WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-65
TEXT: "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 10:39)
I. EITHER DIE OR DIE
A. All Israel should have joined Miriam in death, death to self and the flesh. Paul died daily. We are brought into the wilderness to die to self, especially in the Wilderness of Zin, the Lord brings us to a place where there is no more crying for water.
B. The Israelites were very concerned about their fleshly needs. They did not want physical death. Thus they never were able to die to the flesh
needs. When God brought them into the Wilderness Zin, He brought them to the opportunity to die and love. This was to be their place of renewal where their finality of death to the flesh and unbelief was expected. Unbelief is very fleshly. Yet they continued to move in that.
"So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." (Hebrews 3:19)
C. The Wilderness of Zin has been designed for perhaps the greatest victories of life. But the place which has been designed for victory can actually become the place of defeat and death. This is so sad because that which God has designed for life and victory often becomes the very thing in which death and defeat occur.
D. Man has this dubiously wonderful talent of turning life into death. Look at man in the Garden of Eden. Look at the children of Israel.
"And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron." (Numbers 20:2)
They lost no time turning life into death. It doesn't sound like dedication or consecration to the Lord. Sounds like rebellion and complaint. Sounds like death.
E. The Wilderness of Zin becomes a place for a refresher course. This is not the first time these people were without water. Previously they failed the test in the waterless places. Now they have another chance. Have they learned anything for their previous experiences?
F. The test is given again to find out. It is the same test they already had, word for word, question for question. Can they pass it this time. The conquest of the land depends upon their passing this repeated examination? How can God graduate anyone if they do not pass the final exam? God is not going to excuse us from testings. After three failures He is not going to say, "That's okay, we'll forget it" and move us on anyway. But He will keep bringing us back to the same test as long as there is opportunity for Him to do so.
G. They answered the questions exactly the same way they did the first time they took the test. This is after God provides them with the right answers before at the bitter water. In reality they were bitter not the water.
H. "And the people chode [strove] with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before [when the earth swallowed the rebels, 14,700 died, Numbers 16:41-49] the LORD!" (Numbers 20:3)
II. PARTING THOUGHTS
A. Test after test and time after time God will bring us back to the place where He have an opportunity to work life and victory into us. It is not a question of His ability or power, but a question of whether or not we are willing to submit to His will. Whether or not we are willing to endure the time of testing to receive the reward.
"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." (Matthew 24:13)
