Good evening. I’d like to begin tonight with a reading from Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 11. I believe you’ll find that on page 1037 of your Pew Bibles. And I’ll begin reading in verse 7. Matthew 11, beginning at verse 7. Let’s give attention to the very word of God. As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John. What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king’s houses. What then did you go out to see, a prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you. Truly I say to you, among those born of women, there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet, the one who is least and the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Amen. And then if you would turn to numbers. I’d like to start a study in this book tonight. I believe chapter one begins on page 137 of your Pew Bibles. And I’m not gonna read the whole chapter, And this message tonight is really on the first 46 verses. We’ll read a sampling. But let’s go before the throne of grace here to read chapter one, beginning at verse one.
The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head.
From 20 years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them company by company. And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers. And these are the names of the men who shall assist you, from Reuben, Eliezer, the son of Shadur, from Simeon, Shemuel, the son of Zerishadi, Shaddai, from Judah, Nashan, the son of Aminadab, from Issachar, Nathaniel, the son of Zuar, from Zebulon, Eliab, the son of Helan, from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishema, the son of Amahud, from Manasseh, Gamaliel, the son of Pedezur, from Benjamin, Abadan, the son of Gideoni, from Dan, Ahasuer, the son of Amishadai, from Asher, Pajel, the son of Akran, from Gad, Elishaf, the son of Duel, from Naphtali, Ahira, the son of Inan. These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the chiefs of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel. Moses and Aaron took these men, who had been named, and on the first day of the second month they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from a twenty years old and upward, head by head, as the Lord commanded Moses.
So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai, the people of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from 20 years old and upward, all who were able to go to war. Those listed of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500. Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, of those who were listed according to the number of names, head by head, every male from 20 years old and upward, all who were able to go to war, those listed of the tribe of Simeon, were 59,300. Now I’m going to jump to verse 44.
These are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, 12 men, each representing his father’s house. So all those listed of the people of Israel by their father’s houses, from 20 years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel, all those listed were 603,550. as far in the reading of God’s word.
Amen. Would you pray with me? Heavenly Father, we come before you once again this evening and give you thanks and praise. Lord, we thank you for your truth. We thank you for your word. There are times we come to passages and really just don’t know how to apply them to our hearts. And so we ask, Holy Spirit, that you lay this word up in our hearts tonight. that you’d inform us, that you’d edify us, that you would convict us, certainly of our sins, but also of all the promises of Christ, which are yes and amen. And we ask this in Jesus’s name, amen.
Where is your name listed? Have you thought about that? Where is it listed? The Bible is full of lists of numbering. Genesis chapter 2, the first man and woman, number 2. And the list naming the numbering of people have different purposes. In Genesis 4, we read of Cain. He knew his wife. He conceived. They bore Enoch. He built a city. To Enoch was born Irad. Irad fathered Mehujala. And on and on. We have the list of those coming from Cain.
In chapter 5, we have the list, or the generation, of Seth. In Exodus, chapter 1, we have the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, and Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob were 70 persons. Joseph was already in Egypt. lists, numbers, showing those who came into Egypt. And these lists end in groupings.
In Genesis 12, Abraham went out, as the Lord had told him, and Lot with him. And so we have Abram and his wife, and Lot and his wife, and they go out, they separate themselves, from their home, from their father’s homes, to go where the Lord was taking them. Jesus, as he describes his return, when he comes in glory with the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne, and before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people, one from another, as a shepherd separates sheep from goats.
Lists, two lists. One called the sheep, the other called the goats. And then in Revelation 20, we have a reference there to the Book of Life. Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life, and the dead were judged by what was written in the books according to what they had done. Lists, numbers, throughout all of Scripture. In a sense, That brings us here to this Book of Numbers. There are two, apparently two, censuses within this particular book, and that’s where it gets its name from, Numbers. This is in that grouping of the first five books we call the Pentateuch, written by Moses, sometimes referred to as the Law, as Jesus refers to the Scriptures. Begins with creation.
Everything being very good, and we know that that doesn’t last long as man sins and falls from grace. It continues in Exodus as the people of God, the chosen of God, the loved of God, are brought out of the iron furnace and traveling to Mount Sinai. The people heard the very word of God. The tabernacle had been erected within Exodus. Moses was unable to enter as that book ends. And that takes us to Leviticus. where the cultic rites, the worship was established, the sacrificial system was set forth by God, the priests were ordained, and ultimately the tabernacle was opened.
And that’s kind of where we are in numbers. The people are still at the foot of Mount Sinai, the tabernacle has been constructed, and now the cloud is no longer preventing Moses from going in, it’s been opened up because of the cultic rites, because of the sacrificial system, because the priests had been ordained. And so here we are, the beginning of numbers at the foot of Mount Sinai. The people have not moved.
Throughout this book, we’ll see many things. It includes the people’s refusal to enter into the promised land. It includes 40 years of wilderness wandering, and it ends It ends in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. It covers 40 years. And it ends just before the people are ready to enter into the promised land. It’s an important book.
And here as we begin in chapter one, we’re gonna see God speaking to Moses. And I believe, I could be wrong, that this is the first time the Lord speaks to Moses from the tent of meeting. The tent was opened in the wilderness, and the first command within that tent of meeting was to take a census.
Look at verse two, take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. Remember, this follows the numbering of the people as they left Egypt. In Exodus 12, we have this recorded for us, and the people of Israel journeyed from Ramses to Succoth, about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children, those who came out of Egypt. And then, closer to the end of Exodus, in chapter 38, we read, for everyone who is listed in the records from 20 years old and upward, for 603,550 men, those that came out of Egypt. And now this call to take a census.
And as we see, we didn’t read all of it, but you get the idea of that that we did read. 46,500 from Reuben, 59,300 from Simeon and so on and so forth for 12 tribes. adding up to 600, 3,000, 500, 50. Same number that we have at the end of, or close to the end of Exodus.
So as we consider this first chapter, or a portion of the first chapter, I’d like us to think of it this way, that the chosen people of God will fight violently for the kingdom of heaven. The chosen people of God will fight violently for the kingdom of heaven. We’ll see that in two points tonight. First, Jesus calls the people of God to be numbered. And secondly, Jesus calls the people of God to fight. As we go through this passage this evening, I’d like you to be asking yourself that question, where do I want my name to be listed? Well, first, Jesus calls the people of God to be numbered. Here’s the command that God gives to Moses, take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel.
So we see initially that the people were, for the most part, to be passive in this numbering. They were being counted. They were being acted upon by others. We see all the men there that were assigned to help in the numbering by name. one from each of the 12 tribes set forth to do that numbering, that making of lists, lists being created clan by clan, company by company, and the first thing they were to do as God speaks to Moses from the Tent of Meeting was to list people, create this numbering. Why? For what purpose? Well, I’ve come up with at least two reasons, but I’m sure there are more.
First, consider that those who were to be numbered had been in Egypt. This list, these lists that were being created were the definitive lists of those who had been saved. This is only the second year, the beginning of the second year that the people had come out from that iron furnace with 600,000 men coming out, plus women, plus children, meaning over a million people likely exiting Egypt. There certainly would have been some that died in that year. But generally speaking, this was the list of those people who had been delivered out of Egypt.
These are the people that the Lord had rescued. that he had brought out from the oppressive hand of the Egyptians. They were the Israelites who had suffered the persecution under Pharaoh’s hand and hard labor under his wicked kingship. These were those who had been delivered, truly.
They had witnessed the ten plagues that had fallen or befallen the Egyptians. Those plagues, the supernatural wonders from the hand of God which had led to their release. These were those who had crossed the Red Sea or the Sea of Reeds on dry ground. Walls of water on either side, passing through, not on soggy ground, not on wet ground, dry ground.
It was this people who were being numbered, who were being listed, the congregation of the living God. Why is that significant? Why count them? Why number them at this point? Because these were the supernaturally saved people. We read it this morning. It’s not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you. For you were the fewest of all peoples. It’s because the Lord loves you and is keeping his oath that he swore to his fathers, to your fathers.
These were the delivered people whom the Lord had chosen. These were those who had witnessed the powerful delivering hand of the creator God. And so we’d think, we would just assume that these very people were the people who would actually enter the promised land. That’s why they were taken out of Egypt, to worship the living God.
And so we’d think, okay, you’re numbering them because these are the ones who are gonna enter into the promised lands, these are the ones who are gonna actually worship you But that wouldn’t be the case. We will see, Lord willing, as we continue to study in this book, that only two of these men who would be numbered in this account would actually enter into the promised land.
The rest had no desire to fight for the promised land. They had no desire to enter into the promised land and take it by force because they were in rebellion against God. They would be in rebellion. The rest would die in the wilderness wandering for 40 years.
These men, all but two who were numbered, would have the external appearance of those who would be able to and would enter into the promised land. That’s what it looks like. These would be the men of war, which we’ll discuss in a moment. And so, from all external appearances, these would look like the army of God.
They would enter in, but they wouldn’t. These were those who were numbered. It’s a moment in the history of redemption, but they wouldn’t be the very ones who would enter into the promised land because of their sin, because of their rebellion, because of their lack of faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. They wouldn’t be delivered into the promised land.
And so in one sense, this is a picture. Even at the beginning of numbers, it’s a picture of the church today. Not all who are in the visible church will be those who actually enter into glory or heaven. Not all those who are numbered among the members of even Bible-believing, Bible-proclaiming, reformed Presbyterian churches will enter into glory. Even as many appear from all external appearances to be the people of God, Not all will enter. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven.
But the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name? It looks like they’re, from all external appearances, those who will enter into the kingdom of God. But Jesus says, no. I will declare to them, I never knew you depart from me.
You see, because what matters is not external. It’s the internal. It’s the heart that matters. It’s not the size of muscle. It’s not the external appearance of being a warrior. It’s not the human strength. It’s the heart. Isn’t that what Jesus declared in the Sermon on the Mount? Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Where will your name be written? It’s a significant question for us to be asking tonight. There was a call to these Israelites. It was clearly a call. Yes, they were passive. to be listed, to be numbered. It was an act done by another, those fellows that were listed up front. But they were to get in line, so to speak. There was a census being taken. And so they were called to go and tell the counters, the list makers, who are you?
Where are you from? Get into the right line. Ruben, Simeon, Gad, Judah, Issachar, which clan are you from? Which household? Be specific. To whom do you belong? Ultimately, that was the question. And once you identify to whom you belong, I know which list to put you on. It should be a wake-up call. To whom do you belong? What household? Who’s your father? What’s your answer tonight? Who do you desire to belong to? Where’s your name written? The last book of the Bible ends with reference to the Book of Life. Now friends, do you desire your name to be written there in the Book of Life? Is that on your heart tonight? Brings us to our second point. That Jesus calls the people of God to fight for the kingdom.
That was the passive part, the numbering, so to speak. But now we get to an active part of this passage Notice that the only ones that were to be numbered from the 12 tribes were men. You might be scratching your head wondering, why is that? Something about the male gender better than the female, more important than women? No, that can’t be. Notice the young men were not numbered, and likely the old men were not numbered either.
Not every man was numbered from 20 years old and upward. But there were more qualifications. In fact, there was one more really significant qualification. All who were able to go to war. They were the ones being numbered. Only them. Only those who are physically or mentally able to go to war. Only those who are physically fit, so to speak. And we know that there are other qualifications that even Moses set forth in Deuteronomy.
Is there any man who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go back, lest he die in battle and another man dedicate it. Is there any man who has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go back. Is there any man who has betrothed a wife and has not taken her? Let him go back. Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back.
Other qualifications. Not all were numbered. And so we see this historical truth, this historical fact, part of the history of redemption, there was only those within each tribe, those men who were of an appropriate age and ability to go to war and fight. who were to be numbered, who were to be part of the army. It was certainly not that others didn’t exist, they did. But there was a significance about these who were able to fight. And so they were the only ones who were numbered, they were called to be listed. Why? Because a battle lay ahead. They were about to be launched into physical warfare. And so there was no need for them to go forward, to press on to the Promised Land if they didn’t have an army, if they didn’t have those who were ready to fight.
They were headed to the Promised Land. That’s why they left Egypt. They’re on their way. They were going to that place where they would dwell with the living God and worship Him, but there was an obstacle. There were people there already. People were living in the Promised Land. They had settled there. But they were wicked.
It’s because of, do not say in your heart, this is from Deuteronomy 9, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, it’s because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land. Whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you. See, they lived there, they occupied the promised land, and God was going to move them out because of their wickedness.
But in order for the Israelites to take possession, They needed to fight. There would be battles. Joshua is all about those battles that would take place. Men would need to fill the ranks to become troops, to become companies, to fight, to make war. God ordained war to remove and dispossess the occupants of the land. That they might take possession and live in it as promised and dwell with the living God and worship him. There would be going to be physical battles in the future.
That was why they were brought out of Egypt. That’s why they were called out. That’s why the Israelites had been named the people of God so they would enter the promised land and take it by force in order to worship. And so it was appropriate to number the warriors That was the objective. Without a sufficient capable army, there would be no reason to go forward, no reason to press on to the promised land. The Israelites needed men to enter the battlefield, and so this is the second reason to list them.
They called a number of these warriors. Remember, at this point, none of these had been in battle. At this point, none were battle-trained, and yet by being placed on the list, by being numbered, they were given notice to be ready. They were being enlisted in the army of God as their names were written down. And so as they were being numbered and listed, they were placed into that category of those who are ready to fight.
That could have been the title on the parchment paper as the lists were being made, those who are ready to fight. They were identified as those who were able, physically fit, prepared to enter the battlefield with a mindset of winning the day, of being effective and excellent and accurate warriors who were looking forward to engaging the battle, to entering the battlefield, all in order to secure the promised land and to begin dwelling with the living God and worshiping.
That’s why we read Matthew 11. Did you notice what Jesus said? From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. See, like the Israelites, If you’re trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ tonight, your name has been enlisted. In fact, you’ve been enlisted in the army of God. And that passage from Matthew is actually a description of the endeavors of every single Christian today. The kingdom of heaven has suffered violence. and the violent take it by force. Taking the kingdom of heaven violently. So like the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai, there was no need to go forward, no need for any Christian to go forward today to press on unless, unless you’re actually able and ready to fight today.
So you may be thinking, hmm, well, how do I get prepared for that? If I actually have been enlisted in the army of God, and I’m actually supposed to, even now, being a participant, a fighter, a warrior, to take the kingdom of heaven, what am I supposed to do? How do I get prepared? How do I become that one who is seeking to take heaven by force? What am I doing now to prepare, to prepare myself to participate in this spiritual warfare? For it is spiritual warfare.
And the answer really comes directly out of Ephesians chapter six, doesn’t it? First you have to recognize the enemy. Be strong in the Lord in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. That’s an amazing verse. We constantly think our enemies are here. in this world as the evening news comes on. Oh, we see our, no, no, not at all. Spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. See the parallel? These must be dispossessed. just like the occupants of the promised land had to be moved out, had to be defeated, had to be purged, your work, even today, is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places in order for you to enter. So what are you supposed to do?
Prepare yourself. take up the whole armor of God. Standing therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness and shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace, in all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.
Well, those are all defensive, which you need. The warrior needs defensive gear, defensive armor. But there is an active, violent, forceful aspect to Ephesians 6 as well. That which you are to be using even today. And the sword of the spirit, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Making supplication for all the saints. You see, those are active things for the Christian to participate in today. These are forceful things. Reading the Word of God, being immersed in the Word of God, using the Word of God, and prayer. How often do we think upon prayer as a violent action? I don’t think we do. But that’s where Paul categorizes it in part.
So how do you engage? How do you fight today? Because the fight is taking place whether or not you’re engaged. Spiritual warfare is today. And we’re called to take heaven by force. That’s happening now. Now we have to remember that we can’t do this on our own. It’s not possible. This is a spiritual fight. It must be the Holy Spirit who’s leading the way. It’s working in our hearts. But there’s a call to be active.
Abraham. was told to be blameless. Before he was given the covenant, he was told by God, Almighty, walk before me and be blameless. Jesus is returning for a spiritually blameless bride, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water, so he might present the church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish.” Spiritually blameless.
We know we can’t accomplish that on our own. We know we won’t accomplish that until we actually enter into glory. But that’s the striving, that’s the pressing on, isn’t it? That’s the engaging in the fight, in the battle. And Paul puts it this way in his letter to those at Philippi. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now not only is in my presence, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Work it out, for it’s God who works in you, both to will and to work for his pleasure. It’s both together.
So what are you doing to fight against Satan? What did Jesus do when he was tempted? He actively used the word of God as a sword to drive Satan off. If you’re the son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread. But he answered, as written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. In verse 11 of chapter four of Matthew, then the devil left him. every time, responding with the sword, with the word of God. And the devil left him. Jesus took the lead. He never followed Satan.
Indeed, as Peter tries to rebuke Jesus Christ, as he tells him what’s going to happen to him, he says, far be it from you, Lord, this shall never happen to you. But he turned and said to Peter, get behind me, Satan. Are you doing that? Get behind me.
Jesus set his mind on the things of God. He immersed his heart and mind on the will of God. You see, that’s what being in the word of God does. As you’re in the word, his word will come to mind especially as Satan is tempting, you need to use it as you fight against his temptations and his fiery darts and arrows.
A harder question is what are you doing to fight against besetting sin? Each of us have them, sins that continue to plague you, that you continue to engage in time after time, even as you repented of the same thing last week and this week, you find that you’re back in it, are you actively relying upon the mediation and intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ?
That’s the key, isn’t it? You read it this morning. He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, meaning Jesus, since he, meaning Jesus, always lives to make intercession for them. That’s what he’s doing now. Are you relying upon it? Are you going to Christ and asking, pleading for help? I can’t do this on my own. I keep on falling. Lord Jesus, help me! He’s there. He’s ready. He’s interceding constantly. He’s waiting for you to ask. Help me. It’s spiritual warfare. And you must engage the battle.
You must take heaven by force. That’s what The Israelites were being positioned to do, and that’s what the Lord Jesus has positioned you to do, using these various implements and tools, even himself. Yes, the chosen people of God will fight violently for the kingdom of heaven. Yes, these were numbered. but only two out of those 600,000 men actually entered the promised land. Brothers and sisters, we’re called to fight. He’s numbered you tonight to do that, but you can only do it by and through the strength of the Spirit and by and through the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ. Would you pray with me?
Our Father and our God, we thank you, we praise you for your word. And oh, Lord, what an image we have, what a picture we have here at the beginning of numbers. Lord, we ask that you’d help us. You have enlisted every single one who calls upon Christ, faithfully calling upon Christ as Lord and Savior into your army. Oh, Father, help us to be those who actively participate in the fight today, this week, this month.
Give us the strength we need. We know we don’t have it. Clothe us in your armor. We need it. And put your sword in our hand that we might fight. Oh, Lord, help us to be those who take heaven forcefully this week. We ask all this in Jesus’s name, amen.