Tuesday: A Transfer of Leadership: Numbers 26:1-36:13

Sermon: Final Preparations for Entering Canaan

Scripture: Numbers 26:1-36:13

In this week’s lessons, we look at some necessary final matters before the Israelites crossed the Jordan and went into the promised land.

Theme: A Transfer of Leadership

Here in Numbers 27, Moses was disappointed that he wasn’t going to get to go into the land, but he did not seem shocked, rebellious, or unhappy at the fact that he would soon die. His concern in this passage is not with himself, but that the people might have a leader to direct their going out and their coming in after he was gone. He described the people as “like sheep without a shepherd” (v. 17), which is a phrase used by the Lord Jesus Christ as He looked out on the masses and had compassion on them.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Monday: Another Census: Numbers 26:1-36:13

Sermon: Final Preparations for Entering Canaan

Scripture: Numbers 26:1-36:13

In this week’s lessons, we look at some necessary final matters before the Israelites crossed the Jordan and went into the promised land.

Theme: Another Census

The story of Balaam is the last significant narrative in the book of Numbers. What we have from this point on is the preparation of the people for their eventual entrance into Canaan and the conquering of the land. The geography is important, which we see from Numbers 26:3. All of this happened on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River, across from Jericho. But before they crossed the Jordan and attacked Jericho, the Israelites needed to take care of some smaller matters.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Friday: Honoring God: Numbers 23:19-20

Sermon: Opposition from Without

Scripture: Numbers 23:19-20

In this week’s lessons, we look at the evil plan of Balak and Balaam, and discover how God uses a pagan prophet to speak of good things to come for God’s people, both now and in the distant future.

Theme: Honoring God

Let me draw a few points of application from the story. The first concerns the sovereignty of God, which we have seen many times already. It is the most dominant, pervasive doctrine in the Bible. Here it emerges in view of Balaam’s and Balak’s attempt to manipulate God to fit their desires. They want to get God to curse the people because that suits them. What we learn from this story is that God is not manipulated. What God determines to do, God does. What happens is what He has determined. Do you believe that? Do you believe it enough to fit in with what God is doing? Or do you, like these people in the story, try to oppose God in His actions?

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Thursday: A Messianic Prophecy: Numbers 23:19-20

Sermon: Opposition from Without

Scripture: Numbers 23:19-20

In this week’s lessons, we look at the evil plan of Balak and Balaam, and discover how God uses a pagan prophet to speak of good things to come for God’s people, both now and in the distant future.

Theme: A Messianic Prophecy

The second oracle is given in Numbers 23:13-26. Kings don’t easily give up, and Balak’s not about to give up. So he tries another tactic. He thinks that maybe he has gotten Balaam in the wrong place. He’s at a place where he could see all the mass of the people. Maybe a different site with a different view will produce a different result. So Balak takes him up to the top of Mount Pisgah where, from this vantage point, he only sees a part of the Hebrew people. Just as they did before the first oracle, they again offer sacrifices. But in spite of the change of location, the sacrifices, and the wishful thinking of the king, the result is unchanged.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Wednesday: Balaam’s Donkey: Numbers 23:19-20

Sermon: Opposition from Without

Scripture: Numbers 23:19-20

In this week’s lessons, we look at the evil plan of Balak and Balaam, and discover how God uses a pagan prophet to speak of good things to come for God’s people, both now and in the distant future.

Theme: Balaam’s Donkey

What is happening in this story of Balaam and the donkey, which we find in Numbers 22:21-35? First, Balaam is pushing the donkey onward until he is brought up short by God’s angel. In exactly the same way Balak, the king of Moab, keeps pushing Balaam onward to curse Israel until he is brought up short by God. Second, just as God opened the donkey’s mouth to speak to Balaam, so God is going to open the prophet’s mouth to speak God’s true words of blessing on Israel. Even though the donkey spoke, she wasn’t a true prophet; so also, Balaam’s speaking doesn’t make Balaam a true prophet, either. 

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Tuesday: Who Is Balaam? Numbers 23:19-20

Sermon: Opposition from Without

Scripture: Numbers 23:19-20

In this week’s lessons, we look at the evil plan of Balak and Balaam, and discover how God uses a pagan prophet to speak of good things to come for God’s people, both now and in the distant future.

Theme: Who Is Balaam?

What kind of a person was Balaam? At first glance he seems to be quite a noble character. He uses the name Jehovah, for example. He is being hired to curse Israel, and yet he maintains what we would probably call professional integrity, saying, “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the LORD my God” (Num. 22:18), and “I must speak only what God puts in my mouth” (v. 38). Some scholars have studied this story and said very commendable things about Balaam. Did Balaam intend from the beginning to do what was right?

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Monday: What Balak Wanted: Numbers 23:19-20

Sermon: Opposition from Without

Scripture: Numbers 23:19-20

In this week’s lessons, we look at the evil plan of Balak and Balaam, and discover how God uses a pagan prophet to speak of good things to come for God’s people, both now and in the distant future.

Theme: What Balak Wanted

One of the mistakes we often make as Christians, especially young Christians, is to think that if we are on the right path with God, we won’t have any opposition and that everything is going to be smooth sailing. Not only is that not the case, it’s almost always the opposite. The more we’re following after Jesus Christ, the more opposition we will have, because the world and the devil are opposed to Him. And to the extent that we are on His side, the world and the devil will be opposed to us, too. We ought to expect that, because when you look at the Bible, there was never anybody who was more on the right path than Jesus Christ. Yet the author of Hebrews writes, “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb. 12:3).

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Friday: The Necessity of Commitment: Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon: The Serpent in the Wilderness

Scripture: Numbers 21:4-9

In this week’s lessons, we look at the story of the bronze serpent in the wilderness, and learn how this points to salvation promised through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Theme: The Necessity of Commitment

The third element, which is commitment to Christ, may be the most important element of all, at least in the evangelical church. Today, some people approach the idea of faith as simply an intellectual agreement with what is preached. As long as someone says, “Yes, I believe Jesus is the Savior and that He died for my sins,” then it doesn’t make any difference at all whether you actually follow after Jesus Christ. But if Christ isn’t my Lord, then He isn’t my Savior. If I am trusting a Christ who isn’t the Lord, I am not trusting the true Christ. Only the Lord can save you, so you have to commit yourself and follow after Him. 

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Thursday: Knowledge and True Belief: Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon: The Serpent in the Wilderness

Scripture: Numbers 21:4-9

In this week’s lessons, we look at the story of the bronze serpent in the wilderness, and learn how this points to salvation promised through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Theme: Knowledge and True Belief

It’s very important to realize what faith is so that people do not make the mistake of believing they’re saved when they are really not. When the classical theologians used to talk about faith, they always said that faith had three elements: content, assent, and trust. Faith is based upon the promise of God, which is why we teach and preach the Gospel so people will learn of it. And once people understand the content of faith, there must be assent, or agreement, that the content is true. Then, lastly, there must follow a commitment to Jesus Christ.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Wednesday: Salvation by Faith Only: Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon: The Serpent in the Wilderness

Scripture: Numbers 21:4-9

In this week’s lessons, we look at the story of the bronze serpent in the wilderness, and learn how this points to salvation promised through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Theme: Salvation by Faith Only

In yesterday’s devotional, we concluded by noting that although the crucifixion was foolish and revolting to the world, yet it’s the very power of God unto salvation.

In yesterday’s devotional, we concluded by noting that although the crucifixion was foolish and revolting to the world, yet it’s the very power of God unto salvation.

Paul recognized the difficulty when he wrote to the Corinthians, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Cor. 1:18a). The cross was seen as an offense to some, but he knew that Christ crucified is still the power and the wisdom of God, which is what the story in Numbers 21 illustrates. 

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

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