All right, Numbers chapter 31. Numbers chapter 31. Now, three weeks ago, I text
everyone, at least who are associated with chapel in person, what I
was going to preach on. So if you have not taken time
to read Numbers chapter 31, shame on you. You had three weeks this time.
Numbers chapter 31. Let me just read a few highlights
from this chapter. Now I must admit, I call them
highlights. I know that not all men and women
would see them as highlights. The naysayers and the pundits,
the reprobates and the unregenerate and the religious of this world,
Some of these passages I will read and try to give context
concerning, it just boggles their mind. And they try to compartmentalize
this to the point that they say, well, that was the God of the
Old Testament. The God we're going to read about
in Numbers 31 is the God eternal. Joe's done preached that to us.
He's the same, even in the person of his son, yesterday, today,
and forever. And I do pray that as we have
went through this so far, we are coming close to the end of
the book of Numbers. Some who may have been listening,
probably not here, but maybe over the internet or watching
these taped messages later, may say, well, preacher, you're saying
that you see Christ in every passage of scripture. No, that's
not so. I wish I did see the Christ of
God in every passage of scripture because I know he is there. So
sometimes I have to hit on what I call the high spots that God
has shown me. But I do not have the ability
nor the time to reveal all that's in this book. even in the book
of Isaiah, when God clearly speaks of Satan before his fall and
in his fall. I know that Jesus Christ is the
sum and substance of all that, because my Lord Jesus Christ
controls even the demons and Satan himself. So, let me read
just a few of the highlights, as I said. Chapter 31, verse
one. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge the children
of Israel of the Midianites. You see that? This was a direct
command from God to be given to the people by Moses. avenge
the children of Israel of the Midianites. And then he adds,
afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. Now you know
what that means, don't you? You're going to die. God's telling Moses,
after this takes place, I'm gonna kill ya. Here's another one,
verse nine and 10. Now Israel went to battle against
the Midianites. Verse nine, and the children
of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their
little ones, and took the spoils of all their cattle, and all
their flocks, and all their goods, and they burnt all their cities
wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles with fire. And
look, verse 11, and they took all the spoils and all the prey,
both of men and of beasts. So they whipped these people
and then took everything that was left alive or standing. Look
again in verse 14. But they hadn't done exactly
what they were told to do. Verse 14, and Moses was wroth
with the officers of the host, that is the host of Israel. with
the captains over thousands, the captain over hundreds, which
came from the battle. And Moses said unto him, have
you saved all the women alive? Because don't we know that it
is a standing absolute necessity that women and children must
not be harmed, even in battle? Now this may be an understanding
understood amongst men, but it is not an understanding understood
amidst God. And Moses said unto him, have
you saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children
of Israel through the counsel of Balaam to commit trespass
against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague
amongst the congregation of the Lord. Now therefore, Do you see
it? Now look at it. Now therefore
kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that
hath known man by lying with him. You know what that's talking
about. But all the women children that have not known a man by
lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. Now folks, this is
the book of God. Yes or no? Look at verse 24,
one phrase. I'm sorry, 26, I'm sorry. Verse
26, take the sum of the prey. You see it? Remember reading
about that? Look at verse 28, one phrase, and levy a tribute
unto the Lord. You see it? Look at verse 32,
and the booty being the rest of the prey. Do you see that? Look at verse 37, and the Lord's
tribute. Verse 41, the first part, and
Moses gave the tribute which was the Lord's heave offering. I offer not the slightest apology
for my God's holy severity. None. None. I will not try to explain this
as others throughout history have tried to explain the theological
conundrum of war and when it's right and when it's wrong. I
will offer no apology for my God. I will not offer an apology
for my God's holy severity against the Midianites. or against Israel
because he killed several thousand of them when it come to the matter
of Peor. Nor will I give an apology for
God's holy severity against Moses. He was going to kill Moses. He
let him see the promised land but not step foot in the promised
land. Why? Because he insulted the
gospel of God's grace in Jesus Christ. God's holiness is his
chief perfection, period. When God hates, he does not love. When God loves, he does not hate.
But he is holy in both his love and his hatred. Thank God we are not under the
legal yoke. Mm-hmm. Listen to what you don't
have to turn to it. Let me let me get to it real
quick And I want you to listen to what the Apostle Peter said
this recorded by Luke It's in the book of Acts and Peter says
these words. I Now therefore, why tempt ye
God? And he's talking about men who
were trying to put God's people under the yoke of the law. Now
therefore, why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the
disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? And look at Israel's history,
especially in that time, under law, it was always difficulty
and murmuring and complaining, and often there was defeat because
we cannot serve God under law. It is impossible, though I wish
I could. I wish I could remember the Sabbath
day and keep it holy. I wish I could, but remember,
the Sabbath day was made for man. Man wasn't made for the
Sabbath day. Isn't that what Christ said?
This is what Paul said. That was Peter's. Here's Paul's
words. Galatians chapter five. Stand
fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. I am
glad I live in this age and not back in that age. And consider this in light of
our chapter. God is holy severity. Is he not? You offend his holiness,
he may just let you go for a while. He may not touch you until that
last judgment. But he also may rain down immediate
wrath upon you. That is his holy prerogative
in his severity. Thank God we're not under the
legal yoke. But let me tell you something,
we are under grace, the grace of God that is in Christ Jesus,
but let me tell you this, God is still holy severity, especially
against rebellion against his son. Here, I'm gonna read you
one more passage. Romans chapter 11, and listen
to what the Apostle Paul says. Romans chapter 11. Verse 17,
and if some of the branches were broken off, were broken off,
and thou, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in amongst
them, and with them partakest of the root and the fatness of
the olive tree, boast not against the branches. But if thou boast,
thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou will say
then, the branches were broken off, that I may be grafted in.
because of unbelief, they were broken off. God does not break
men and women off. Even men and women who are part
of a special nation with a special purpose under God's eternal purpose. God broke some of them off, but
he didn't do it simply by sovereign fiat just to be severe. He did
it because of rebellion against his son. Unbelief. Well, because of unbelief, they
were broken off, and thou standest by what? Faith. Be not high-minded,
but fear. For if God spare not the natural
branches, take ye lest he also spare not thee. Behold, therefore,
the goodness and severity of God. How many people are preaching
about the severity of God today? Very few. They try to sweep this
under the rug at best. Some actually deny it as though
God had changed and now God is different. Behold therefore the
goodness and severity of God on them which fail, by what?
Unbelief. On them which fail, severity.
but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness,
otherwise thou also shall be cut off. Do not presume on God's love. Do let none of us think God owes
us his love. God is gracious. and God is severe. His graciousness toward us was
manifested in holy severity against his Son. Because had he not poured
out his holy severity against his Son, then you and I, yea,
all the world, and all Adam and Eve's inhabitants would have
to answer before God in and of ourselves, and we'd all be damned
forever. God Almighty poured out His holy
severity against His Son so that some men might go free. Now thank God for that. So now let's consider a few gleanings
of grace from God's legal severity. And Numbers 31 is God's legal
severity. But we're gonna glean a few things
about grace from it. I have four things, let me get
to going. What a blessing for believers.
In spite of our often chastenings by God because of our failures,
what a blessing for believers, in spite of ourselves, to have
the same enemies as God does. You ever think about that? Verse
one through three. I'm gonna add a verse here, though.
I read you one and two. The Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites. Afterward
thou shalt be gathered unto thy people. And Moses spake unto
the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and
let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian. You see, Midian were God's enemies. What a blessing it is in spite
of our failures. In spite of what we still are
by nature to have the same enemies as God does. There is woe to
all who are loved by all. Our Lord Jesus Christ said you
better beware when all men speak well of you. Yeah. Nope, the blessing, here's the
blessing. Here's the blessing, John recorded in John 15, 18
through 21. I'm not gonna read it, but Christ
said if they hated me, what are they gonna do? If you follow
me, they're gonna hate you too. And what's one of the chief reasons?
Because I chose you out of the world. And all you got to do
is just pigeon somebody about the doctrine, the truth of the
eternal God concerning the free and sovereign election of God
by grace, and you will find out, you will start to find out who
the enemies of God are. The Midianites will raise their
sword against you. Why? Because this world of the
unregenerate, this world of the reprobate, despises God's absolute
sovereignty over all things. They don't mind to have a God
that's sovereign when they want something, and he's got the power
to give it to them. But they don't want a God who's
sovereign and has the right to demand of things of them that
they can't even provide themselves. They cry, that's not fair! And
that's the same old lie that Satan brought up in the garden. God's not fair. He's holding
a tree from you, and he's holding back more than that. God's not
fair. When you hear a man or a woman
say, if that's the truth, then God's not fair, then they are
a medianite. They are a medianite. They hate
God. They hate God. See the gracious
response of this. How are we supposed to respond
then? Like the Israelites? No. No. Listen to what the book of
God says. And someone says, why won't this
passage? Deal with this passage first. Then play games with your
other passage, because if you use another passage to try to
distort the passage I'm gonna read unto you, then you're trying
to fight against God's word. Here's what God says. Recompense to no man evil for
evil, but provide things honest in the sight of all. If it be
possible, and sometimes it's not possible, but I'm not going
into that. Someone attacks my wife. and
I'm in the presence, I will do my level best to protect her,
no matter what. Mason, even if they're doing
it because of the gospel of Christ, they lay a hand on her, I'm probably
gonna grab them around the neck. Right or wrong? Well, this is
right or wrong, that's probably what's gonna well up in me. But
here's what the book says. If it be possible, as much as
life in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge
not yourselves. but rather give place unto wrath,
for it is written. Now this is God, and this is
a promise. Vengeance is mine. And he didn't say, now just leave
it there. That's not what he says. Vengeance is mine, I will
repay, saith the Lord. God says, I'll deal with this.
I'll deal with this. And generally speaking, when
we stick our hands in the middle of it, trying to avenge ourselves,
we bring nothing but shame and dishonor to the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Even if we have very sincere
and honest intentions in doing so. Philippians one, Paul says,
basically, it's a gift of God to suffer for the name of Christ.
Isn't that what he said? He said it's given you, not only
to believe on him, and that's a gift, but also to suffer for
his name's sake. And Paul preached a very good
message about that. Somebody beating me across the
back, slinging me into the lowest parts. I'm afraid I'd have some
great bitterness welling up inside, but oh God, help me to be gracious. Help me to take my hands off,
even if I'm grumbling down in here. Remember what I said, I've
preached about it before, and Israel spoke, they murmured out
loud, and God heard it. Well, God knew what was down
there to start with. Well, let me tell you something, why I
just speak my mind, well, you're a fool. You're a fool. I'm just telling
you, there's some things you need to keep down in here. Don't
be saying them out here because God may call your hand. He may
call your bluff. That's the gracious response.
Compare living here in that time to living now. Secondly, our best efforts, I'm
talking about believers now, are still faulty, and Moses was
wroth. You see that? In other words,
Moses became very angry. He was hot under the collar,
as we say. Our best efforts are still faulty. When we would do good, Romans
7, 21, what do we find? When we would do good, and God's
people would do good, If you don't care about doing good,
then you're not one of God's people, at least in an open manifestation
of gospel calling. You might be one of his elect,
but he ain't called you out of darkness yet. But when we do
good, what do we find out? Evil is present with us. When we do good, and sometimes
we do, but we can't take no credit for it because it's God that
works in us, both to will and to do of his good pleasure, but
still yet, sin taints it all. Even when God is working in me,
both to will and to do of his good pleasure, I am still all
that I was before he saved me. And Ecclesiastes makes it clear
in chapter seven, verse 20, there's not a just man upon the face
of the earth that doeth good and sinneth not. And when we
do good, when we do good, I'm saying, when we do good, hear
our confession. Lord, when we've done all that
we're commanded to do, Lord, we are but what? Unprofitable
servants. Somebody says, preacher, that's
just a miserable place to be. I need more. Then you don't need
Christ. I've got to be exalted. I got
to be on the top of my game. then you don't know your absolute
corruption before God. And you've not truly sought the
face of God in the person of Jesus Christ himself. When we
would do good, that's our confession, we are but unprofitable serf.
I need grace, not law, don't you? I need grace, not law. Here's number three, never rest
in religious experiences. Verse eight. And they slew, this
was during the battle. And they slew the kings of Midian,
beside the rest of them that were slain, namely Eva, and Recham,
and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian, Balaam also. You see it? Balaam also, the
son of Beor, they slew with the sword. And yet I read about Balaam
that he prayed. And he prayed to God. And he
prayed to the God of Israel. You hear what this, not hear
me, do you hear what this, he prayed and he prayed to the God
of Israel. He preached. He prophesied. I will step out on the limb,
some might think, and say, he probably preached three of the
greatest messages that's ever been preached outside of the
Lord Jesus Christ himself. He sought God's will. Didn't
he? He sought God. He talked with
God. And God talked with him. And you say, well, I had my religious
experience. Now folks, I'm gonna put this
just in good old Appalachian, that scares the bejeebies out
of me. Because I know, not to the degree
that I probably ought to know it, but I know that down in here
is the same kind of old natural wicked corrupt heart that that
apostate Balaam had. And sometimes I read about Balaam
and I think he was a better guy than I was. Well, preacher, I don't see it
that way. Well, maybe God'll open your eyes one day. What's
the answer to this? What's the cure to this? I'm
gonna read it to you, you don't have to turn. Here's the Apostle
Paul, and you know when I start reading it, you'll say, that
was it. Finally, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed,
is not grievous, but for you it's safe. Beware of dogs, beware
of evil workers, beware of the concision. And why could Paul
say that? Because he used to be one. He was one of those gems
hidden down in the midst of Midian, wasn't he? One of them gems of
God's grace that God had set his love on in Christ before
the world began. And he was one of these people
at one time. God called him out of that morass.
Look, beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the
concision, for we are the circumcision. What circumcision? The one that
God did down in here, inside, not the circumcision of the flesh.
For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit that
is our true worship in here. It's not out, now there's nothing
wrong with out here, but when out here's all you got, you ain't
got nothing. Which worship God in the spirit
and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Right there's your only cure. We need law, don't we? No, we
need grace. Grace, not law. Paul said, I don't want my own
righteousness, which is of the law. There is a legal righteousness,
but it must be absolute perfection. And men, men's legal righteousness
is not what God demands in the law because he demands perfection. We are so blinded by nature that
our imperfect obedience to the law, which is flawed to no end,
we see as a righteousness before God. And it's not. It's not. We need grace, not law. Here's
number four. God sovereignly and wisely manipulates
this world. And I like you, I heard Don Fortner
use that years ago. I had a little edge against it.
And I realized, Walter, you're nothing but a stupid fool. God
sovereignly and wisely manipulates this world to his glory and to
our good. 28, and a levy of tribute under
the, where'd that tribute come from? The Midianites. You remember
when Israel left Egypt? They were slaves. They had practically
nothing but some beasts. But they walked out of that place,
not only with the booty, but the Israelites were handing it
to them in droves and saying, take this with you and get out. God sovereignly and wisely manipulates
this world to his glory and our good. take the sum of the prey, and
the booty being the rest of the prey, and the Lord's tribute,
and Moses gave the tribute, which was the Lord's heave offering. Listen to what Isaiah the prophet
wrote, Isaiah 43, if you want to look at it. Isaiah chapter
43, verse one, but now, thus saith the Lord that created thee,
O Jacob, he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not, for I have
redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name,
thou art mine. And who's he really talking about?
The elect in the midst of that nation. That's who he's talking
about. They're not all Israel, which
are of Israel. That's not a new truth. That's a truth right from
the get go. When thou passest through the
waters, and he's not saying you won't pass through the waters,
but when you pass through the waters, I will be with thee.
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When
thou walkest through the fire, he doesn't say you're not gonna
go through the fire, but when you walk through the fire, thou
shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior,
and look at it, I gave Egypt for thy ransom. Ethiopia and
Seba for thee. There are four angels. Revelation
seven tells us about them. And they stand upon the four
corners of the earth. And they have been given commandment
by God that they will one day hurt the earth. And I take it
to be north, south, east, and west. But there was a fifth angel
that came on the scene. And he is the angel who has the
seal of the living God. Now who do you think that is?
There ain't but one angel that has the seal of the living God
that is the living God and the person of the son himself. And
he tells the four angels, you don't touch this earth. You don't
touch this earth in that final day judgment till we have sealed
all the servants of God in their foreheads. This earth still stands
today, right now, as it presently is, because God's got somebody
who will call out of darkness into his marvelous light, or
Christ will return, and all of this will begin to fall upon
this earth. I don't have to preach. all the
proper points in all the proper order, because I don't, I'm not
sure I know them. I know a lot of the points, but
I'm not for sure about the order. But I'll tell you, they're all
there. One day Christ is returning, and he's gonna return specifically
first, first to gather his own unto himself. And then wrath
will fall upon this world. And men will cry for the rocks
to fall upon them and cover, hide us from the face of the
wrath of the Lamb. the land. I am telling each one
of us here this morning that our God sovereignly and wisely
manipulates this world to his glory and to our good. God is
always first. Seek ye first the kingdom of
God, his righteousness, then all this stuff like clothes and
food, a car and a job. These things will be added to
you. The heave offering was the Lord's.
We don't get a heave offering. And you go back and read the
first and primary was what? It goes, this tribute, this levy,
tribute, this booty, it first goes to God. It first goes to
God. God is first in all things. God
will manifest all of this one day. Again, Isaiah 49, if you're
still there. Look at Isaiah 49. 49 verse 24, shall the prey be taken
from the mighty or the lawful captive delivered? It's a rhetorical
question. But thus saith the Lord, even
the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of
the terrible shall be delivered, for I will contend with them
that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children, and
I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh, and
they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine,
and all flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am thy savior and
thy redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob. One day, God's gonna
let all the reprobate of this world know I was doing this for
my people. They gonna recognize that. Now
listen to me, my brothers and sisters. I wish I could always
remember this. It's kinda in here, but I forget
it sometimes. Not forget it, it's gone, but
maybe I shouldn't say I turned my mind away from it. I know
it's down in here, and I know my God reigns. But you listen,
I could say a lot more, but time's fleeing on. The oil barons of
this world, the coal barons of this world, the steel barons
of this world, the tech giants. We got some tech giants. We got
some men who have been made filthy rich through technology. God manipulates them all for
his glory and for our good. I'm gonna give you this. I don't
know whether it's a personal salary or whether it's a corporate salary
or a corporate thing, but I read on the internet that Bill Gates,
and I'm not throwing down on Bill Gates. I mean, he does a
lot of philanthropic stuff, but not because Bill and Melinda
Gates are great people. They're just as fallen and sinful
as we are. God uses them to take care of
a lot of people. They do a lot of philanthropic
work. But let me tell you, through people like Bill and Melinda
Gates and other people like them, God has enabled the gospel to
go electronically all over the world. Did you know that? And
they got no intent for that to be the reason. Do they? You think they did this to spread
the gospel? If they really did, Bill Gates would be saying a
whole lot more than what he says. He got the money and pull. Joe, he could be preaching some
gospel, but he don't believe no gospel. But he's here for
God's glory and our good. I thank God I got this right
here. We could text and talk now. I remember it used to be
party lines. And you'd pick up the phone with
the dial on it and have to say, buddy, you've been on here for
an hour, I need the phone for a bit. And that's your neighbor
up the road, you remember those? That was high technology back
then. Listen, folks, I gave each I'm telling you, this world's
still standing, and God lets these people become filthy rich
for his glory and your good. And then he'll feed them their
own flesh one day. I pray God bows some of them
down to Christ. I'm not saying, oh, they ought to go to hell.
No, I ought to go to hell. We all deserve hell. But I'm
telling you, our God Almighty reigns, and I just want to give
it to you. I know I got your thoughts up, Bill Gates. I have
told makes per hour. $456,625 an hour. I could work a day and retire. When you get home by yourself,
the messages flee out of your mind and you think about that
figure, you will start to become angry. Now maybe all of you,
that ain't fair. This is our God, folks. He is
manipulating them people for his glory and our good. If they come and lock us up all
today and kill us, they've done us a favor. Because we're not
of this world. By him, people like these, all
these barons, these rich, filthy, rich people, God's using them
as pawns. Do you hear what I'm saying?
And that's almost a slight against the pawn. Somebody said, I've
said it before, well, you're saying men are robots. I would
not disgrace a robot by comparing us to robots. We have a will. We have a conscience, unless
it's seared with a hot iron. We have a heart, but it's all
continually set toward what? Rebellion against God, apart
from His grace. So I ask you, I ask you, you
need grace? I want grace. I need grace. I need a sovereign God in His
holy severity to rule for my good. But if he lays any of it
on my shoulders, I'll foul it up. If he laid it on my shoulders,
I know to some degree how bad I am, I would turn to the coal
barons and the oil barons and want to be one of them. I would. You know the only thing
that makes that different? God's free reigning grace. I'm done.