Traveling Through Transitions 

Standing on the Promises – Numbers 13-14

Mosaic Rockford – Dave Spooner – Oct. 18th, 2020

Intro:

Today is the second part of our series, Traveling Through Transitions. This series will help us to faithfully fulfill transitioning from one thing to another in a God-ward direction. This could take the form of a wide variety of things, from change in a relationship, to a location, to a job, or for a merger. Like I said last week, we need to take time to think and pray things through before we move out or move forward. Asking the right questions is helpful in the discerning process as well. Sometimes in our decision making, we are asking the wrong questions. Often, we ask, “What do I want?” Here is a question you would be better to ask, “What would be most honoring to God?” or “What choice would be most true to His word?”Last week we followed the timeline from the opening pages of Genesis, following the clear instructions from God to “fill the earth and subdue it,” to our failings and faithlessness in our rebellion, to God’s clear direction and pursuing our path. Then scripture focuses on one family, and one man: Abram. We see how God calls them forward, and Abram is faithful to move forward, trusting himself to the promise of God. God is faithful to His promises. Be faithful in following Him.This morning we are going to continue on in this story and then take a closer look at another significant transitional choice of the people of God. From this examination, you will learn some biblical principles to equip and empower you to make good, God-honoring choices that will keep you moving forward in His plan. The book of Genesis continues to follow the story of Abraham and his family. God renews His covenant to Abraham and gives him a child of the promise named Isaac; Isaac has twin sons named Esau and Jacob; Jacob has 12 sons, the youngest of which is sold into slavery, lands in Egypt, ends up saving his family from famine as they all move to Egypt. The family continues to grow and multiply and stay in Egypt for 400 years, becoming slaves to the Egyptians. The Egyptians start killing the newborn male children because they are afraid of the Israelites; the people cry out to God; God raises Moses to deliver them. God shows His power in the ten plagues; Pharaoh lets the people go, then chases after them to the Red Sea. God parts the water for His people and destroys the army of Egypt in the sea. God leads His people by a cloud by day and a fire by night. He gives them His commandments and Laws, they build a portable tabernacle, they defeat some kings, God continues to show His power as the people wrestle with God and with each other. He continues to lead them back to the land that He promised to give them when God made his promise to Abraham. Now they have arrived just outside of their destination of Canaan as we look to the account in Numbers 13 and learn from what is written for us. 

Regain your ground

Num 13:1-3 ESV

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.” 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel. 

Notice where God was bringing His people back to the land of Canaan. This should ring a bell; this is where God blessed Abraham and told Him that this land would be his and his descendants’ forever (see Gen. 13:14-18). This is a place that they were promised that they once occupied but had abandoned to become slaves in a foreign land. Has this ever happened to you . . . ? God calls us back to occupy His promise because “for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29 NIV). When God calls us forward, He is not calling us to something new, but to return and continue in something old. That God has promised and prepared