Here we go. If you would, turn
to Numbers chapter 1. I'm going to read the first three
verses of Numbers chapter 1 and the first two verses of Numbers
chapter 2. Numbers chapter 1 and verse 1.
And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in
the tabernacle of the congregation on the first day of the second
month, in the second year after they were come out of the land
of Egypt, saying, Take ye the sum of all the congregation of
the children of Israel, after their families, by the house
of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by
their poles. from 20 years old and upward,
all that are able to go forth to war in Israel. Thou and Aaron shall number them
by their armies." And then Numbers chapter 2, verse 1, and the Lord
spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, every man of the children
of Israel shall pitch by his own standard with the ensign
of their father's house, far off about the tabernacle of the
congregation shall they pitch." OK. This is the start of the fourth
book of the Pentateuch, the book of Numbers. In Genesis,
we see the history leading up to the establishment of Israel.
Types of Christ abound in Genesis. We see the unfolding of God's
work, God's will, God's purpose, God's pleasure, and election
from the creation to Adam and Eve in the garden, to Abel who
offered the proper sacrifice, to Enoch walking with God until
God took him, to Noah and God's ark. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob who is named Israel. To
Joseph saving his family we see the election and the choice of
God and the deliverance we see in Exodus, the Passover, the blood sacrifice, and the
deliverance from bondage in Egypt. In Leviticus You'll see priestly
worship and communion with God through the sacrifices and the
offerings. We'll see those established in
Leviticus. You'll see the priesthood established.
You'll see the high priesthood established. Now we come to numbers
in the fourth book. And what we start off with here
is the beginning. Throughout this book, you will
see the congregations walk and warfare. This is all a progressive
thing as the Lord leads us through these books. There's nothing
haphazard about the scripture. There's a lot haphazard with
our understanding of the scripture. But there's nothing haphazard
with the way God has actually laid it out in this book for
us. In chapter 1 of Numbers, guess
what we see? We see the congregation of Israel
being numbered. I wonder where they got the title
from the book for it. We see them numbered. We see the numbering
of all the congregation and we see it in preparation for the
assembling in chapter 2. The world This world is not a
hospitable place for the child of God. It never has been since the garden. Now God has provided and made
the way for his people and he always has and he always will. God has promised us He promised
a place for his people, and God has promised and provided the
way for his people. And we are also being prepared
for what is coming ahead. Now in these two chapters, mostly
in this first chapter, the first three verses, I've got four different
things written down. I'm going to use your list, Walter. we are commanded to be assembled. To be counted and to be assembled. Number two, we are told how to
assemble. Number three, we are told who
is to assemble. And number four, we are told
for what purpose we do assemble. So the first one is that we are
commanded to assemble. This is not a request. This is
not a question of what's the best practice. This is a command
from the Lord where he says, and the Lord spake to Moses in
the wilderness of Sinai in the tabernacle on the first day of
the second month in the second year after they were come out
of the land of Egypt. It's tough to get more specific
than that. It's on the first day of the
second month of the second year that you're here. God said this. God meant this. There is a time for every purpose
under the heaven. And the time for this numbering,
the time for this assembling, is after the Passover, after
being brought out of Egypt After crossing the Red Sea, after the
tabernacles built and the offerings are given and are being made,
then the Lord says, take the sum of the congregation of the
children of Israel. As I said, nothing's done by
accident, nothing's done haphazardly. This is the order. And God has
commanded it to be done. Now, after this numbering is
complete, you will see, that's why I read chapter 2 and verse
1 and 2, where it says, every man of the children of Israel
shall pitch by his own standard with the ensign of their father's
house. It's a command. He said, number the children
of Israel. Number all of the congregation.
Then he specifies it on down. This is what we are to do. We
are to assemble ourselves together. Not forsake the assembling of
yourselves together. It's the way it puts it in the
New Testament. As the manner of some is. Some do. They're not supposed to. They shouldn't. We are to gather
together. We are his family. And that's what it starts talking
about in the second part. How we assemble. How do we assemble? It tells us, take ye the sum
of all the congregation of the children of Israel after their
family. by the house of their fathers our god our god the lord god
of the bible is the father of his family this is the example he's given
us this is what he calls we are called as believers we are called
children, the sons and daughters of God. He has made that relationship
with us and we have that relationship that he has made with him through
his son, our elder brother, who's not ashamed to call us brethren. This book is a book about the
family of God. You'll see it from generations
to revolutions, from Genesis to Revelation and every book
in between. It's always about family. I remember when Walter
first pointed that out and stressed it. It stuck in my head finally. Earl had talked about it, but
I don't know that it stuck so well in there. But when Walter did that time,
and I still, every time I open this book, wherever I'm looking,
you'll see we. You'll see us. They don't talk
about them. There are those outside the family.
Because if there is a family unit, there's somebody outside
the family. It's not all everybody in the
world. It's not. He's talking about the congregation
of Israel here. And they are to gather together,
to be numbered, and then to pitch their tents together by the family. By the family. And we are to
gather together in our local assembly and we are family. You are my brothers and sisters
in Christ. I am your brother in Christ.
We are together and we are to stay together. We are to be together
and this is where we are to pitch our tent because this is where
the Lord has put us. But here we're talking about
the whole congregation. And it does go into it in great
detail. I'm not going to get into it. There's 12 tribes, three
tribes to a quadrant. You have some pitched in the
north, in the south, in the east, and the west. That's the four
quadrants, three families each. In the center of these four quadrants,
north, south, east, and west, is the tabernacle. The tabernacle
is always in the center. And this is how we are to assemble.
We are to assemble by family. But all the families, all the
families of the children of God, all the families of the congregation
of Israel, no matter where they are, north, south, east, or west,
in the center is the tabernacle. And he goes on to say it in I
think chapter 5, he says, Whereof I dwell in the midst. In the center of the assembly
is God. And if that's not the center
for your assembly, you're not an assembly. You're not part
of the family. If God's not the center, it's
not the family. We have around us other places
that we know about, some we don't. I'm sure. We know Rocky Mount. We know Fairmont. We know Pipeville.
They're all around. We're going to have a fellow
here in June from New Jersey, I think, isn't it? Who knew the
gospel was in New Jersey? Well, God does. But in the center, all these
assemblies, we are related to. But we gather by our family here.
They gather by their family there. But in the center is to be the
sun. In the center is the tabernacle.
In the center is the mercy seat. In the center is where the blood
is applied, where the blood was shed. That's how we assemble. Because the tabernacle and the
god of the tabernacle is the center of the assembly
of the congregation. Wherever you are, it doesn't
matter, the Lord is in the midst thereof. Christ said it, wherever two
or three are gathered together, in my name, there am I. He's already there. in the midst
of them. He's already there. It doesn't
say, there I am. No, there am I. If you're gathering
together two or three in his name, he's the one that brought
you there. He's there already. The third thing, who was to assemble?
Well, he told us, all the congregation Israel we want the sum of all
the congregation of Israel Then in verse 2 he specifies Every male from 20 years and
up Now I am NOT going to exclude women from the sermon Okay this
example And that's what these things are. For our example,
this example is using an example of men in battle, men preparing
for war. And in these days, it was just
men. Our assembly is man, woman, and child. But here, it's a specific
thing that he's trying to point out, I think, here for us. Because this is the reality,
is actual warfare, real war. So it's adult males. That was
the example. What we're looking at here is,
I believe, a gathering. And it's talking about a gathering
of adults. This gathering for war. to go forth to war is not a thing
for babes, children, and the infirm. That's who is to assemble. In
this case, we're told able-bodied men. That's the way they used
to say it during the war, World War II and all. Men were the
ones who went to war. This is the example. The assembly
is made up of full-age adult sons. But then he qualifies it even
more. All that are able. Here's the qualification. Are
you able? Now, it doesn't ask how able
you are. Just are you able? every male of 20 years of age
and up who is able. Now, I do want to point out there is a specific notable exception
here to this numbering and to where this pitching around in
the quadrants to go forth to war. There's one notable exception. If you would, just take a look
at it for a minute here in Numbers chapter 1 and verse 49. Only
thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum
of them among the children of Israel. Now there are 12 tribes. And
I looked through it. Like I said, I'm not going to
go into it. Levi's left out. of this numbering but Joseph
he spilt it into two you have Ephraim and Manasseh as two tribes
so that way you keep the number 12 around it and you have the
Levites and it tells us but thou shall appoint the Levites over
the tabernacle of the testimony and over all the vessels thereof
and over all the things that belong to it they shall bear
the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof and they shall minister
unto it and shall encamp round about the tabernacle." So in
that center, where the tabernacle is, around that tabernacle is
the tribe of Levi, is the tribe of the priests, and the tribe
of the high priest. That's the center of the assembly. The center of the assembly of
the people of God, in this case here, is the place of worship,
the place of communion with God. There is no assembly without
the worship of God. There's not. That's always there. That's the notable exception
of who is to assemble. All that are able. The Levites
had a job. Service to the tabernacle. Everyone
else was numbered in the assembly. Fourthly, for what purpose is
the assembly? To go forth. Simply put, to go forth. That's
what it says. From 20 years old and upward,
all that are able, what? To go forth to war in Israel. That's the purpose of this assembly,
of this numbering, and of this gathering, of this pitching of
tents by family. the assembly is to
be ready and it is to go forth. That sounds awfully simple but I do want to notice very carefully that we don't
have any going forth until they are assembled. We are to walk as an assembly. Now we do walk alone. We walk
on our own. We are all to walk. But there
is a walk assembled. One time, the congregation was
told to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Well,
they did. They stood still, and they saw
the salvation of the Lord. But then after that, it says
what? Go forth. The assembly is not to stand
still forever. It's not to remain standing.
There is a walk for the sons and daughters of God. Paul's
epistle is full of this. And you see it as individuals,
but you also see it as groups. Paul writes it this way. If we
live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. We are to
walk in the light. We are to walk in the light.
as He is the light, and so not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
We are to walk in the steps of faith. Let us walk in newness
of life. We are those, we are those, who
walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. We are to walk
honestly. Colossians 1 and 10 says that
ye might walk worthy of the Lord. unto all pleasing, being fruitful
in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. As ye
have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in
Him. That's Colossians 2 and verse
6. As ye have received, so walk. First Thessalonians 2 and 12
says that ye would walk worthy of God who have called you unto
his kingdom and glory. Now those are just some of the
passages about walking. And that's just from the epistles
of Paul. It's not from the gospels. It's not from anything else.
That's just from the epistles of Paul. Our Lord Jesus Christ
told us that if ye continue then you'll be my disciples indeed. We are to go forth. And it does say to war. Warfare. There are battles to fight as
we go forth. there are battles to fight. 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 I
gotta read this. Now I Paul beseech you by the
meekness and gentleness of Christ who in the presence and base
among you but being absent and bold towards you. But I beseech
you that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence
wherewith I think to be bold against some which think of us
as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk
in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of
our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling
down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,
and having a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience
is fulfilled. Do ye look on things after the
outward appearance? If any man trusts to himself
that he is Christ, Let him of himself think this again, that
as he is Christ, even so are we Christ. Casting down imaginations and
every high thing that does what? Exalts itself against the knowledge
of God. This is where our warfare lies.
And this is where our weapons are, the word of God. It goes into it in Ephesians
chapter 6. The weapons of our warfare are
not carnal. They're not fleshly, not worldly,
but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
And it says in Ephesians 6. For we wrestle not against flesh
and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places. But before that, he said, finally,
my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his
might. That's verse 10. Put on the whole
armor of God. that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil. This is what this assembly is
to go forth to. Our warfare is not carnal. Our
weapons are not carnal. But we are to go forth and speak the truth of God as
it is. to men as they are, to ourselves
as we are. And we are to go forth, from
this example in number one, the assembly is to move forward.
Go forward. Now if you look at this in numbers,
I'm not going to go into it again, but It numbers them, the rest of
chapter one, it numbers them all by tribe. If you add it up, it comes to
exactly 603,550 men, 20 years of old and up, that are able
to go forth to war. And it tells you that in chapter
two. And I added it up with a calculator, and it comes up exactly the same. How specific? is the Lord. 603,550 men. 20 years of that. Able to go
forth to war. What does it say in the beginning
of Numbers chapter 1? It says take the sum. I thought about it and I thought
even mathematics serves God. How specific now is the Lord
about those He chose from before the foundation of the world. Christ said, every hair on your
head is numbered. And you are worth more than many
sparrows. Our God is in the heavens. He
hath done whatsoever He hath pleased. And he has been pleased
to tell us we are to assemble and to go forth as an assembly. We do go individually, but we
are also to go forth as an assembly to the battle. He has ordained us that we should
walk in good works. This is a good work, going forth
under war is a good war, because there is a warfare. There
are battles to fight, but never forget, it's his battle. The battle is the Lord's. We
personally may seem to lose. We actually may lose, as far
as we're concerned, from our point of view. I made a comment on the way up
here on something the guy said on the radio. He was talking
about David not perceiving, or not
having evil against him, or not perceiving evil. I can't remember
exactly what it was, but what the scripture actually stated
was the fact that evil was not going to overcome
David. It didn't say that he wasn't
going to have evil days. It didn't say that there weren't
going to be bad things. It didn't say that we might,
from our perspective, seem to lose a battle, seem to lose a
fight, take casualties. But God always perseveres. And the battle is the Lord's.
He shall win the day. All things do work together for
good to them that love God, to them that are called according
to His purpose. They always have and they always
will. Why? Because everything the Lord
does is good, is right, whether we know it or not. especially when we don't know
it. But it all starts with this gathering,
this assembling, and this assembling around the Lord. And we go forth
after this assembly. Because we never, ever walk alone. We walk with each other, but
more importantly, when it came time for Israel to move, to go
forth to war, that was the job of the Levites. They took the
tabernacle apart and went with them. Our God has always promised to
be with us. I will never leave you and never
forsake you. The deeper meaning of that is
that I will never leave you and I will never forsake you. He leads us and He guides us
even when we don't feel it or know it. So what can you say? Have faith and go forth. Our Heavenly Father, thank you
this time and this place. Thank you for your Son, our Lord. Thank you for this assembly where
we can gather together in fellowship and in love to try to worship
you in spirit and in truth and to try Lord, try to hold forth
your word about your son, the one who gave himself for us.
In Christ's name, we ask and we pray. Amen.