WTFMT 66 (FROM HGM ON 9 JUL 19)

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-66 TEXT: "And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink." (Numbers 20:4-5)

I. BELIEF IS CORRECT

 

A. After many times of being hungry and thirsty. Two years go by after leaving Egypt, almost to the day. Now they are in the Wilderness of Zin under the same situation which they had experience upon a number of other occasions.

B. In spite of the demonstration of God's provisions upon those other occasions, these people still move in unbelief. It must take a great effort of stubbornness to move against such demonstration of God. God's faithfulness is seen, yet there is unbelief.

C. They just expressed a desire for death in verse three. "And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!" (Numbers 20:3) The problem with their death wish is that they always wanted to die in another place in another time, rather than in the here and now. But eventually they wanted to keep the murmuring flesh alive as long as possible.

D. Is today's Christian much better than the murmuring and complaining Israel in the Wilderness of Zin? Has God also called the Christian to a death to the flesh? Does not the Christian come into situations where his comfortable flesh has been agitated? Does your flesh ever get agitated? If it does, it is very much alive.

E. What are we going to do when we make the discovery (hopefully) that our flesh is very much alive. We must come to rededication and reconsecration. We must come to Him for renewal or further cleansing and separation.

F. When we discover our flesh is still alive, do not continue to feed it. Do not continue to give the same wrong answer to God. Change the song. Do not sing the tune of flesh's desires and life. Rather, sing of flesh's death, on the altar of God upon which the flesh is consumed.

G. Bring the flesh to the altar of dedication and consecration. Offer it. Allow God to consume it. In that way our answer can be correct. We can pass the test. We can graduate and go on to possess that which God has for us.

 

II. PARTING THOUGHTS

 

A. Has our Miriam died? Is she still buried? Or is she up and moving around. The Wilderness of Zin is the last place where we have opportunity to deal with her. Better stay there until we get our Miriam dead and buried.

B. If need be, go back to the altar of consecration again and again and again, as often as we must. There are some folks who must "get saved" every week or so. They seem to live a life of repeated dedications and consecration. If that's what it takes to keep us going then follow that route.

C. It's better to do that for two years than to be turned back wandering for forty years, and final death without victory. Only if our Miriam is dead can we move out of the Wilderness of Zin into conquest and possession. The only other alternative is to die in the wilderness.