronomy. And how long did it take? 40 plus years. Boy, our decisions can sometimes make our paths a little longer than intended, right? If we just get it right, like my dad always said, you want to do this the hard way or the easy way? And it seems we choose the hard way a lot of times. But we'll see this in Deuteronomy, I think, chapter 1, verse 2, compared to Deuteronomy 8. It was an 11-day journey. In Deuteronomy 1, it turned into a 40-year wilderness wandering, where God says, I allowed you to wander. I humbled you for those 40 years to show you what was in your own heart. And how often does God take us through things on these journeys in our life, not to let you see how bad everybody else is. Let's see what's in your heart, whether you'll truly obey me or not. And I think we get these tests every day, no matter how small they are. And then some of them are much bigger. But so always watch everything that's going on in your life as a test to check your own life. We usually like to look at everybody else's failure. And God says, just look at your own self and see what's going on with what you're experiencing and how you're responding to it. So, next week we start the Balaam oracles. Three chapters with Balaam, King Balak, and Israel. Probably next week we'll do the big picture. What is going on? Ask yourself this as you read these chapters. Why would God put this incident in the Torah for Israel? What does it say theologically about this entire battle between Satan and God? What does this have to say about the nations versus Israel? It's just another piece to this. And so Satan is behind this attack. of Balaam and Balak. And the Lord intervenes, right? And then you get some prophetic oracles about Jesus. I think one of the best things about these three chapters, one of the major things it proves, Messiah will be a king. You're like, where are you getting that? Well, there's one oracle clearly in here that's a prophecy of Messiah. A star and a scepter will come from Jacob. That's Jesus. Don't miss that. So what is this passage doing? Well, in midst of all this struggle, the King of Israel will one day come and rule. Genesis 49.10, the scepter will not depart from Judah. I'm tracing the King for you all the way through. Don't miss that. Too often we're looking at Balaam and the problems there and not seeing the prophetic things in the text. So I'm going to have to show you where those are. There's two passages. One deals with Israel and then the other one deals with the singular Messiah. I'll have to do it. That may be in two weeks, but I'm already preaching that text. We're not there yet. Hold on, hold on. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord, for being so faithful And Lord, we can track your faithfulness just for what we're seeing from Genesis all the way up to Numbers. You've kept your word. And then when we go beyond that and read up to the time of Jesus, you've kept your word. And everything that hasn't been fulfilled yet in prophecy, we just know it will because you're a God of perfection. You never lie. So Lord we thank you that prophecy will come to pass and the beauty of the future that awaits us in Christ is simply stunning Lord. We just thank you for this eternal kingdom where everything will be absolute perfection even our resurrection bodies and we will live in a place of no more tears, no more pain, no more death. the old things have passed away. So Lord, help us to always see the importance of your covenant with this nation, Israel, and as it will be fulfilled ultimately when Jesus returns. And so Father, we thank you for that time to look at that today. In Jesus' name, Amen.