4 “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. , 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. , 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)  One God (v4): Moses commanded the people to listen. The Hebrew word for listen is Shema. The Lord is one – in contrast to multiple gods of the Canaanites and other cultures. Isreal was to have one God: the creator, redeemer, and Spirit. The idea of “the Lord our God is one,” stresses his uniqueness or exclusiveness. Knowing this demands love which in turn leads to obedience. In this case, love is more than an emotion. It is an active response to God’s commands. The Shema (v5): is the Shema – the center piece of Orthodox Jewish prayers in morning and evening. It is a command for Israel to be totally committed to the Lord. The heart, or intellect, meant it was to be the foundation of one’s thinking, they were to reflect on it. The Soul meant it was to be the center of one’s being. Strength – that into which one invested time and energy. The idea that to hear God without doing what he commanded was not to hear him at all. The command was given to the nation, the people collectively and the Shema was to be the glue that brought them together as a community (unity). Memorize them (v6): The command was to make these words the center of their lives. They are to take root in their hearts as individuals and as a nation. The imagery carries with the idea of memorizing them. Routine (v7): The words were to be a part of their routine, they were to teach it, talk about it wherever we are, and make them an integral part of their lives and existence. They are to be engraved or established permanently. Repeated constantly; be preoccupied with it. Sitting and walking means repeat them when you are resting and when you are active. Night and morning stresses time – throughout the day. Make Them Obvious (8): They were to bind them on your hands (their actions reflecting their belief) and as a symbol on your foreheads (a part of their mental, processes). In other words, they are to be obvious by words and actions to everyone. (Orthodox Jews place the Shema in a small box that strapped to the forehead called a phylactery.) Going and Coming (v9): They were to place them on their door posts as a reminder as they entered in and went out that the Lord was the center of their lives. They were to place them on their city gates as a reminder to them and travelers that they lived by God’s commands – and that their transactions were according to God’s decrees. Consider: What is at the center of your thinking, being, and actions? Is it obvious you have a covenant relationship with the Lord? Does your house reflect your commitment to the Lord? Is your life a testimony to your relationship with the Lord? “ Loving God more than anyone or anything else is the very foundation of being a disciple. If you want to live your Christian life to its fullest, then love Jesus more than anyone or anything else. ” Greg Laurie

13 So Moses commanded the Israelites, “This is the land you are to receive by lot as an inheritance, which the Lord commanded to be given to the nine and a half tribes. 14 For the tribe of Reuben’s descendants and the tribe of Gad’s descendants have received their inheritance according to their ancestral families, and half the tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance. 15 The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance across the Jordan east of Jericho, toward the sunrise.” (Numbers 34: 13-15)  Inheritance (13): As mentioned earlier, the Lord had set the borders of the land in the first 12 verses of chapter 34. and that the land was to be divided among nine- and one-half tribes based on the size of each tribe. The Remaining two and a Half Tribes (14-15): Moses then described the allocation of the land to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan River. This was land subdued when the Israelites defeated Sihon and Og (Numbers 21:21-35). These tribes asked for this land separate from the other tribes and, in return, they would support the other tribes in the conquest of Canaan and would not return to their homes until the land west of the Jordan was subdued. Manasseh and Ephrim were Joseph’s sons but adopted by Jacob for purposes of inheritance. Because the tribe of Manasseh was so large, it was given land on both sides of the Jordan. God makes promises to motivate faithfulness. Consider the following promises: 1. God promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a land of their own and that motivated them to be faithful for more than 600 years. 2. God promised to restore his people to the land after 70 years and they remained faithful during the Babylonian captivity. 3. God promised Israel (and us) a Messiah, and he fulfilled that promise. Challenge: What promises has God’s made to you? Are you seeing those promises fulfilled? Are his promises motivating your faithfulness? ‘True faith is never found alone; it is always accompanied by expectation. The man who believes the promises of God expects to see them fulfilled. Where there is no expectation, there is no faith.’ ― A.W. Tozer

54 You shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. 56 And I will do to you as I thought to do to them.”(Numbers 33:54-56) Inheritance (54): “You shall inherit . . . “ Shall – future tense, a strong assertion or intention. Stronger than “will.” Inherit- appears four times in this verse. It means receiving assets from a deceased person. God owned the land. Who died? Dietrick Bonhoeffer in his book The Cost of Discipleship, (1937) wrote "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." The Lord gave them the land on condition of obedience. Meaning doing things his way and not their way. The old life had to die.  The Lord directed that the land was to be divided by lot. Casting lots was an objective means of deciding how the land was distributed by tribe. The size of the allotment was determined by the size of the tribe. By casting lots, they were putting their trust on the Lord as to which tribe was to receive which area. Warning (55-56): The Lord warned Israel that if they did not follow his commands to drive out the Canaanites, get rid it of their craven images, and their pagan worship sites, he would do to them as he planned to the Canaanites. The Canaanites who remained would become barbs – to their eyes (inflict damage, potential for infection, obvious discomfort) and thorns to their sides (bring pain and discomfort or infections). If they did not get rid of the Canaanites, the Lord would get rid of them. Joshua gave a similar warning to the Israelites in his farewell address (Joshua 23:11-13) The book of Judges is about the battles they faced because they failed to keep the first commandment. They experienced periods of rest under Godly leadership and periods of war because they failed to keep God’s commands. Later, the Assyrian and Babylonian empires overtook and occupied the land because they failed to keep God’s commands Challenge: Can you be a disciple without dying? Who is in control of your life? Have you Committed, surrendered, and submitted to the Lord today? Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God. Martin Luther King, Jr.

50 The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, 51 “Tell the Israelites: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you, destroy all their stone images and cast images, and demolish all their high places. 53 You are to take possession of the land and settle in it because I have given you the land to possess. (Numbers 33:50-53) The previous chapter of Numbers lists all the stops the Israelites made after leaving Egypt. The first 12 verses of chapter 34 outline the borders of the land they were to possess. Recall Israel was divided into !2 Tribes – descendants of Jacob’s 12 sons. Each tribe was divided into clans, and each clan was made up of families related by marriage or blood. The head of each family was led by an elder.  Instructions (50-52): The Lord gave Moses three commands to give to the people: 1. Drive out the inhabitants; In Exodus 34:11 the Lord said “I’m going to drive out the inhabitants.”. The Book of Joshua clearly indicates that the Lord orchestrated the removal of the inhabitants, but through his people. 2. They were to destroy the Canaanite carved idols and molten images. 3. They were to demolish the high places, places of pagan worship on mountain tops. If the Isrsaelites failed to drive out the Canaanites they would be a distraction from obedience to the statutes and ordinances, lead to pagan practices, and intermarriage. History reveals that they failed to completely remove the Canaanites and suffered down through the ages for it. Have Given (53): The Lord said, “I have given you the land to possess.” Past tense – it was already theirs. They were to move forward believing it was theirs. Challenge: Our idols today include material possessions, position, power, hobbies and so on. What do you worship in terms time and resources that will be burned up in the end-times (2 Perter 3:10)? “Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God, your functional savior.” Martin Luther

32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you, because I consider what you are doing to be evil. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and let her live.” 34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the path to confront me. And now, if it is evil in your sight, I will go back.” 35 Then the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials. (Numbers 22:32-35)  The Challenge (32-33): The angel challenged Balaam by asking the same question the donkey asked: why have you beaten your donkey? Further, the angel said he was there to oppose Balaam as one opposes an adversary. He was there to ensure Balaam could not proceed with his evil plans. Moreover, had Balaam proceeded, the angel would have killed him. Interestingly, it was the donkey, by its obstinance, that saved Balaam. The Confession (34-35): Balaam’s excuse for beating the donkey was that he did not see the angel. He makes the conditional statement: “Now if it is evil in your sight” In other words, his actions were evil only if the angel said they were. Obviously, Balaam did not realize his intentions were evil. The angel repeated what the Lord said earlier; go with the men but say only what I tell you to say. The angel gave Balaam strict orders, and he understood the consequence if he did not follow them. Challenge: Do you ask the Lord to show you your sins? Do you confess your sins in general terms, or do you know your sins? It does not spoil your happiness to confess your sin. The unhappiness is in not making the confession. Charles Spurgeon

28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” 29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now!” 30 But the donkey said, “Am I not the donkey you’ve ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he replied. 31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the path with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam knelt low and bowed in worship on his face. (numbers 22:28-31) Balaam’s conversation with his donkey (28-30): Balaam was a medium or diviner – one who sees things others cannot see, particularly the future, or the correct path to take, a decision. He was smarter than his donkey Here we have a donkey that could see what Balaam could not see, the angel. And then God opened the donkey’s mouth so it could speak. Balaam was so angry he had no idea what was really going on. We get insight into Balaam’s state of mind and his spiritual condition. He was out of control. What would the accompanying dignitaries report to Balak on their return. Clearly, the donkey that Balaak had ridden all his life understood what Balaam wanted and, for a third time, disrespected his owners direction. Balaam was controlled by his emotions and the donkey communicated with logic. (31) At this point the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes. God was there. And Balaam saw the angel with the sword. And Balaam knew he was standing before the Lord and fell face down in worship.  Challenge: Have you ever let your emotions control your actions? When that happens, who is in control? It is not because the truth is too difficult to see that we make mistakes... we make mistakes because the easiest and most comfortable course for us is to seek insight where it accords with our emotions - especially selfish ones. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

22 But God was incensed that Balaam was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand on the path to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing on the path with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow passage between the vineyards, with a stone wall on either side. 25 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord and pressed herself against the wall, squeezing Balaam’s foot against it. So he hit her once again. 26 The angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she crouched down under Balaam. So he became furious and beat the donkey with his stick. (Numbers 22:22-27) Balak, the king of Moab, alarmed by what Israel had done to the Amorites and the great number of Israelites headed his way, sought out Balaam, a medium, to put a curse them so that he could defeat them. Balak’s emissaries went to Balaam. Then Lord told Balaam he was not to go. The emissaries returned with a better offer. The Lord came to Balaam and told him he could go to Balak but only do what he told him. Against God’s Direction (22): The Lord instructed Balaam not to Go to Balak. The implication in verses 19-21 is that Balaam was interested in what Balak was offering him in the way of money and honor. Thus, he went to God the second time for “clarification” As a result, God became angry with him. The Lord sent an Angel to block Balaam. But the donkey saw the angel and apparently, Balaam did not. He was blinded to the truth. Again, the donkey saw the angel and pressed Balaam against the wall in a narrow passage to get by the angel. Balaam was confused. Blinded (26-27): The language indicates that the donkey came to a deep furrow and could not go either right or left, so, it crouched down. Balaam became very angry and hit the donkey with perhaps his divining rod. If Balaam could not control his donkey, how could he influence a multitude of people. Challenge: Do you press on when the Lord says “stop?” Are you determined to do things your way? Do you plead with the Lord after he said “no?”  “When the Lord makes it clear you're to follow Him in this new direction, focus fully on Him and refuse to be distracted by comparisons with others.” ― Charles Swindoll

9 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence just as he had commanded him. 10 Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that abundant water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. 12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.” 13 These are the Waters of Meribah, , where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and he demonstrated his holiness to them. (Numbers 20:9-13) Focus on Moses (9-11): Moses gathered the people, calling them rebels or those who defied God, and struck the rock (as he had done at Rephidim). When he said “Must we bring water from the rock?” he was taking it on himself and not pointing out that it was God who would bring the water. Lack of Trust (12-13): God did not punish the people because of Moses’ disobedience. By their actions, Moses and Aaron deprived the people seeing God in action and be strengthened their faith and trust. (We get amen from the Hebrew word for trust: It means to cause to confirm” or “cause to be sure.”) Moses and Aaron’s punishment for bringing glory to themselves was that they would not enter the promised land. God demonstrated his holiness here in two ways: (1) his faithfulness to his people and he punished Moses and Aaron and demonstrated he expects obedience and trust from us regardless of position. Challenge: When God works through us one way do we assume he will do it the same way again? “Relying on God has to begin all over again everyday as if nothing had yet been done.” C.S. Lewis

6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 The Lord spoke to Moses, 8 “Take the staff and assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock.” (Numbers 20:6-8) Rebellion (6): This is the seventh rebellion or complaint since leaving the Red Sea. In response to the people’s complaint, Moses and Aaron left the people and fell face down at the entrance of the tabernacle – a posture of desperation and anguish. More important it was an act of humility. Strike the Rock (7-8): “The Lord spoke to Moses (a phrase repeated thirty-two times in the book of Numbers) and instructed him to take the staff (either his or Aaron’s) and Speak to the rock. This was to be done in the presence of the people. Previously, when God instructed him to strike the rock at Rephidim (Exodus 17:6), only the elders of Israel were present. Challenge: Have you ever been face down before the Lord, literally or figuratively? Does God give you instructions? How does he do that? If you have trouble hearing God speak, you are in trouble at the very heart of your Christian experience. Henry Blackaby