1. Preparations for War and Spiritual Readiness

We are into our fourth sermon in the series in Numbers. I know we [have] read a lot of verses. We are covering four chapters this morning. But don't worry. I think I'll try to keep it short and sharp as best as I can. Numbers Chapters 7 to 10. 

 The emphasis on spiritual preparation over physical preparation for war

Now, I was serving as a brigade medical officer during my national service time, and I'm privileged not to have to chiong sua (to take part in strenuous army activities), [as] we said, not to have to walk in the wilderness too much, because as a brigade medical officer, we do more planning work. So I was involved in quite a few army planning exercises where we will simulate war time scenarios and prepare for battles. And in these army planning exercises, I learned that to go to war, you need a lot of preparations. You need to prepare for your rations, you need to prepare for your weapons. You need to prepare for tactics, strategies, skills. So there is a lot of things you need to do in times of war. 

When we come to the book of Numbers, the people of Israel are really gearing up for war, they want to enter the Promised Land, and so we are going to read of some of their preparations in time when they are to enter the promised land. But what kind of preparations are they going to do? Are they going to pick up weapons, train on their fighting skills, or upgrade their strategies in war? Well, interestingly, we are going to read none of these things. Instead, [in] Numbers 1–10, the first four chapters speak about how they are to be organized as a people. And they are to be organized around the tent or the tabernacle of God, and instead of looking outwards towards the enemy, they are to look inwards toward God. Then chapters 5 and 6, as we looked at last week, spoke about cleansing, about clean and unclean people. So the preparations here are very bizarre for a military commander to say the least. There's nothing physical. There's nothing really militaristic about it. It is all spiritual preparation. 

God alone will ensure Israel’s success in entering the Promised Land

Because I think the message Israel is to get, and we are to get, is that the battle is the Lord's. It is God alone who will ensure the success of the war campaign against the Canaanites, and it is God alone who will lead them into the Promised Land. So the first thing we learn about entering the Promised Land, the first thing we learn about receiving that final salvation rest is that if we are to do that, we need to be a people who are centered in God. Israel is to be organized around God. God is to be the center of Israel, and so it is for you and for me. For us to enter the Promised Land, God must be the center of our lives. The second lesson is about cleanness—that unclean people are cut off, but the clean will draw near, and God is the one who provides that cleansing for us. And finally, today, in chapters 7 to 10, the last segment in these first 10 chapters, we're going to look at the principle of closeness. Now that they are centered in God, now that they are cleansed, well, what does it mean to relate rightly with God? What does it mean to respond to God? What does it mean to follow God? We're going to look at closeness to God. And so Numbers 7 to 10 is about closeness to Him.

2. Principle 1: Consecration 

And I think we are going to learn three simple principles here if you are to draw near to God. The first principle is the principle of consecration. Now I know this is Sunday morning, and I know this is not a familiar word. It's a big word, so let me just explain. Consecration is simply giving or dedicating something or someone to God. And this tells us that a healthy relationship with God involves our worship, our giving, our service unto Him. It involved Israel bringing offerings to God. 

A healthy relationship with God involves worship, giving and service unto Him

You see, a healthy relationship is always two ways. You don't really have a healthy relationship if it's only giving one way; we say give and take. A healthy relationship involves receiving and giving. It's true for any relationship. Marriage—you won't have a healthy marriage if only one party is giving and the other party only receives. You have a toxic relationship that way. You don't have a healthy marriage, or you don't have a healthy father-son relationship if it's only giving, and the son never appreciates the father; there's no thanks or appreciation. 

And it's true when it comes to our relationship with God. Now the people of Israel demonstrate the necessity of consecration or giving back to God. So [in] Numbers 7, we will read a lot about the offerings. For example, the chiefs of the nation of Israel—all of them, all 12 tribes—they agreed, and they brought their offerings before the Lord—six wagons and 12 oxen. We continue to read: all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace—offerings were 24 bulls, 60 rams, 60 goats, male lambs a year old, 60 [of these] and all this was a dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed. 

Voluntary and joyful offerings as an appreciation for God’s provisions and protection

Now this is important, because this marks the first, the first voluntary offering by the people of Israel. God did not command that they do this. God did not tell them to do this. Previously, you say, “Eh, but I thought God commanded them to bring something to His tabernacle what.” Yes, He did. Early on, God told them to bring offerings for the building of the tabernacle. But that is already done! Now, after the tabernacle is built up, they willingly, joyfully brought offerings for the dedication of the tabernacle, for the ministries that would take place. They didn't do this because they were forced to. They did this because they wanted to. 

Every Chinese New Year, my sister and I—together with our families—we would go to my parents' place to bai nian, pay a visit. And every year we would give our parents ang pau (a red packet of money as a gift). I think many of you do that for your parents too. Now, why do we give ang paus to our parents? Is it that my parents needed money from us? No, not really, not at all. Were we commanded to do so? No, not at all. But this is a Chinese custom by which we follow to show our appreciation to our parents. It's just a gesture, a token of saying, “Thank you, Dad and Mom, for all that you've done for us.” And the people of Israel here are voluntarily coming to God and saying, “Lord, this is our thanksgiving. This is our worship to You, because You have given us so much. You brought us out of Egypt. You provided for us in this journey, You protected us from our enemies, and we are more than happy and glad to offer our offerings.”  

And in their offerings, we see a lot of things. This is the sum total of one tribe [the offerings listed in Numbers 7:12–17 is projected on the screen]. You will read of this multiplied 12 times. So that's why it's 80 over verses in chapter 7 alone.  But I want you to note that they brought grain, burnt, sin, peace offerings. Now, for us in Singapore, they don't make a lot of sense. We don't know what they all mean. But I just want to bring you back a little to what we studied, I think, at the beginning of this year in the series through Leviticus. And in Leviticus, we kind of looked at the five offerings in Leviticus 1–7, and said that they all, in a big picture sense, symbolize something like “Sorry and Lord, I give You my all” (referring to the burnt offering), “Thank You” (referring to the grain offering), “Sorry and thank You” (referring to the peace offering). And so we noted that the offerings were an expression of appreciation and contrition. “I'm sorry and thank You, God”. So, Israel—right at the beginning here at chapter 7—-they understood the principle of consecration. For a healthy relationship, a close relationship with God, God's people, out of a joyful, grateful heart, would serve Him and give unto Him. And you know, God is pleased. God is delighted with what they do, because we read in verse 5, God said, “Accept these from them”. And every tribe and exactly what they brought is detailed down. And at the very end, in [Numbers 7:89], we read [that] when all they have given is given, we read [that] God spoke to Moses from above the mercy seat. I think that's the author's way, or Moses’ way, of saying, God is pleased with the offerings of our nation.

Consecration is not just about offerings but also about offering oneself to God

Now these offerings—it’s about things. But when we said consecration, it's not just something, but it's also someone. And so in chapter 8, we read about the consecration, or the dedication, or the giving of the Levites to serve God at the tabernacle. So we read in Numbers 8:14, God said, “the Levites shall be mine. They're dedicated to my service.” 

Why the Levites? Because God says, “All the firstborn in Israel belong to me. I saved the firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn belong to me. But instead of taking the firstborn, I take one tribe, I take Levi.” So this is the principle of consecration. If you want to have a healthy relationship with God, it does involve our worship; it does involve our consecration; it does involve our giving to him. 

You can tell the level or the nature of your relationship with God from the way you offer or you sacrifice or you give unto Him. So let me ask you today, how's your relationship with God? How's your giving? I want you to know first of all that this giving to God is not to bribe God, all right? We don't... The Bible doesn't teach about giving to God to such a degree that God is now obligated to save us. You can never bribe God with your things. God doesn't need our things. We cannot bribe Him. Neither are we trying to say we prove ourselves by our giving, like prove our worthiness before God by our giving. Nope, you've got it the wrong way. The Bible instead tells us we give to God because we understand how much God has given to us. We give because of the gospel. We give because God first gave His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. And when we appreciate that, when we really understand that, out of a grateful, overflowing heart, we give. 

So every Sunday, during offerings, you will hear me almost like a broken recorder. I always say, “Giving is not…?” [pause] I broken recorder, you all still cannot remember? “Giving is not compulsory. We give not because we are…?” [pause] Wow, so I know you switch off when I talk. I know. Okay. [audience laughs] PJ is saying his usual stuff, can switch off. “We give, not because we are forced to, but because we want to.” And why do we want to? Because God first gave His Son for us. 

Today's announcement was about ministry, about how we are saved to serve. Why do we serve God? Why do our ushers or our wardens get downstairs in a hot basement car park, directing traffic? Is it because when they direct traffic, God will take note and save them and bring them to heaven? No way. They do that, because they know God first gave His Son for them, and now we gratefully, joyfully give of our lives. And when you serve, it reflects a healthy relationship with God, because you know how much is done for you. So how's your relationship? Is your Christianity all about conveniences, what's easy, what's comfortable, no sacrifice? And you say to yourself, “I have a great relationship with God”? I don't think so. A close relationship requires that we deny ourselves and take up the cross daily. It's about offerings. It's about giving, not to bribe, but because we want to please Him and worship Him and glorify him. 

3. Principle 2: Commemoration

Well, let me move on. I said it will be short. So point number two, from consecration, we see then the need for commemoration. You see that giving to God is only possible if we understand how much we are receiving from God. And so in chapter 9, we see Moses communicating the importance of keeping the Passover, you know, by means, or in a way, to remember how much God has done for Israel. 

The Passover as a meal to remember God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt

The Passover is a meal that Israel ate around the time they are about to leave Egypt for the Promised Land. So this is a meal that they will celebrate henceforth every single year. Why the Passover? Well, Pharaoh has been hardened against God and would not let Israel go. So God inflicted 10 plagues on Pharaoh and on Egypt so that he would finally relent. The final plague is a severe one, because it is causing the death of every firstborn—from animals to Pharaoh's household. But Israel will be spared, because God said to Israel, “You can be saved from the death of the firstborn. This is what you do. You take a lamb, a spotless lamb, without blemish. Kill that lamb and take its blood and apply it on the doorposts.” Now, later on, the Bible would tell us this is meant to be a picture of Jesus. Jesus is the Lamb that dies for us. Jesus’ blood is able to save us from the wrath of God. But in Israel's day, the blood was applied to the door, so that at night when the angel of death comes, the angel would see that blood on the door and pass over and skip and thereby spare the firstborn from death. And so Israel is to take this lamb sacrifice, cook it, barbecue it, eat it as a remembrance of what God has done to save Israel. In other words, this is all about remembering. 

The Passover keeps the memory alive through an annual celebration and ensuring participation

From then on, every year they are to remember how God has blessed and been good to the people. So God says, “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover.” This is one year after they have left Egypt. So now it's time to keep the Passover. Some of them then ask, “Hey, what if I can't eat or take the Passover for whatever reason? I'm unclean and so on.” God says you cannot siam (avoid). This is very important for you. It's like you miss your exams. There will be a re-exam or re-paper for you to take. So you miss the Passover, don't worry. One month later, you take the Passover. But you again say, “I don't want to take the Passover.” God then says in verse 13, “If you are clean and you are not on a journey and you do not keep the Passover, you will be cut off from the people.” 

God is serious about this, because it's important for Israel to remember His goodness. A healthy relationship is about giving. It's about remembering how we have received, how much we have received. So it's important for the people of God to remember, because our hearts are forgetful. It's easy to grow cold. It's easy to forget what God has done for us. Because, in a sense, we don't see God physically, but we know His love as we read the scriptures, which reveals to us He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins. So it is imperative. It is really important for you and for me to help ourselves if we want to draw near to God, to remind ourselves regularly of God's love, as we dig into the Bible, as we hear the preaching of God's word, as we go for Bible studies, as we gather in our small groups, encouraging, provoking one another to love and good works. 

About 20 over years ago—I think it's 20 over years now—I was in China for a preaching assignment. Went into a poor village in [the] north east part of China, and preached there for several days and was about to come back home. The elder of the church then passed me an envelope and told me to receive or accept these love offerings. I said, “How can I accept these love offerings? You guys are living survival line; it is a difficult life there.” And I would not take it. So I left, went to the airport, and I realized that there were some problems with our flight back to Singapore. I can't remember exactly what now, because it's 20 over years ago, but I recall that it might be that we cannot get back because the flight has some problems, and I would need to get a new flight or new ticket for a new flight. But I don't have a credit card, and I didn't bring lots of money to China, and I thought I would have a problem flying back. 

Nevertheless, I was waiting for the airlines to sort out whatever problems they had, hoping for good news. So while I was waiting, I opened my Bible, wanting to read it, and when I opened it, I found an envelope. Somehow the elder had found me not paying attention, and he slipped the envelope in my Bible. I took out the envelope, and I opened it, and I counted the money there, and it was just about enough to cover the airfare. Eventually, we didn't need to use that money at all, but I kept that envelope. It looked like this [picture of envelope with Chinese characters projected on screen]. It's actually just a piece of paper folded up to carry the cash. And on that envelope he wrote… anybody knows how to read? “ye he hua yi le”  What is “ye he hua yi le”? It's a transliteration of Jehovah Jireh, or God sees, or God provides. And I kept this envelope for many years in my wallet. I can't remember what I did with the money. [audience laughs] Now that I think, I can't remember, I don't know if I somehow brought it back, or asked someone to bring it back. I might have because someone was still staying there in China, one of our brothers here. I can't remember what I did with the money, but I remember what I did with the envelope. I kept it in my wallet for many years, until the paper cui la, really rotten and cannot already then I had to discard it. But I kept it in my wallet as a token of remembrance. This is a real life story that God is giving me to remember. He is God who provides. 

Commemoration helps maintain a healthy relationship with God by remembering His goodness and provisions

So maybe you would need some tokens of remembrance. We are all so good at taking photos, right? You go overseas with your family, you take photos, you put on Facebook, not to boast, but to be a kind of reminder to yourself—your photo album. You want to remind yourself of the good times, the warm relationships. And how is it that spiritually speaking, we will not be careful to do this? Some people journal. Some people make cards, pictures, print it out, write it out. I hear someone even create passwords based on spiritual experiences or verses to remind themselves. These are all the things we can do for commemoration. A healthy relationship is about giving to God, worshiping Him, and a healthy relationship involves remembering what He has done for us. 

4. Principle 3: Compliance

But finally, a healthy relationship also involves compliance, which is obedience to follow him. 

The Israelites were to follow the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night for direction

So we read in chapter 9 the description about the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Israel will follow God by following the pillar. Very simple. When the cloud lifted, Israel is to set out. But if the cloud settles, the people camp. No questions asked. God doesn't need to consult Israel about what He is supposed to or He will do. Israel, instead, is simply to obey, simply to follow. Very straightforward. We read that many times; at the command, Israel is to set out. At the command of the Lord, they camped. The cloud rested, then they will remain in camp. The cloud continued, and then the people will not set out. And if the cloud was over the tabernacle for a few days, according to the command of the Lord, they will remain. But when God commands them to set out, they will set out. At the command of the Lord, they camped. At the command of the Lord, they set out. At the command of the Lord. So what is one phrase that keeps recurring here? At the command of the Lord, right? So God is saying, “This is how I will direct you. Based on the pillar, based on its movements or its settlements. Israel would follow the pillar.” 

God provided both visible and audible directions through the pillar and silver trumpets

But if this was not enough, God not only gave them a visible direction, He also gave them a very clear audible direction. That's where you have the silver trumpets. 

[Numbers 10:2]: “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.” 

Verse 5: “When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out.” 

So, they are to listen. They are to watch. And when God says, “Go”, you go. Follow closely every step of the way. 

A personal story: missing the bus and the importance of paying attention to God’s guidance

This past week, the church staff team went to JB for our staff retreat, as I shared with you some weeks ago. And of course, learning from last year's lesson, we will not drive there anymore. We are scared of the horror jam at the checkpoint or Causeway. So we took a train. We arranged to buy the train tickets. They are all at a fixed time. We arranged for that train and we would meet at the Woodlands train checkpoint at 10:20am. Now I've never been there before, so I was a bit kiasu,  [and] buffered 15–20 minutes’ time. Set off early. But from where I stay to the Woodlands train checkpoint, it takes quite a journey. I have to change buses two to three times, depending on the route I want to take. So I took a bus, I changed. I took a bus, I walked a bit, I changed, or I wanted to change. But because it's such a long journey, I’d usually bring my stuff on the bus to do. I was preparing exactly this sermon, this thing that I'm preaching right now. I was preparing at the bus. And when I realized, or before I realized, I had already missed the bus stop. 

So time is a bit tight already. I missed the bus stop. But never mind. Public transport system, [it’s] quite cool. I crossed over to the other side. So I was supposed to take [bus] 160 to the Woodlands train checkpoint. I missed that. Never mind. I crossed over. I found out that I can take [bus] 950 based on my phone app. 950 also goes to the same place. So I say, “Chill. I have a 15–20 minute buffer. It’s still all right.” So at the bus stop, I checked again, the bus should be coming anytime soon, but 950 didn't come. It [the phone app] say, got come but, but suddenly it disappeared! Didn't come! Never mind. Still can wait. The next one, they say, will come soon. And when it came, it was full. Wow, from far I see so many people! Every [other] bus quite clear one. Wow, but this one hen duo ren (was full of people). And the bus slowly came to the bus bay and then… zao (left without stopping). [audience laughs]

No one get off one meh?! No one got off the bus! Just zao! So a few of us at the bus stop… gesticulating “wow, wow, wow”. My time is running out. There's no way I can wait for the next bus and be on time. And if I miss the timing, I'm going to miss the train, and my whole staff team will be at JB, and the pastor is here in Singapore. What kind of example is this guy setting, man? And I started to think, “Ah, if only I had paid more attention to my app, paid more attention to where I am, I would not be lost.” 

The importance of staying in touch with God’s word and not going off on one’s own assumptions

Has it happened to you? That you're not paying attention? You're not following closely to God and His Word? And you mess up in life, you miss out in life? So if we are to really have a close relationship with God—now I'm not saying today we follow a pillar of fire, everyday, wow there’s a pillar, no— but we follow God today in His Word. And as Christians, we need to keep in touch. We need to stay and not lose focus and go in our own assumptions. 

5. Summary of the key lessons of Numbers 7–10

So let me bring you back to what we have been looking at. I think chapters 7 to 10 cover so many things, right? The offerings, the priests, the Passover, the pillar, the trumpets. What is it all about? I think in this final segment, God is saying, “Follow Me, relate rightly with Me.” And it means that we got to understand what it means to give to God, to worship Him, to consecrate things and lives to Him. It means that we are to constantly remember what He has done for us in the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. And it means that we are to closely, faithfully follow Him in His Word. 

So, if Israel is to enter Canaan, the preparation is not weapons or strategies or logistics. It's not a physical campaign, it's not a military campaign, it's a spiritual venture. So the preparation they need is spiritual lessons. What are the big lessons they need to learn? Centeredness in God. Number two, cleanness before God. And when you have these two things right, you can talk about closeness with God. And when these things are communicated and done, we come to Numbers 10:33, so they now set off for the Promised Land. So we close a phase in Numbers. 

Even with the best lessons and ordinances, a new heart is needed for true salvation

These 10 chapters are not easy, but we will move on to more adventure-like stories after this. Numbers 11 is about the trials and afflictions that they will go to. And you know, when I read this, I kind of anticipate, wow, they are going to enter Canaan soon. That would be what we thought. But here is the twist. Even though they had all these lessons, Israel, during Moses’ time, would fail. They had all these lessons, but they will fail. Why? Because they will be disbelieving, and they will rebel against God, and they will wander 40 years in the wilderness until the next generation should come. 

So here is the twist. I think the book of Numbers tells us that even if you have the best lessons, you have the best ordinances, you have the best leader in Moses, it is not enough to bring you into the Promised Land of rest. Because what is desperately needed is not what God is going to teach you on the outside, but the new heart on the inside. They did not have hearts that believed. They were filled with unbelief, according to the Hebrews author, and therefore their carcasses will die in the wilderness. 

Today, we can be in church. You can be in the church community. You can sit in the preaching of God's Word. You can hear the Bible preached. But you know something? If God has not worked in your heart, or if you do not have a new heart, all these things will not lead you to salvation. I think Jesus said it the best: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” But I also want to say it is also Jesus, in the very same night, who said to Nicodemus, “But God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” 

I'm glad you are in church. I'm glad you are with fellow Christians or other Christians. But I'm saying to you, what you really need is for God to do a miracle in your heart, and for you to repent from your sin and believe in Jesus Christ that you will be saved. Israel is a picture of people who perhaps outwardly identify themselves as God's people, but inwardly are not. I hope it will not be for you. I hope you will have the fourth C today: conversion. That God will give you a new heart, and when you have a new heart, I think the three principles we talked about today would then make sense. That you would want to do it. And as you do it, and as you endure, God will bring us safely home. Let's bow for a word of prayer together. 

Prayer

Appreciate all of you patiently reading the scriptures together and hearing the explanations as best as I can. At the end of the day, it is not that complicated, after all, isn't it? At the end of the day, the book of Numbers surfaces for us: we all need a new heart, a new heart given by God alone.

If you want to be saved, if you want to enter the Promised Land of rest, then today, would you cry out to God and say, “Lord, have mercy on me to give me a new heart, to cleanse me from my sin. I look to Jesus, whom You have sent. He came to die so that our hearts may be changed.” My dear friends, there is a great heart surgeon today who will give us that heart transplant. Turn your eyes unto Jesus. Repent of your sin and look full in His wonderful face. He said, “Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I'll give you rest.” Jesus promises rest from sin, rest from alienation from God. He is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. Come to Jesus that you might be saved. Then I say to my brothers and sisters in Christ, God leads you. He leads us on this pilgrims’ journey from where we are today to the eternal, or the gates of eternal life. But this is not going to be an easy journey. It will be fraught with dangers and tribulations,but may we follow Him well. May we be centered in God. May we continue to look to Him for cleansing, and may we follow Him closely, and those who endure unto the end shall be saved. So, Father, thank You for Your word, and we pray for friends, for family members, for loved ones who do not know Jesus as yet. Oh, may they not think that it is doing these things that save them, but may they realize Jesus paid it all, and they just need to turn and believe in Jesus, follow him to be saved, bless each one. We ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen.