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>> Bert Harper: The Bible. It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword.

>> Alex McFarland: This sacred book is living and active

>> Bert Harper: and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions.

Bert Harper and Alex McFarland discuss the Book of Numbers

Welcome to Exploring the Word. The tabernacle of Meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. As they camp, so they shall move out everyone in his place. By their standards. That's in Numbers, chapter two. And that is a good verse to read when you're talking about the Book of Numbers because, you're talking about them moving, you're talking about them counting the people they have and they're talking about how God intervened and helped them. This is Bert Harper along with Dr. Alex McFarland. And it's a joy to be with you on this Monday. And it's the Monday before Sharathon. Tomorrow we'll do what we do twice a year and that is invite you to join us to be a part of the ministry. As you listen, as you pray, as you give, we want you to be a part. So we're looking forward to that. But today, Alex, we're looking at an introduction to the Book of Numbers.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Amen.

Bertrand Russell: Church attendance across all denominations was up yesterday

Well, it's good to be with you, Bert, and everybody, I trust everybody had a very blessed and very meaningful Easter weekend as we celebrated, of course, the resurrection of Jesus. And you know, Bert, some good news. I had the privilege earlier today of giving a statement to, the Washington Times about how they think, you know, church attendance across all denominations was up very tangibly yesterday. That's a good thing. And we're going to go into the Book of Numbers and, I want to talk about that. We finished up the NewSong Testament book of Ephesians, and we're going to go now back to the Old Testament. And, you and I this morning were on the phone talking and planning and praying and I dare say there's probably not many teaching shows anywhere you could find today where they're going through the Book of Numbers. But it is a part of God's word. It's often called the fourth book of Moses, because the first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch. The prefix P E N T pent means five. And the five books of Moses are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Well, the Book of Numbers, we're going to get there and I think we're going to very plainly see that Jesus is in the book of Numbers in the Old Testament very clearly.

Bert says Shareathon is a movement that has eternal implications

But Bert, you mentioned Sharethon is this week. And that, that's exciting. I'm going to tell you what it means in my heart. as many of you know, I got saved when I was 21. And Bert, I'm sure at some point in my grown up I might have put a quarter in the collection plate at some point. I remember when I was about 13 and I didn't know the Lord yet. I mean, I was aware of church, but I really didn't have a relationship with Jesus. And I remember one Sunday I was in church and they were passing the plate and I thought to myself, thought, why would you give your money away? Right? I wouldn't do that. But after I became a born again Christian, I remember, a pastor, he said, and they were taking up a missions offering. They said, you can give something that will count for eternity and it will reach souls. And I just remember, putting my five dollar bill in the collection plate. And for the first time in my life, I thought I was in my own little way giving something that would be used by God in the big scheme of things to bring somebody to Christ. And I've loved giving. I really do. And that's why Shareathon is such an exciting thing, because you and I, we hear it all the time. People come into the Lord through afr. Glory to God. People come into the Lord through exploring the Word. And it really is very exciting because it's one of the few things we could ever do in life. It really does have eternal implications.

>> Bert Harper: It really is. And we're a part of that. That's what makes it so great that God would involve us in that. And Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church. He said that he has given us part of this ministry, the ministry of reconciliation. And when you share, when you pray, when you give, you're a part of that. And that's what Sherathon is about. And matter of fact, I would say, because in the book of numbers, which I love, I know it's got a lot of things in there that, oh, I get lost in the numbers, I get lost in the names of the tribes. But simply put, it's a book of movement. it's in three different times that they move from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea and then they wander and then they go from Kadesh Barnea to the plain of Moab. And when I say a movement, quite a movement, it's like moving a big city. Two and a half million people moving out at one time. So, it's an adventure book. It really is. When you look at it. And it covers two generations, Alex. The first generation has to die out, and then the second generation comes on. And the second generation, most of them, they weren't necessarily born in the wilderness. Some of them were, but they were raised in the wilderness, ready to go in to occupy the land. And, so this is the whole idea. A book of movement. Now, how did it get its name Numbers? Because at the beginning and close to the end, guess what they do? They number the people. And, I heard one preacher say, man, numbers is so important to God, he named one of his books that. Well, that's stretching it a little bit because it has different names. But we do know that numbers are important to God. So he was letting the people know. And when you read this in the first, few chapters, Alex, and see how many they are, there were quite a few people. They really had multiplied in Egypt, hadn't they?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, they really had. And, I was just looking up us, cities that have about 2 million to 2.223 million people, one of which is Houston. Houston, Texas. Been there many times. imagine the entire city of Houston moving around for 40 years. Isn't that something? And, did you ever read in the commentaries, sometimes Numbers has been called the Book of Journeyings, Right?

>> Bert Harper: Yes.

>> Alex McFarland: You know, on. On a journey. And there's a lot in this book. this is one of the reasons, as you and I, and I have to say, kudos. This was Brent Austin's idea, really. One of our, staff who is on the soundboard even now, but he was saying, why don't you do the Book of Numbers?

Reading and studying the Book of Numbers is a blessing, Bert says

And I want to tell you one thing that I love about this, and Jesus is in this book, and faith is in this book. And the consequences of unbelief are, very often spelled out in this book. But here's the thing, Bert. I well remember going to a secular university, and I had a world religions course, and I was very young in the faith. But, a University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and this is in the 80s, but the professor said there may never have been a Moses. And I was like, well, wait a minute, he's in the Bible. Of course there was a Moses. And indeed, yes, Moses is real. Moses did exist. But more than anything, 80 times, you see this phrase in the Book of Numbers, the Lord spoke to Moses, and Jesus quoted that in the NewSong Testament, Moses wrote. Moses wrote. Have you not heard? The word of the Lord came to Moses. So there are two things that are soundly affirmed as we go through the Book of Numbers. For one thing, the leader of Israel, Moses, the recipient of God's word, Moses. And then the fact that it was a definitive word from God. This was not just, you know, mishmash together over centuries of editing. No, this is the word of God and part of the. The Pentateuch. And So, you know, R.C. sproul said this. God only has to say something once for it to be true. But more than 80 times, we read the phrase, the Lord spoke to Moses. This is God's word.

>> Bert Harper: It really is. And when you see the importance of it, it's, talked about in the NewSong Testament. And it makes it verification that he is. Listen to just this. he's the brazen serpent. We're going to get to that later on. Not today. But that's one of the most important parts. It's referred to in John 3. The rock that quenches the thirst is talked about in First Corinthians, chapter 10. Matter, fact, verses 1 through 11 gives you a lot about the verification of that. The manna, you know, the bread of life. John 6. Jesus said he is the bread of life. The cloud and the fire leading them. Alex, that's summer. Holy Spirit leading us and how he leads his people along. And one of the greatest parts, it's one of my favorite, is the cities of refuge that you get to. And they established them right before they went in six of those cities. And when you see their names and compare their names to who Jesus was and what he did, you'd say, oh, wow, it's no accident. And then finally, even the red heifer has talked about it, and we get that question quite a bit, you know, about the temple being rebuilt. All of that is in the Book of Numbers. And that's why, don't, I know a lot of times when people are reading through the Bible, they'll go through Leviticus and they, oh, man, this is hard to, you know, carry forth. And they do the same thing a little bit in Exodus and in Numbers. But if you can stick to the numbers and look at those big issues, and as you said, Alex, find Christ and all of that, I want to tell you, reading and studying the Book of Numbers is a blessing.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, amen.

Brent: There's a lot in Numbers that is quotable

And let me just say that, there's a lot in numbers that is very, very quotable, one of which is Very often called the priestly blessing of Number six. And we'll quote in, probably go forward and backward a little bit, but everybody's seen this, and I know it's on many a plaque in many a home, rightly so. Quote, the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. End of quote. That's number 6, 24 and 26. Isn't that a beautiful, beautiful priestly prayer in the Book of Numbers?

>> Bert Harper: It really is. And again, as you said, quotable a lot. I remember so many times as a youngster, teenager, in different places in early adulthood, going to a. I would say a mass meeting, like a community meeting. And, we'd hear those verses quoted and, because what a verse it is, what a prayer it is. And so that is part of the Book of Numbers. Now, what I said earlier about two generations, the first generation had to die out because for first time, at Kadesh Barnea, they went in and, those, ten men came out and said, we don't stand a chance. Caleb. And Joshua says, we can. But, they died out, wasn't it? Everybody above 20 years old except Joshua and Caleb. And, then they would wander for these years and again, the births, the different people growing and maturing, and it came to the second generation. So this new generation that was going to go in at the Book of Numbers, getting ready for Joshua to lead them in, we find out this new generation grew up and they were in the wilderness, but they were ready to go into the promised land. Alex, that land was promised. Now, again, it was kind of promised to the first generation. And they. Can you use the word they blew it, Would they?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, they did. They did.

>> Bert Harper: They did.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. And, you know, like, there's. There's so much in here, and we'll get to it, but let me read these first couple of verses. Now. The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the tabernacle 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, And by the way, I hope everybody saw one of my favorite movies ever. It is fantastic. The Ten Commandments. It was on TV over the weekend, and if you missed it, it's not very expensive. Really, folks, you ought to own the DVD of the Ten Commandments. Cecil B. DeMille, Charlton Heston. A cast of thousands, as they say. But this is, I mean, perfect timing. Brent, thank you for suggesting this. They come out of Egypt. They are at Mount Sinai. And so verse 2 of Romans 1. Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel by their families, by their father's houses, according to the number of names, every male individually from 20 years old, and above all, who are able to go to war in Israel. And so numbers, that means the census that they were directed by God to conduct.

>> Bert Harper: And we're going to continue in this introduction to the Book of Numbers. And, I think you'll enjoy it because it gives you an overview of what God was doing and about to do. The AFR app is a powerful tool, but it does have limitations. You can't use it to change the oil in your vehicle or get rid of carpet stains. It won't walk the dog, won't pick up the dry cleaning or take the kids to practice. But while you're doing those things, you can listen to your favorite AFR content through the app on your phone, smart device, or Roku. Just go to your app store or visit afr.net listen to AFR wherever you go with the AFR app.

>> Alex McFarland: In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song this cornerstone, this solid ground firm through the fiercest drown. Verse 19 of Numbers, chapter 1. It says, as the Lord commanded Moses, so he numbered them or literally counted them in the wilderness of Sinai.

Bertrand Russell: Book of Numbers covers 38 years of Israel's history

Welcome back to Exploring the Word. This is the American Family Radio Network, and you've tuned in on the right day. We're just beginning the Book of Numbers, so you're right on time. And, you know, Bert, what's really interesting is, the Book of Numbers covers, I think about 38 years. Now, what's wild is the Book of Exodus really covers about one year. The book of Leviticus, which is a book of government. the timeline of Exodus is really, only about a month, but the Book of numbers covers really 38 years. So, you know, we all sometimes try to. I think we assume all these are the same, but the context really is helpful in understanding the backstory, isn't it?

>> Bert Harper: It really is. And what the numbers does again, and I've mentioned it, and I don't mean to be a broken record, but it. It shares their movement. It wasn't like they moved every day, because as we said, two, two and a half million people going, but they did it in, in order. And each one, this numbering has another purpose as well. Not only for the men ready to battle when they go into the land, but also how they shall travel and where they're positioned and where. And the scripture. And, you can go back and we can look at all these numbers. 46,000 for Reuben, for Simeon was 59,000 men. And you can look at all of those numbers, and they're staggering. And then you look at the mothers and then the children. That's the reason you get this large number. But when you come to chapter two, and, you see where they are on the east side where they're encamped, and on the south side, you see where everyone is.

>> Alex McFarland: And.

>> Bert Harper: But verse, chapter 2, verse 17. I preached a message on this, Alex. Matter of fact. The tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. Where was this tabernacle of meeting? It was right in the middle. God's presence being seen and known. And then as, it says, as they camp, so they shall move out. In other words, they travel the same way. They camp in the same positions. But then you come to this phrase, everyone in his place. Alex, if that were true for the children of Israel when they were moving, how important is it today in the church, whether it's local or whether it's just part of the body of Christ all over, to be in your place? why does it have a place for everyone, Alex?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, because God is a God of order. Isn't that something? And the good news is, God is a God of order. And every place I think about, well, you know, God told Moses to count the Israelite armies, and the number of men over 20 years old was over 600,000, or almost 604,000. The Levites weren't counted. And then they are to camp around the tabernacle. Judah to the east, Reuben to the south, Ephraim to the west, Dan to the north. So God is very much a God of order. but here's the thing. We're in the church age. Christ has risen. Pentecost happened. The Spirit of God is given. And even within the church, you know, we're not situated around the wilderness Tabernacle, obviously, but he gave pastors, teachers and evangelists for equipping the saints of the work of the ministry. And it, says in the NewSong Testament, the Holy Spirit gives gifts to every believer severally as he will. And so God is still very much a God of order, calling, sanctifying, equipping, and using his followers to make the knowledge of the Lord known to the world. It's a beautiful thing. And let me just say to everybody listening, there is a place in God's kingdom for you, dear friend. no matter who you are. I mean. And it begins with coming to Christ as a believer and then growing in the Lord being a part of a local church. and then through the journey, you learn what your spiritual gifts are. And you know what? the Israelites and the Levites did their thing in their time. Now we must fulfill our role in our times.

>> Bert Harper: We do. And each person had their place. But another thing in verse 17, by their standards are, you know, the banner. Each one of the tribes had a banner that they would hold up, it would bear, and that they could observe that and see that they had their place inside of the whole company, but inside their tribe and under their banner. And again you say, what's the significance of that? I do believe it's significant. You know what Jesus did, when he was here with his 12. now it wasn't always the same people that he numbered from 1 to 12 in order all the time, but there were groups. He would bring, ah, Peter, James and John out, and he would leave those there, and he would do that. And they were numbered together each time. It's like there was a system inside the 12 that he prepared them to be accountable for one another, to have their place, to have their support. the numbers are not just accountability. It's also support for one another, Alex. And so here they are, everyone in their place, by their standard, under their banner. You remember that little song, his banner over us is love. Well, his banner. Each one of them having that place where they would serve, where they would hold, their place, where they would Occupy. And verse 34, and I'll throw it back to you in chapter two, the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded. Moses. So they camped by their standards, and so they broke camp, each one by his family, according to their father's houses. Again, I could not help but think of when Moses is trying to do it all together, about judging. And his father in law said, man, you need to. You can't do all this. You need to have others to support you and break it down. So you can do it here in verse 34, again, by their standard, by their family, according to their father's house. there was this closeness. There was this, I would say accountability and support. Alex. That same, that part of how God operates has been there and it continues today, doesn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: well, exactly, exactly. And so, one of the things, one of the key things, and it's amazing how the the actions of a moment have repercussions for years, if not decades.

Alex: One of the earliest things that I learned about Numbers was Kadesh Barnea

Bert, One of the earliest things that I learned about the Book of Numbers was Kadesh Barnea. And it. It caught my attention because in North Carolina, my home state of North Carolina, there's at least one old Kadesh church that I know of. And, I. Once I really learned about that story, I didn't know why somebody would name their church Kadesh. Because Kadesh Barnea was a, you know, the very famous 10 of the 12 spies. you know, said, oh, we're going to die. Joshua and Caleb, the two good spies, said, you know, we can conquest the land. But that's one of the key things. I mean, just as like a movie might start or a novel you're reading and there's the prologue and then the key moment where the plot thickens, as they say. Wouldn't you say that when Kadesh Barnea comes about, that's really where the depth of what's going on begins to unfold in earnest?

>> Bert Harper: It really does. And it displays mistrust, honestly, because God brought them out. To do what? Take them in. God doesn't bring anyone out to stay where they are. He brings them out to bring them in. And, there. There was obstacles. And again it started. Alex, would you say this? It started revealing what was on the inside of them. Fear, lack of faith, mistrust. The whole idea. After you was talking about that at Kadesh Barnea the first time, just think what they saw. They had been there when the plagues were taking place. And how they were isolated with them so much of the time. And how God's provision was made. And yet there was these doubts. And we say, how horrible. Alex, I'm not so sure we haven't done that. When we know of what God has done in our lives, when we see what God has blessed and done, and we show this fear, I, call it, you know, it's the fear factor. And, that fear, perfect love, casts out fear. When you know who loves you and how you love him, then that fear will not dominate your life. I'm not saying you won't have it. But you have been given what you have in order to overcome that fear. Am I carrying that out sufficiently?

>> Alex McFarland: You know, you and I, a time or two in the journey of exploring the word, we have taught the book of Proverbs, which is just such one of my favorite books. Proverbs 13, verse 12, says, Hope deferred makes the heart sick. But a Longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Right. I have to be careful how I say this because look, God is very merciful and even when we blow it, and even when we stumble and sometimes we get cold feet and we're fearful rather than courageous, God gives us a do over very often. But I want to say this, Bert. I've been in many, many a church where when I go to preach a revival or a seminar, I love to hear the history and where they are in the journey. And I want to prayerfully tailor my message to what I think will best meet m the needs of this people. And I've heard it said many a time where maybe a church was on the cusp of something just wonderful and there was a little 1% of the naysayers and they back down. And very often years can go by. and let me just say, that when you come to your Kadesh Barnea, I'm getting ahead of myself because I want to talk about the Nazirite vow of Numbers six. But just like the Israelites, they had to trust God on their journey. And when they would get scared and unfaithful and not believe God, they took three steps backward. And it's that way in the life of churches. I've heard stories of, you know, growth that should have been celebrated, but it was, you know, condemned and they went backwards. Or maybe they should have trusted God to go get that prime piece of land and they didn't. Or maybe they should have brought on staff members or embarked on a mission and you know, God, like I said, God is merciful even when we, we chicken out. I'm just being straight with you. I've heard of people who, God opened a door to go on a mission trip or get a great career advancement, but it's a step of faith. And I've been at it long enough to know God is so faithful. Fear, fear really can hinder you from experiencing the full blessings of God. And we know over 300 times the Bible says fear not. So in the journey of Israel, in the context of Israel, much of what their problem was and other problems were compounded. But much of what their problem was was fear, wasn't it?

>> Bert Harper: It really was. And fear paralyzes. I got this real quick. I won't tell it extensively, but I remember a deacon and myself going to a home and they had a fenced in front yard and that should have alerted me. We knocked on the door and before they came to the door, a dog came around the corner of. And it was a Doberman. And that Doberman came up and got on the porch, and it laid down and laid its muzzle right across the bridge of my foot. And, they came to the door, and we talked. And like I said, I stood still the whole time, very still. And they, didn't invite us in, but they were pleasant. And anyway, the deacon prayed, and I prayed too. We were praying two different prayers. He was praying for the household, and I was praying for my foot with that Doberman Spencer on it. And, so we were about to leave, and here I was, and I couldn't move. And he was about to close the door, and I said, sir, wait just a minute. And he said, yeah, what's up? And I said, your dog hasn't tried to bite me, but I don't want to move my foot, with that. With that dog on, laying its muscle on top of my foot. Would you mind calling your dog? And he knelt down on his. On his knees, say, come here, boy. Come here, Satan. Come here, boy.

>> Alex McFarland: So was that his name?

>> Bert Harper: That was his name. They had named that Doberman Satan. And. But it taught me something great. That's what Satan wants to do. He wants to paralyze you with fear, so there's no movement toward God, and you're only concentrating on you. I wasn't praying for that family. I wasn't thinking about who we were going to next. I was so fearful that that dog named Satan, at my feet. And so that's what Satan does many, many times.

Alex: The Wilderness Tabernacle was very intricate. It was portable, but it was pretty intricate

He paralyzes us with fear. But we're more than conquerors, were overcomers, Alex. So the possibility of overcoming that is a reality through the power of the Holy Spirit.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. We don't have to be afraid. We really don't. Well, you know, in. In 3, 4, and 5, there's different assignments of, different ones to do different things. The Levites assisting Eryn and, different ones that would. Would carry the parts of the Wilderness Tabernacle. And, I want to encourage people to maybe go online and look at artists have painted what the Wilderness Tabernacle looked like. It was portable, but it was pretty intricate. You know, there were coverings and cloths and wooden frames and, you know, they would go in and, you know, the Shekinah glory cloud of God would appear. So in all the paintings that I've seen that people have tried to do, you know, to scale, I mean, they needed a lot of people to help transport the Wilderness Tabernacle, and they did. And we'll pick it up, but we've got a break, folks. We're going to come back with your Bible questions. Triple 858-9884-088858-98840. Your calls and questions after this. Stay tuned.

Preborn network clinics offer free ultrasounds to women facing unplanned pregnancies

>> Bert Harper: Right now, the voices in our culture are loud, but truth is often silent. And today, preborn needs you to help speak that truth. Women facing unplanned pregnancies are often pressured to act quickly before they have time to pause, breathe, or hear the truth about life, dignity, and hope. But I refuse to be silent, and I am asking you to join me. At preborn network clinics, a woman is welcomed with compassion and given a free ultrasound. She sees the life growing inside her, often for the first time. And in that sacred moment, fear gives way to clarity. And she's offered something the abortion industry will never provide. The hope of Jesus Christ. This April, our goal is to have 11,000 gospel conversations in preborn network clinics, trusting God to bring the increase as we remain faithful to speak. You can help make that possible by sponsoring ultrasounds. Just $28 provides one ultrasound. $140 sponsors five ultrasounds for mothers in crisis. Every dollar helps save babies and share the good news of Jesus Christ. To donate, dial £250 and say the key word baby. That's £250, baby. Or visit preborn.com host that's preborn.com host

>> Alex McFarland: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.

>> Bert Harper: Amen. The hardest decision that I have to make is when to cut off the music. The comeback music. I love it, and I know Alex and I comment about it a lot, but we enjoy that and we hope you do as well.

Two pilots that were shot down over Iran have been recovered

Well, we're going to go to the phone lines in just a minute. I want to mention, two or three things, Alex, real quickly. One, the pilots that were shot down over Iran, both have been recovered, and the second one was miraculous. And they had a, meeting on it today. you know, the questions came in to their president and. But I could not help. But the one message that this second person in the, plane or jet that was shot down gave was, God is good. And, they didn't know if it was something, a fake. but the people that knew this man knew that sounded like he loved the Lord. And they said, we believe it's real. And they went and rescued that man. That was good news, wasn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: That was great news. And, you know, I thought about, and I mentioned it yesterday, I was preaching. And how apropos Easter weekend is the time we talk about history's greatest rescue mission, search, and rescue. The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which is lost. And, our nation itself was on a rescue mission. Easter weekend, wasn't it?

>> Bert Harper: Really was. Praise the Lord. Another thing, I want to give a shout out. on Good Friday, I was down at Rochelle, Georgia. And, I just want to say thank you to Joey Boney, Danny Allen, two good pastors down there that you've met them. They, you've gone to Rochelle and been with them, Alex. And, they come to Fishbowl and such great people. And also Mike Holiday and his wife Miranda. They had an apartment for us to stay in. And. And so we praise the Lord for them and we just wanted to give a shout out. We got folks all over the United States that loves afr. Loves the Lord Jesus Christ first. And, we thank them for that. And I just wanted to give them a shout out. Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Amen. Well, there's a lot coming up. And, again, folks, let me ask you, please, as we go to calls, and here's the number, 888-589-8840. Please pray for the share a thon. The needed resources that God provides through, dear friends like you all, all of us, we're in this together to proclaim the gospel, see souls saved, see America revived. And it is making a difference. It really is. And so please be in prayer that just, It'll be a great week and we'll have much, much in the way of resources to tell the world about salvation and our Lord Jesus Christ.

>> Bert Harper: Amen. Getting ready for phone calls tomorrow. We're going to go to phone calls now with questions or comments. And it's Randy from Louisiana. Randy, thank you for calling. Randy, are you there? Let me try it again one more time. Hello? Randy? Okay, let's go on. Let's go to Jim in South Dakota. Jim, are you there?

>> Alex McFarland: I am.

>> Bert Harper: Go right ahead, brother.

>> Caroline: I just want to thank you for what you do. You guys are awesome men of God. but anyway, when y' all going through the books, numbers, this is one thing. I did a Bible study with Dr. Chuck Missler out of Coinia House. Learn the Bible in 24 hours, which is a play on words. But, long story short, pay attention to the little nuances. Like why did Jesus. Why did God put Judah on the east side of the temple? Why did.

>> Bert Harper: Right.

>> Caroline: When you measure everything out, it forms the shape of a Cross when they camped, how God instructed them to camp based off the numbers. And it's just the little minuscule things or little nuances in the Bible that

>> Bert Harper: is just like, wow, Jim, you are right on. I again, I was telling Alex this morning, we were doing some prep. I told him, I said, my outline, my sermon file on numbers, I've got quite a few there. And, one of those is how they camped. And like I said earlier, in their place and where they were, where Judah was, and so even Benjamin, all of those are so important. Jim, you are right and I thank you.

Randy in Louisiana makes comment about the Book of Numbers

Well, let's go back to Randy in Louisiana. Randy, thank you for calling. Go right ahead, brother.

>> Caroline: Hey, gentlemen, thank you for taking my call. I really appreciate it.

>> Bert Harper: We'll go right ahead, man.

>> Caroline: I wanted to make comment about the Book of Numbers. It. I've read it a couple of times and it's really hard to, to get my head into. Until my cousin wrote a book about numbers detail and explaining why it's so important. So it is, it's a, It's a really interesting book once you get into it and understand it.

>> Bert Harper: I agree, Randy. And you got to spend time in it. And just as you and Jim are saying, there's some interesting if you just the details and sometimes the details causes a lot of us, people who are kind of hyper, to not see them the way we should see them. But in the Book of Numbers, with some helps from people that I was reading and, you know, studying, Alex, it really did help me see some of those things that Randy and Jim were talking about, brother.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, all scripture is given by God and is profitable, says the NewSong Testament. And I know the scriptures, you know the gospels and you know, the NewSong Testament letters of Paul are so practical for Christian living. But you know, when it says all scripture is given by God and is profitable, that means all, doesn't it?

>> Bert Harper: It does give you just an example of that. Paul was writing in Corinthian Church, chapter 10, First Corinthians, verses 1 through 11, it says. And he, he talks about some of the things that took place in the Book of Numbers. And he said, these are far our examples. So you got to know what they were before you could know what he was trying to get them to do. So yes, Numbers is a great, great book.

Aaron says one of the keys to overcoming addiction is accountability

Let's go to Mississippi. Eryn, thank you for calling. Go right ahead.

>> Caroline: Hey, I want to say y' all like the firemen and the police, the policeman and all, y' all don't get enough thanks oh.

>> Bert Harper: Ah, man.

>> Alex McFarland: To God be the glory.

>> Caroline: My question is this. When Paul said, I forget exactly how he quote, how it was supposed to be quoted, but he said, the thing that I do not do, the thing that I do, I don't want to do. The thing that I should do, I do not do. if somebody. When you're reading that and it's somebody that's got an issue with something, an addiction or whatever, knowing that, what would. Where would you go next to try to. To get a handle on that? I know the effort means really more than the outcome, in my opinion. but I'm kind of lost at where to go after that.

>> Bert Harper: Eryn, thanks for that. Good call. I've talked to someone that use. That says that. And I said, if you don't explain that, people can use that. An excuse for staying in their sin. Al.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, yeah. That's in. By the way, Romans 7:15, where Paul talks about that struggle of the spirit versus the flesh. Let me say, when somebody's trying to break an addiction or establish new habits, a couple of things I think are very important. one, in the spirit of Philippians four. Eight, Paul says, whatsoever things are good and true and noble and praiseworthy and virtuous, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things as opposed to other things. And so, for one thing, you've got to remind yourself, look, that drug has never helped me. It's only hurt me, and it would still hurt me. So I've got to think about the good, the true, what I'm doing for Jesus. Another thing is, Bert, we have to call sin by its right name. whether, no matter what it is, and there's a myriad of snares that, you know, enslave us. It's not a bad habit. It's not a character trait. It's not a quirk. No, it's sin. And we have to call sin by its right name. But the third thing I would say is accountability, Bert. You know, I mean, really, whether it's to be in a Bible study, and I would encourage you have a member of. I mean, if you're a man, you need accountability with other men. If it's, if you're a woman, you need accountability with. With godly females. Just that like John Wesley did with his holy clubs and this transformed 1700s and 1800s England. But they would meet, and Wesley would insist that you look eyeball to eyeball and say, you know, how goes it? How is your walk with the Lord? So you know, filling your mind with that which is true rather than that which is false. Admitting that we are helpless apart from Jesus, we cannot defeat sin. Sin will defeat us. But then, Bert, I really do think, one of the things of getting to the next level spiritually is accountability.

>> Bert Harper: Amen. we're more than conquerors who. Christ Jesus. That's the whole idea. He did not have. We don't have that addiction that it controls us, but God has given us the Holy Spirit, his word. And as Alex said, accountability. That's the reason the church, a, small group. you know, it wasn't just 500. He broke it down to 70 to send out. Then he broke it down to 12. Then he would break it down to that three so that you would have this of accountability in all levels. And that is the whole idea. God's not willing that we remain in our sin. He came to deliver us from even the addiction. And, we need to break that addiction in accountability, going the opposite way, avoiding it. Do not pass by it. we're more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. Eryn, thank you for that question that, again, needs to be asked a lot.

Alex: Tammy, do you see Jesus carrying a wooden cross

Let's go to Tennessee. Tammy, thank you for calling. Go right ahead.

>> Caroline: Hi. I've got a question on, John 19, verse 17. Would, you like me to read the verse?

>> Bert Harper: Go right ahead. You have it there. Read it.

>> Caroline: All right. And he, bearing his cross, went forth into a place called a, place of the skull, which is called, in the Hebrew, Golgotha. Okay. Jesus had his cross at this point. Do you see that as a wooden cross that he was carrying, or is this symbolic of our sins?

>> Bert Harper: Okay. He was carrying that cross. Okay, now, Alex, symbolic, you have to be careful with symbolism. You can make it more than it is. He was carrying the cross that he would die on. And on the cross, he became the sacrifice for sin. Alex, there's a little distinction there, isn't there?

>> Alex McFarland: It is. Thank you for this wonderful question. It was a literal cross. He was nailed to the cross.

Bert says Jesus was crucified at the place of the skull

And, words are so fascinating. Okay, Golgotha is a Hebrew word that comes from an Aramaic word, Golgolet, and it means the place of the skull. And we were, in Jerusalem a few years ago. And even though 20 centuries of wind and weather have a little bit changed it. You can see this mountain, this rocky hill outside of Jerusalem. Looks like a skull. And in Latin, it's the word Calvary. Isn't that something which means suffering and Sacrifice. So Jesus was taken out there. And by the way, if any of you are Spurgeon fans, this morning's, morning and evening devotions by Charles Spurgeon, it says that he was led outside the camp. Jesus. This from Hebrews. he was taken outside the city, and the sin of the world was put on Jesus. He was crucified at the place of the skull, Golgotha or Calvary. And, Nobert, it was absolutely literal. Now, now, we have sayings of this. Well, we've all got our cross to bear. Or, even Bert, have you ever heard that saying? Well, the crux of the matter is. Ah, this.

>> Bert Harper: That's true. Yeah.

>> Alex McFarland: And C R U X is Latin. It means from out of the cross, the core thing. And let me just say Jesus's death and resurrection for salvation, it is certainly the crux of the matter. I mean, and if Christ be not risen, we would have no hope. But, it was literal. It really happened, didn't it, Bert?

>> Bert Harper: It did, and thank you for that. Yes. must Jesus bear the cross alone and us go free?

>> Alex McFarland: We all go free.

>> Bert Harper: No, there's a cross for everyone, and there's a cross for me. In other words, we're to live a life. Paul talked about it. The flesh. You have to put it, reckon it dead, and live in the spirit. let me say this, Alex, real quickly. You said something about if there are any, Spurgeon fans. Let me just add mine. If you're not a Spurgeon fan, you need to become one. Okay.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, and it's online. I think it's public domain. But he did a wonderful book called, Morning and Evening Devotions. And this morning's devotion, I haven't read the evening one, but the morning one, the day after Easter, it was really powerful.

>> Bert Harper: Amen.

Dina: I'm assuming that they did not go into the promised land

Well, let's go to Texas. Dannah, thank you for calling. Exploring the word. Go right ahead.

>> Caroline: Thank you, Burton. Alex. And I want to first say thank you for all your radio shows last week during Holy Week. And, y' all just got down to the lick log, and it really enhanced my Holy Week, and I want to say thank you for that. And then, I've been reading about, I don't know if I can say this right. Oh, Holy ab and Vis a lil, the craftsman that, particular put his spirit of wisdom to do all the crafts for the tabernacle. And so, I'm assuming that they did not get to go into the promised land. And if that assumption is right, could you speak to that because I'm kind of sad and don't think that that's fair that they didn't get to go into the Promised Land, but have you ever thought about that?

>> Bert Harper: Dina, great question here. They did their jobs, but, listen, there are some serious things that affect the rest of outcomes, Alex. And what they did at Katish Barnea, it was that severe.

>> Alex McFarland: Wasn't really was. They were from the tribe of Dan, and they were craftsmen. they were good at engraving and designing and weaving, blue and purple and scarlet. And, so they. They participate in creating the Ark of the Covenant. Now, whether or not they go in, I have to confess, I don't know.

>> Bert Harper: Well, if they were over 20, which they probably were, you know, I don't

>> Alex McFarland: know if they met. If they live though, Bezalel and Aholiab, and that's in every exodus, 19 through 24. but I don't know. They might have gotten too old.

>> Bert Harper: Well, okay. Hey, Dannah, you got us. We don't know for sure. maybe. Hey, when we get to heaven, I hope they're there anyway. And if they're not in the Holy Land. Thank you for listening. Share a Thon Next week, we can't wait to see what God does.

>> Alex McFarland: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.

The Book of Numbers: An Introduction