Amen, so Deuteronomy chapter 9 moving along and we'll get right into here in verse 1 where the Bible reads
Here o Israel thou art to pass over Jordan this day to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself
cities great and fenced up to heaven a
People great and tall the children of Anakim soon thou knowest of whom thou heard had has heard say
Who can stand before the children of Anak?
so, you know God's kind of getting them ready for the journey that they're about to take into the land of Jericho and
You know when you read these first couple verses you have to kind of ask yourself
What kind of a pep talk is this?
You know normally when you're trying to get people riled up and they're about to go face some kind of adversity
You know, there's some more you try to encourage people you try to give them words that are going to inspire them
Motivate them, you know, you know, we can do this kind of thing
I mean you think about the classic, you know, the football pep talk, you know, we're behind it's halftime
Let's go out there and you know win one for the gipper kind of a thing, you know
Like they're trying to pep you're trying to give a pep talk. You're trying to build people up
This is not a pep talk on this whole chapter. It's not a pep talk
This is God talking very soberly God talking very plainly and really just telling these people exactly
How it is and he says there hero Israel thou art to pass over to Jordan this day in to go into possess nations
Rainier greater and mightier than them than thyself. He's saying look these guys are bigger than you, you know
Not just numerically but it goes on a verse to great and tall, you know
The anacoms the the P the Giants, you know, and we already talked about in previous chapters
About the the the actual height of those Giants
They weren't 40 feet, you know tall or 40 stories tall or whatever crazy number people come up with
You know, they they were about 9 to 12 feet probably somewhere in there
So but you know that to me is a tall guy, you know, I I I whenever I bump into a pastor Aaron Thompson
You know, I guess I should say bump into him, you know, I probably get hurt but whenever I see him, you know
I'm a taller guy, you know, I'm above average. I feel like a short guy and he's only six seven
So, you know, he's saying look these guys are tall. They're big
There's a lot of them. They're greater a number than thyself now go get them
Right, and that's not that's not what you would, you know, we'll try to pet these people up, you know
He's kind of just buddies. You know what? That's the way it is, you know
And sometimes that's what you kind of have to do with people. Just tell them
Hey, this is this is the situation that you're in. This is what you're up against
You're gonna have to go in there, you know and act accordingly
So what he's saying here is like look, you know
This isn't a pep talk
In fact when you start to read this and kind of get an idea of what's going on here
Like look how it ends there in verse 2 thou has heard say who can stand before the children of Anak
I mean that was a common saying among the people these people were so big and mighty and strong
He said who could even stand before him?
So really what God is saying here is like you're about to go do an impossible task
you know the humanly speaking this is come this is impossible and
They're saying oh, you know, we're gonna go take over the land of Canaan. Oh, really?
Wow, you're gonna go run that you're gonna go rant
Run the children of Anak out of the Anakims right? No boy. You must be crazy, you know and
Really? This is impossible. We look at it from the human perspective humanly speaking. This isn't a possible task and
The takeaway for Israeli here is that God is with them and that's what God begins to bring to their attention like saying
Hey, you know, this isn't a possible task
these people are greater and mightier than thou but I'm with you and I'm gonna fight for you and
That was the same thing that applies for us today
You know we could take away from this as well
And if you would turn over to Philippians chapter 4, you know Bible talks about this because as Christians, you know
We have a great task to do
You know in many different areas
example would be
You know just living the Christian life
Sometimes, you know in a lot of ways can seem like a very difficult if not not that it is impossible
But it can seem like a very overwhelming one might even say, you know an exaggeration an impossible task, but it's not impossible
But it's an overwhelming task. Sometimes we have the flesh we have the world we have the devil we have many adversaries
You know, we have a great task of going out and preaching the gospel to every creature, you know under the whole of heaven
God wants every creature to hear the gospel
Massive task seven billion people in the planet today
God wants every one of them to hear the gospel and we would say that's humanly speaking impossible
But and really it isn't you know, it's just that people aren't motivated to do the work
And if they would we could accomplish those kind of tasks
But the point being this that we often face adversity in our life in some form of another, you know
We're gonna come up a seemingly impossible task
There's gonna be something that we come up against in life. It's gonna be like we're facing the children of Anak
This is an Anakim in my life. It's you know, whatever it might be and we have to be reminded of these words
I'll read you from Mark 9 where Jesus said all things are possible to him that believeth
All things are possible to him that believeth and Jesus isn't just trying to give you encouraging words. That's the truth
You know if you do God's will you want to accomplish God's will you're right with God
You know God is going to clear the way for you. God is going to open doors
God is going to help you along the way and
Help you to accomplish these great tasks the Bible says in Romans 8 what shall we say then to these things?
if God before us who can be against us if
God before us who can be against us you're there in Philippians chapter 4 look at verses 12 and 13, of course
These are very familiar words. It says in verse 12. I know both how to be a base and I know how to be how to abound
Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me now. I know that's a popular slogan, you know that that
You know some sports stars like to tattoo on their chest and things like that and they they apply it to you know
Areas that this is not applying to this is talking about the fact that Paul is saying hey I can be a based and I can
Abound you know Paul said I can go through great struggles. I can go and face adversity
I can go and go up against seemingly impossible tasks. Humanly speaking
Why why is he is able to do that?
Because it is Christ with strengthen with me and it's what we see here in Deuteronomy
Chapter 9 if you go back there
So God starts out saying, you know not giving here much of a pep talk
You know kind of saying hey, this is this isn't going to be easy
You've got a fearsome foe ahead of you and really that's what we have in our life, too. We have
Some enemies that you should not take you should underestimate
That would be a grave mistake, but he said, you know, he's reminding them in verse 3 that God is with them
He says understand this day that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee
Saying look, I'm gonna go over there with you. I know they're great. I know it's a big task
I know it's difficult. I know it seems like it's impossible and in many ways
It might even be in this particular instance, but I'm with you
I'm going to go over with you and really, you know when we get to a place in our life when we say I
Can't do this often. That's where exactly where God wants us
when we get in a position where we're
Living the Christian life or doing something for God seems like it's impossible like that. We can't do it
That's exactly where God wants us sometimes because often when we can't that's when God will
When we can't do it, that's when God says, okay, you've been faithful you come up to this point. You followed me
I've brought you this place where?
You can't do it. I'm gonna step in and I'm gonna help you along the way and
That's what we see going on here with them
So God goes on there in verse verse 3 and says understand therefore this day that the Lord thy God
Is he which goeth over before thee as a consuming fire
He shall destroy them and he shall bring them down before thy face
So remember, it's not that God's just you know, clearing a path and then saying okay now it's safe. It's before their face
It's in their presence
It's not that God is just you know
Just getting everything out of the way and then letting them just kind of tiptoe in
He's leading them into the battle to fight with them
They're in there the thick of it with God they're being brought down before their face and they're seeing these things take place
so
Yes, God will go over there with us
But we have to understand something is that when God fights he's fighting with us as much as he is for us
Does that make sense?
It's not that God's just gonna make everything easy in life
It's just that he's gonna give you the strength. I can do all things which through Christ which strengtheneth me
Not I can do all things once Christ does them for me
He gives you the strength to go do it and that's what's going on here
You're saying look I'm going to go with you and bring them down before thy face
So shalt thou drive them out. So it's not that you still don't have a part to play in it
It's just that God's gonna help you accomplish what is whatever that is in your life, you know, this is just some you know
Encouragement it's some encouraging words to help you
Because you're gonna need it if you're gonna live this Christian life, you're gonna need it
You're gonna be brought to that place in your life
you're gonna have to make a decision that
You don't know if you can make or you're gonna have to take a stand that you don't know if you can take it
And you're gonna under have to understand something that God is there with you and that he will strengthen you help you
And and even when it seems like it's an impossible task
There's all these adversaries if we'll just stay faithful and obey the Lord and and not back up
God will see us through and God will fight our enemies for us and help us in that battle
So
We have to understand again that he's fighting for us as much or with us as much as for us
It's I can do all things through Christ
the Bible says in Psalms 144
Bless blessed be the Lord my strength which teeth of my teacheth my hands to war and fingers to fight
So God teaches his fingers to war and his hands to fight. He doesn't fight for him
Necessarily he doesn't just fight all our battles for us, but he strengthened us in those midst of those battles if you would
Turn over to 1st Corinthians chapter 2 when you get to 1st Corinthians keep something there tonight
We'll be back 1st Corinthians again later in the sermon. So go to 1st Corinthians to of course keep something Deuteronomy all night
We'll be there all night
Now he goes on here says look I'm gonna go over there we're gonna fight this battle
You're gonna we're gonna defeat a foe that is seemingly impossible to defeat these Anakim's
I'm gonna drive them out
You're gonna drive them out. I'm gonna bring them down before thy face
remember last week God was talking about how he was gonna send in the Hornet and
The beasts and God was gonna fight on their behalf and God's gonna do this great
You know
just just march through the land of Canaan with them and they're just gonna take over and
He goes on in verse 4 and he says this
Speak not thou in thine heart after that the Lord had thy God hath cast them out from before thee
Saying for my righteousness the Lord hath brought me and it possessed this land
but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee and
We've talked about this several times about the nature of these people
What kind of people these were in the land of Canaan that were being driven out?
wicked ungodly
Reprobate people that had filled, you know had their fill of iniquity and God had had enough, you know teaching us
And I won't re-preach that it God has a line that he draws with people with nations and said that's enough
And then judgment comes so that's before we start throwing a pity party for the poor Canaanites
Let's remember who they were and we talked about that recently
But he's saying here what he's warning here in verse 4
He's saying look speak not afterward after we go in there and I fight for you. We do all this
Don't get a haughty spirit. Don't start to think. Oh, you know for my righteousness God have done this
no, God God just used them as an instrument of his judgment of his wrath and
He's warning them the of the danger of being a poor winner, I mean there is such a thing as being a poor winner
You know some people when they win something they they go nuts, you know, and they and they really rub it in people's faces
You know and sometimes, you know in some instances there might be a time and place for that
I'm sure we could all think of one but you know, I I always that's what I you know
Let me get a little worldly here, you know, that's why I always appreciated
You know, not necessarily the man, you know, and I didn't want to I don't know if I should be bringing this up the pulpit
But Mike Tyson, okay
Mike Tyson whenever you want to fight
Did you ever notice he'd never throw his hands up and jumped around like an idiot did backflips and cartwheels and everything?
He would just walk back to his corner and stand there like nothing had happened and that was always a real admirable trait
I thought about him probably one of his only you know
But there was I've noticed that in other combat sports other guy
I always look for that whenever I watch a fight if the guy wins
I always like to watch how the guy reacts, you know, and I get it, you know
There's a lot of heart and sacrifice everything goes into it
They want to raise their hands and you know, that's not always necessarily bad, you know
But even in the NFL, you know, the unsportsmanlike conduct the guy who gets in the end zone
You know score touch on and spiking the ball, you know, he's doing a lawnmower and I can't I don't know how they do it
I don't know, you know, whatever, you know the bus driver, huh?
You know all these stupid moves and stuff and if they go too far
You know the ref blows the whistle the flag comes out and why is it because he's showboating he's gloating just a little too much
So there is such a thing as being you know, too much of a poor winner, you know
And just going bananas with this stuff. So and that's what he's warning here in verse 40 saying look you're gonna go over there
Don't think it's all you don't think you this is all happening because you're just you know
Some great thing because the fact is you're not and we're gonna read here the rest of the chapter
God really takes them down and cuts them down to size takes them down a few notches and says, you know
I'm gonna remind you of who you are where you came from
All the things that you and the generation before you have done all the times you you know
How close these people came to just being completely wiped out and that's what we read about. So God starts out saying look
Yeah, I'm gonna fight for you and I'm gonna help you but don't get a hottie spirit. Don't be one of these poor winners
So look there in verse 5 and where he says not for thy righteousness or for the uprightness of thine heart
Dost thou go to possess their land but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth dry them out from before thee
That he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob
So the reason why God is doing this and using them
It's not because of how good they were
It was because of the fact that he had made an oath to their fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob and was keeping that
Covenant that you promised him
and because he wanted to of course punish these nations because of how wicked they were and
What it shows us is that you know, God was often for us in spite of us
It's not because of how we grew how great we are, you know when God when you got you know newsflash when you got saved
You know God didn't get you know, you're not God's gift to anything
You know God didn't get a bargain for you. All right, I mean it came at the precious price of his son's own life
You know, you know the blood of Christ was shed, you know, so don't I mean, how can any one of us think?
well, I was worth it because the fact is none of us were and that's kind of what we have to keep in mind here is
That you know God is often is yes for us
Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ if God be for us who can be getting against us
But that's in spite of us in spite of what we are or were more more more likely
But if you're there in 1st Corinthians
Look at chapter 2. I should have kept it something there myself
1st Corinthians chapter 2
You know we could apply that that idea of
You know God being for us and and being able to do great things for God and
Not getting a haughty spirit about it and you know in one area in particular
That I think we should have this a mind that you know, yes. God is for us. Yes. God will use us
Yes, God will help us accomplish great things for Christ, but it's not for us
It's not because of how great we are
It's for his glory sake for his name's sake for the sake of others
In fact, and that would be in the area of soul winning if you look there in 1st Corinthians chapter 2
1st Corinthians chapter 2 verse 1 the Bible reads and I brethren came not when I came to you came not with
excellency of speech or of wisdom
Declaring unto you the testimony of God for I determined to not to know anything among you
Save Jesus Christ and him crucified and I was with you in weakness and in fear and a much trembling
And my speech was and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom
But in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men
But in the power of God and what we're seeing here is that you know powerful preaching like Paul Paul is a powerful preacher
I mean when he spoke, you know, people were moved and made changes and God and God used him in a mighty way
No doubt. He's a powerful preacher, but notice here. It's not it's not a powerful preaching is not identified by
Great words by these what did he what did he say there?
My speech was not with enticing words of man wisdom great flowery speeches
It wasn't that Paul was just some silver-tongued order that could just woo a crowd
You know and some people are very gifted in that area and if a preacher is you know
Amen, and if you can do that all the better
But that's not how you identify powerful preaching what a powerful preaching is identified by the effect that it has on those that hear it
And you know, what kind of effect is that preaching have is it just stirring up some emotion and making us get goosebumps
And we walk out and say oh what a great service or is it affecting us? Is it impacting us?
Is it causing us to change our lives? Is it causing us to to you know, do something greater for God?
And we have to understand that you know
That's what the power of the gospel is the power of the gospel is that that's where the power is when we go and preach
It's not in ourselves
You know, it's it's not us that's that's doing that, you know, we went out and we saw some people saved tonight
you know, I got I was fortunate enough to be able to lead this young lady to Christ and
you know wasn't through my
My wit and charm and you know, my sweet
Disposition that I have you know, was it cuz I shaved
Maybe I had a little I don't know but you know what it was. It was the power of the gospel
That's what did all the heavy lifting in her heart. That's what moved was the Word of God
I'm not saying that we shouldn't try to present the gospel in the right way and make sure that we're
Not coming across and crosses as rude jerks, but let's not get this hottie spirit
I think well, I'm here to preach the gospel to you and you better listen and don't you know who I am?
And I'm an ambassador for Christ. Let's see some respect, you know, they did not have this kind of attitude
See that's crazy to people have that. Yeah, they do
They do probably probably we've all probably been guilty that at some point or maybe one day will
And
You know, it might not come out and you know quite so bluntly but it can affect our attitude, you know
And often, you know, it might come out in the form of you know, just being curt with somebody
Just being a little short at the door
You know and just writing people off if you're in a bad neighborhood
I don't want to go on and on about this
but what I'm trying to get us to understand is that
God is for us in spite of us if God's going to use us to do some great work if God's gonna make us bold
Preachers the gospel if God's gonna make us bold preachers of his word if we're gonna do any great thing for God
It's not gonna be because we're so great. That's gonna because God is on us
It's gonna because God is with us and God is moving on our behalf in spite of who we are
So again keep something
There in 1st Corinthians. I'll do the same and we'll turn back
To Deuteronomy and we'll move on here
Because God again, he starts out the pep talk and then he very quickly tells them look gives them the warning
Don't don't start thinking that you know when you get over in this land and possess it that you're that you're really
You're all that in a bag of chips
Because you're not and he goes on here and he starts to really kind of lay it into him in
Verses 6 through 17. Well, you know, we read it before the service, but he says in verse 6
Understand therefore that Lord thy God giveth not the giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness
What does he say for thou art a stiff-necked people? I
Mean God just cuts them right to the core and says, you know, I'm warning you and just in case
That's not enough. I mean warning you say it's not for your sake. It's for their iniquity
It's for the Covenant I made with your fathers
And in fact the proof of that is the fact that you're stiff-necked and God starts to lay into him, right?
I mean here first seven remember and forget not how the Lord thou provokest the Lord thy God to wrath the wilderness
From the name that thou didst a part of the land of Egypt until he came into this place
Ye have been rebellious been rebellious against the Lord. You know Moses is kind of getting one in while he's at it, too
you know he's
Also in horror if you provoked the Lord to wrath so that the Lord was angry with you to have destroyed you
And when I was gone up in the mountain received the tables of stone
Even the tables of the Covenant which the Lord made with you when I abode in the in about 40 days and 40 nights
I didn't either eat bread nor drink water now take note of that
We'll come back that'll come up later here towards the end
But Moses went up there and he didn't eat or drink for 40 days and 40 nights
You know how did you know that's not even physically possible to go that long without what obviously was miraculous what God did
But I don't know that that was necessarily made it easy
I'm sure there was some hunger pangs and he would probably suffered some deal
But that's what it took to be in the presence of God and God miraculously
Sustained him
So versus you know, we won't go on through all of this
But if you read it, if you're paying attention to reading scripture, you will know you would know that
Verses 6 or 17 is just the scathing
sobering reminder of all their failures
everything all these areas that they've come up short all the times they've angered God all the times that God was mad and even
Brought to the place of wrath with them
And he has the source there in verse 6, you know, that's where it all is
It's the defining character flaw of these people and it what is it there in verse 6?
He are a stiff-necked people
That's really where it all began and we see that in their history when if you read this, you know in Exodus the children of
Israel's history, they're often making the same mistakes over and over again
You know you think of the rock at Horeb and you know when the two times when they murdered in the wilderness
You know that that Moses had brought them out to die
There is no water in this place and and there was bitter water at another place and all the times that they complained about the same
Thing in spite of the fact that God had come through for them every time
God had seen God they complained God brought water and got to another place no water God they complained God brought water
They get to another place no water. They complain God brings water again. They're stiff-necked. It's not getting through there
Well today's vernacular, they're hard-headed
They're thick-headed people it's not
Getting through to them. They're not getting the message
They're stiff-necked and that's really what the the the the underlying character flaw in these people
That led to all these things. They are stiff-necked people. They are rebellious people
Now, what does that mean to be stiff-necked? Let's talk about this for a minute
What does it mean to be stiff-necked? You know, that's one you've just thinking about it, you know makes my neck
you know cracks the vertebrae but
You know what it is is is it's talking about the fact that you're unwilling to bow your head in a bit
You're wrong. That's what it is
I mean think about when you get you know, if you've ever if someone's ever come to you and said hey, you know
You know and pointed out some flaw or some area or you did something wrong you get busted, you know
Often when people get busted one of the first thing they do they drop their head
Because they're ashamed, you know, they're ashamed for being found out getting caught the head drops
You know, that's what a normal reaction does and what is that it's a it's a it's a humility it's a humbling
It's a you know, it's it's a shamefulness that takes over and it's just a natural reaction like oh, you know
When kids get in trouble, they'll start to do that kind of you know turtle up a little bit, you know
And try to drop the head there trying to get you know, one might be coming in. I'm just kidding
No, it's all it's all in the we apply the rod of instruction to the to the seed of learning right? It's another sermon
but
yeah, but but that's that's what it is, you know, a stiff necked is is an unwillingness to bow your head and admit you're wrong and
Really what it is is pride, you know, it's an it's an inability to maybe even turn your head
I mean think about being stiff necked
I remember I went for a few like to your span twice like two or three times
I would wake up and I had this terrible you ever had like just a pinched nerve or something in your neck
I mean, I had one so bad like I literally was like this I
Could not it was just like it was like someone's just jabbing an ice pick into my neck
Just like this all for all for like days just woke up like that. I mean, it was a little stiff neck
I don't know. Maybe God had went down. Oh you're stiff neck. Well, you know here have some more stiff nakedness, you know
And so I had that and I'll never forget it because it was the day our old church. We'd we got all these huge
Just gigantic
Pews, you know, they didn't have chairs
we had pews big oak pews and I'm all like this like oh I'd hope but
You know, I'd help unload these and move them around but you see the condition that I'm in
But my pastor he there he was uh, he was a wrestling guy, you know, and if you've been in wrestling, which I wasn't
You know, they always tell you no fight through the pain, you know to do it. That's what he said to me
He's like well, you know if I were you I'd just fight through the pain
And I did and you know what happened it went away. That's crazy. Like you just need to get worked out
And I was doing I'm kind of going off in a story, but you know, it's coming back to mind
So let me tell it we would go out
Bus calling we'd knock doors and ask people, you know that bus riders that they're gonna come that we go out on Saturday
Say hey, are you gonna ride the bus tomorrow to church and I'm out there like this at knocking the doors. Hey
You know, I didn't knock any new doors that day like hey, you can't want to come ride the bus, you know
I knocked the old doors. They were all like what's wrong brother Corbin's like I got this thing and so
Anyway, I'm glad I told it. We got a little chuckle out of out of my humiliation
I'm glad that now I see why that happened, you know
Why are you allowed that to happen is to for this moment right here to get a laugh at everybody?
But you know, that's what you know, what are we talking about being stiff-necked?
You know an inability to turn your head. That's what I had that was every call my name, huh?
You know, it felt like overgrown owl, right?
Or no, I know owls can't turn their head. What am I saying? Why?
I'm so ignorant of the natural world
but
Yeah, I can't turn their head quite well. Actually. They're the opposite. They're stiff-eyed. That's too
But I mean imagine being like that you're not being able to turn your head and to and you know being stiff-necked not to
Being able to see from another perspective not to be able to see where somebody else is coming from in a situation
Not being able to sympathize or empathize just being not trying to understand why why what you know, why I did you wrong
How am I wrong in this, you know situation because you're not willing to turn and see your stiff neck
You're not willing to bow the head and say I'm wrong
So that's what these problems these people's problem was they were proud and if you would turn over keep something first Corinthians dude
Rami go to over to Proverbs chapter 29 the Bible talks about this
We'll go to a Proverbs 29 while you're going to Proverbs 29. I'll read to you from Proverbs 16
In Proverbs 16 it says
Pride goeth before destruction and in haughty spirit
Before a fall when we talk about stiff-necked being stiff not being proud
Being having a haughty spirit and what happens to the proud what happens to the haughty?
destruction a
fall and
Notice here in Proverbs 29 verse 1 it says he that being often reproved does what hardeneth his neck?
Shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy so being proud having a stiff neck does it you know doesn't lead to anything good
Not receiving correction not being able to it. You're right. I'm wrong
Not being able to turn your head and say yeah, let me see it from their perspective. Let me understand
You know that what happens a fall
Destruction nothing good and these things are all linked
So notice there in Proverbs 29. He says him that being oft
Reproved oft reproved now. I think what he's talking about is not somebody who's just got a lot of things wrong
It has to start getting them right. I think what he's talking about is somebody's being reproved about the same thing
Over and over it's the same thing like the children of Israel
Keep getting reminded the same thing over and over. Hey get it right get it right get it right get it right. No
Not I'm not wrong. I'm right. Well, what happens pride gets brings a fall a haughty spirit
brings destruction a
Stiff neck will be destroyed in that without remedy. So if we're being reproved about the same things over and over again
You know would benefit us to bow the head
To not be stiff neck to see another perspective to receive the correction that comes
So, you know what? Well, what's let's think bring us to a practical realm, you know, what it's what's an example of this
Somebody who drinks I don't know
I've met more I've known more than one person who was told if you continue to drink you will die
Your liver is scarred. You have cirrhosis if you continue to drink you will die within a year and
Those people were stiff now you say well they were addicted. Well, they know they were stiff necked
They could have gotten the help that they wanted. I
Mean, I don't care what the problem is when you're faced with death
That normally is pretty motivating for people and people who overcome a lot harder things than putting down a bottle
Not saying it's easy, but I'm saying when when that message comes. Hey, you're gonna die from this
People usually have enough sense to stop what they're doing people quit smoking
You know when they develop some kind of cancer or something that people overcome things
But I've seen more than one person being stiff neck in this particular area and they're dead
they died quickly and suddenly it was you know, and it took nobody by surprise and
Everybody had to stand around and watch it happen had to watch somebody drink themselves to death
So that's just one example of where a stiff neck can destroy you
We're being often reproved for the same thing over and over again leads to your destruction
And what we need to learn about that is the fact that you know sin has consequences
Every time I don't care what the sin is sin always has consequences
and I know sometimes God gives grace and God can pass over a matter and
Often sin has its own built-in punishment that God doesn't even have to do anything
God just sits back and lets the consequences come by themselves and sometimes God goes ahead and
Adds a little to bit to it as well
But sin has consequences, but here's the thing. They're compounded those consequences are compounded by pride by being offered
Proved by being a stiff neck person. It's compounded. It makes it worse
Because you're not willing to get it right because you're stiff neck
so it just keeps getting piled up and piled up and piled up until finally God has to step in and really bring down the
hammer and
That's why he's reminding these people. Oh, that's why he starts out saying it like look you're stiff neck people
And here's the proof in verse 7 remember and forget not how thou provokest the Lord
He what is he saying?
Provokes the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness. He said don't forget that
Remember that time you provoked me to wrath in the wilderness remember that time when I had to kill tens of thousands of people in one
day
because of your rebellion
He said don't forget that that's a good thing to remember and
He goes on he says in verse 9 when I was gone up to the mount to receive the tables of stone
Which Lord made with you when I abode in the mount 40 days and 40 nights
I didn't either he did eat bread nor drink water and
The Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God and on them was written according to all the words
Which the Lord spake with you in the midst in the mount
Excuse me out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly and that's one of the most that's why I love
Deuteronomy and Exodus and any you know, the books that are dealing with this time frame is that
Just that imagery of that mountain burning with fire the thick blackness and the clouds and just just God coming down
it just that's always impressed me and
What's a what's amazing about the story is that if you notice there that's when all this these things happened
That's when they worship the golden calf
They weren't a million miles away they weren't on the other side of the planet when they did that
They were within sight of that mountain. I
Mean when they think about it, they're they're right there. They disobey God in his presence. I
Mean the gods they're just coming out of fire and the ground is quaking and there's these long the voice
you know these trumpet that gets louder and louder God speaking out of the midst of the fire and
They go ahead and then they make a golden calf. It's that's amazing to me
That's the most amazing thing about that and it says so much about human nature about how we are as people
that we will disobey God in his presence and
I mean they're worshiping his calf in the mount and member of Joshua and Moses coming down after he see the tables of stone
And he says I hear the voice the noise of war in the camp and he says now the voice it is not the noise
Of war and I came here exactly what he said
But he said let's you know
They're rising up to play
And they hadn't even got they were that close where they hadn't gotten off the mountain yet
And they could hear him
They're doing all what they were whatever they were doing
It was nothing good
so that's how close they were to God when they disobeyed and
That's you know
That's us too. It's really easy to pick on them
But you know none of us is any better than anybody else
I mean, I know that not everybody is is is as wicked as everybody else, but here's the thing
What we should learn from this is that human beings human nature is wicked
The heart is deceitfully wicked above all things who can know it and people have a propensity for sin
I mean that we're given to it. We're prone to wander right as the song goes
You know that is our natural inclination is to do the wrong thing
Anyone who has kids knows this to be true
You know the kid never has to be told how to do the wrong thing somehow. They just find a way
There you know they just figure it out, and it's not because they're smart. You know it's because that's nature
We all do that. You know we always find. It's the the wrong comes naturally
You know and here's the thing if that's us
You know if we find ourselves often being reproved from the same thing if we find ourselves
You know blowing God off or blowing off the preaching the Word of God or saying oh, I know that's not
I'm supposed to do I'm gonna do it anyway
You want to fix that you want it you want to stop being that way you want to get these things right once and for all
And here's the thing you say well, it's hard
You know the drunk says well, it's hard for me to put the bottle down or whatever it is
Well, that's just the way. I am that's just my attitude. That's just the way I was brought up. You know
I'm I wanted to use this this this phrase that I hear but our friend from Ireland is here
And I thought if people say well, I'm Irish you know I'm I'm a I'm a naturally angry person
I've heard people say that that was my mom saying well
We're just angry people you know and they're not I've spent a whole and spent all that time in the car not not angry people
But the point being is that sometimes we have these attitudes that just say well, that's just the way I am
I'm not going to change and
What we have to understand is that?
These attributes these attitudes these behaviors are going to require God's help if we're going to change
We're gonna have to go back to Philippians again and say I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me
Maybe the anakim in your life. Maybe you know the difficulty that you're going through is
You know your inability to get right with God or to fix something that's wrong in your life
Maybe that's it. Maybe it's not just accomplishing some great work from God
Maybe it's there's some sin in your life that you just need to get rid of
Then you find yourself being often reproved over whether it be an attitude or some kind of bad habit. Whatever it might be
You know that behavior that attitude that is habitual
is going to require God's help and
We have to get that right
Because of the results if we don't because when we are doing these things in the face of God in the presence of God
despite God's warnings
You know the consequences are compounded
They get worse, and if you would turn back to first Corinthians chapter 10
First Corinthians chapter 10
What we need to do is we need to consider the consequences, and that's what these people fail to do
in
Back then when they were at that base of the mount they failed to really stop and think about what it was they were doing
At least it seems that way. I mean how else do you explain somebody being so willingly so brashly to just
disobey God
You know because they probably weren't thinking it through and not considering what it would lead to
So you're there in first Corinthians look at chapter 10 verses 1 chapter 10 verse 1
Where he says in first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 1 moreover brethren
I would not that you should all be that you should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed
Through the scene Paul's talking about the same people in Deuteronomy
And we're all baptized under the the Moses and the cloud and the scene did all eat the same spiritual meat
Did all eat drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them that and that rock was Christ
But with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness
now these things were our in samples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as
They also lusted
Neither be adulterers as some of them were as it is written that people sat down to play and drink and rose up to play
I mean they's talking about the fact that some of them were so willing to just go ahead and make a golden calf and
to rise up and play
Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand people
Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also were tempted and destroyed of serpents
This is talking about the people in Exodus in Deuteronomy. This is who we're talking about
And now all these happen things happen to them
For in samples and they are written for our admonition
Admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come
So what you need to do if you're having an area
Where you're finding yourself not able to get over this sin where you're not able to correct whatever it is that needs to be corrected
Is you need to consider the consequences and act accordingly? I mean just consider the consequences
I mean sometimes I think people would not do things or behave in certain ways if they would can just consider the consequences of that behavior
and sometimes that punishment or that consequence is enough to hold people back from doing things and
You know, that's a perfect. What would he will we just read a 1st Corinthians 1st Corinthians 10. What do we just read?
we've read about the consequences and
Did you catch all that the Vipers the twenty and three thousand being destroyed in one day that you know God destroying these people?
You know people here the bottom line is people are stiff-necked because they want to be I
Think everyone understands that there's consequences for sin. I think everyone understands that being stiff-necked is a bad thing
But people often they'll kind of go ahead and do it and it's not because they're ignorant
It's because they just want to be they just want to be stiff-necked people. It goes back to what I was saying earlier
That's just the way I am. My mother was the same way
You know that that's how I was raised. Well, you know what you need to do you need to change
you change I
Mean that's what God is wanting out of these people and he Deuteronomy chapter 9 don't be like this previous generation
Let's not get up to the Promised Land again and have you do what they did
So I could turn you back around and destroy you in the wilderness and bring up another one. Let's get it, right
Let's fix it. Let's change
Let's not be stiff-necked people and if something's got a change in our life to be right with God then change it
Well, I can't it's just who I am
I can do all things through Christ which strength of me even change my attitude even change my behavior
Even get over some sin in my life. I can do all things
Even if there are things I don't necessarily want to do
You know
And and you know, here's the thing when people say well is God really gonna do that is God really gonna
You know, how bad could it really be?
I know, you know pride goeth before fall and haughty spirit before destruction
Is you're really talking about destroying me
and people kind of they they doubt and what they're doing is they're starting to push the envelope with God and
They want to see what exactly would happen
Maybe if I did continue down this to me if I didn't give this up or change in this area
we look at is God literally gonna come down and
Send, you know Vipers in the camp. Am I is guy gonna send a literal plague into the camp?
No
No, he's probably not could he know he could but he's not going to
But do you really want to find out what God is gonna do
Do we is that you know curiosity killed the cat as the saying goes, right?
Let's not let's not test God. Let's not find out what's gonna happen
let's just learn from the samples that were given to us and
understand the nature of God that we're dealing with and
then he's one that expects people to get things right and to change and to not be a stiff-neck people because
Again God wants what's best for us. God doesn't enjoy having to punish his people
God's not just some vindictive person up there who just gets some kind of sick pleasure out of
Inflicting pain and suffering on people he does that because that's what gets people to change
He does that because that's what people have come into him because of their actions because of their consequences. God wants people to get right
We don't really want to find out what God's gonna do if we don't change
Let's not let's just learn from these bad examples. Go back to Deuteronomy and we'll start wrapping this thing up here
Deuteronomy pick it back up in verse 15
He says so I turned and came down from the mount and the mount burned with fire and the two tables of the Covenant were in
My two hands and I looked and behold he had sinned against the Lord your God and had made a molten calf
He had turned aside quickly out of the way
Which the Lord had commanded you and I took the two two tables and cast them out of my two hands and break them before
Your eyes, you know, there's that stupid corny joke, you know Moses was the greatest senator because he broke all the commandments at once, right?
Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep
But he that's what happened he goes on and says and I took the two tables and broke them before your eyes and I
Fell down before the Lord as at the first 40 days
I did neither eat bread nor drink water because of all your sins
Which he sinned in doing quickly and doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger
now what I want to point out here is
the humility of Moses and
He Moses showing me Bible says that he was the meekest man on the earth and all and consequently
He was also the only man that God spoke to as a friend doth his friend
Remember he was so close with it spent so much time in the presence of God Almighty that his face had shown
He had put a veil over it, you know, and it wasn't just because you know, God drew a name out of a hat
It was because the type of man Moses was and God knew that about him and he was a very meek man
And that's what we see here because if you know remember if you look back in verse 14, God makes Moses an offer
He says there
in verse
Verse 13 furthermore the Lord spake unto me saying I have seen this people and behold. It is a stiff-necked people
Let me alone that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven and I will make of thee a nation
mightier and greater than they so God says look Moses tell you what, let's just start over with you I
Wonder how many of us would we had the heart of Moses had?
I wonder how many people would hear that be like that sounds like a great idea
You know what? I think you know what God go right ahead
Because remember at this point Moses had put up a lot
They speak of stoning Moses and Moses said, you know is he didn't complain about what a burden they were
How they murmured against him and he was like a nerd, you know, even asked God at one point kill me
You know how I can't bear these people and all their and then they weary me and and then God makes this offer
okay, well
You know what step aside and we'll just start over with you
And the fact that Moses doesn't take him up on that offer just shows you the type of heart that Moses had
And you know you think well, it's because he's so compassionate about the people
It's not that's not why it goes on and tells us why it's because what was Moses Moses motivation for not taking God up on that offer
Well, he's motivated by his love of God and his desire to see him glorified
You know Moses wasn't worried about we didn't when the offer came. Hey, I'll make a greater knight or nation with you
Then I will of them
Moses would have gone down as we probably might not even know Abraham or Isaac or Jacob
They'd all start over with Moses
You know and Moses would have been you know, not that Moses isn't a great man of God already, but I mean he could have
Really just let it go to his head at this point couldn't he but Moses is motivated not necessarily about his compassion for those people
Although I'm sure that was there
But he's more concerned with God and his glory than he is his own and if you look there versus
Verses 25 through 29. That's we see and so he he says thus I fell down verse 25 before the Lord four days and 49
So I fell down at the first because the Lord had said he would destroy you. I
Prayed therefore in the Lord and said Oh Lord God destroy not thy people and thine inheritance
Which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness, which thou has brought forth out of Egypt with the mighty hand
Remember thy servants Abraham Isaac and Jacob looking under the stuff look not to the stubbornness of this people nor the wickedness nor to their
sin
Let lest the land which thou brought us us out say because the Lord was not able to bring them in land
Which he promised them and because he hated them he have brought them out to slay them in the wilderness
Yet they are thy people and thine and thine inheritance
Which thou brought us out by thy mighty power and by thou stretched arm. What's he saying?
He's saying look don't destroy them. Let's the Egyptians say ago God, I guess God wasn't as great as he was after all
Oh sure, he could come in here and wipe us out
But when it came to the land of the Canaanites, he couldn't do it
Who could stand before the sons of Anak who could stand before these people not even God could do it
That's what Moses was motivated by his he wanted to see God be glorified
he couldn't stand the fact to think that somebody else was gonna talk bad on his God and
Even to the point where when God made this offer, let's just wipe them out start over with you Moses put his own
potentially his own potential
Selfishness aside and his own desire for vainglory and so now I'm more worried about God
And what God being glorified
And then remember, you know, that's that's a big thing because
Moses his opinion of the people is the same as the Lord's it wasn't that Moses had just had all this compassion for these people
You know verses 21 through 24. He makes that pretty clear
He says and I took your sin and the calf which he had made and burn it with fire and stamped it and ground it
very small even so was as small as dust and I cast the dust thereof into the book of this of the
Descented that descended in the mount and at Tabra and at Mesa and Kibra with Hatava and
You provoked the Lord to wrath
Likewise when the Lord sent you from Kadesh Barnea saying go up and possess the land which I have given you
Then you rebelled against the Lord the commandment of the Lord your God and believed him not hark down to his voice
He had been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you
So Moses has the same opinion of these people that God has it's just that he's more concerned with God's glory than than his own
So, you know, we could close right there
But there's one thing I want to point out because I think this is interesting here in verse 20 and that's Moses's care for Aaron
Moses is a man. He cared for Aaron because remember
the whole thing with the golden calf
happened under Aaron's watch, you know, Aaron was left in charge and that whole thing went down and
Aaron dropped the ball in a big way and if you look there in verse 20, it says and the Lord was very angry
Very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him
so God at that time was looking to just take Aaron out of the picture all together and
and and he and it says and I prayed for Aaron also at the same time and so if God went to
Or excuse me. Moses went to God on Aaron's behalf and and spared Aaron's life
So Moses had a real care for you know, Moses really could have stepped back and said, you know what God Aaron did mess up
I can't believe I trust this guy. Go ahead. Let's
Get rid of Aaron, you know and not not gone to God on
Aaron's behalf and really what this shows us is the perspective of the man of God that the man of God Moses
he's a man who has perspective and
What he he has an ability to see things maybe I think Moses at this point learned some things about Aaron
And he had some knowledge about Aaron
He was able to see some things about Aaron that he did that that even Aaron couldn't see and he learned that okay
Aaron's not the guy to leave in charge
You know Aaron's not the guy that that we're gonna have run the show, you know
He can he can help me but he's not gonna be that guy and you know
What we got to take from that is that you know
We should we should respect the opinion of the man of God
We should respect what the man of God thinks, you know what we're fit for and what we're not fit for
You know if we desire to be in the ministry and the man of God comes and says you're not cut out for it
It's not for you
You know, you could react one of two ways you could get all you know, huffed up and in a puffer, you know just
Leaving a rage or whatever or you could say, you know what? I respect the man of God in his opinion
He had he knows something that I don't he sees something that I don't and you know, whatever area that might be
you know kids would do well to
Implement this in their life and just trust their parents judgment
you know and trust that their parents have learned some things that they haven't and
Maybe their rules don't make sense, but it's just you know, and they say and you hear it all the time
It's for your own good, you know, it's like a broken record. It's for your own good cuz I said so
Well, you know, you don't understand it now, but I guarantee you to get older. You'll go. Oh, okay
When you have kids who go, oh, all right
And you'll it'll start to make sense then
but really what we see here is Moses caring for Aaron and
Another great thing about Aaron too is that you know, Aaron really dropped the ball. I mean Aaron messes up
He makes them just a mess everything almost gets everybody just wiped out, you know, and I mean they're turning to idolatry
They're making he's making them naked the Bible says and he just makes Moses so mad that he makes them drink the gold of the
Golden calf remember that he breaks it down. He makes them to drink it and
But what what happens is that Aaron, you know, that's not the end of story for Aaron Aaron bounces back
Aaron comes back and we find him too. He ends well
You know, he ends up serving under Moses he ends up being a great minister to Moses
he ends up being a great help to Moses and
What that shows us is that one is that leaders need leaders, you know, Aaron was a leader
But he wasn't the head guy right and you know, some often even people who are in leadership positions
They still need other leaders even a pastor, you know, the pastor still needs a leader. Who is that? It's Christ. It's the Bible
He's not just a rogue on his own he's not just a loose cannon
He's still subject to the things of God every leader needs a leader
just like Aaron Aaron needed a leader even though he was one and
What we should learn from that is that there's no shame in playing second fiddle, you know
We don't all have to be the main guy in the spotlight
You know, not everybody can the spotlight's only so big, you know, he can't fit everybody in there and and and we can play other roles
You know within a church or a family or whatever it might be there's no shame in playing second fiddle. In fact, it's needed
You know Moses benefits from Aaron later if you remember in Exodus 17 when he's you know
He's stretching out his arm over the the battle that Joshua was in
You know
It says his hands became heavy and what happened Moses or Aaron and her
Put the stone on him and they stay up his hands they lift him up and they help him to do that
So that his arms wouldn't fall right because whenever his arms fell they the children of Israel began to lose the battle
We remember that story and make me that one. So, you know Aaron or Aaron, you know, he benefited Moses, you know
leaders need guys like Aaron
Just as much as Aaron's need Moses's, you know, they work together as a team
so I
Thought that was interesting was worth pointing out that that God was very wrath or Roth with Aaron to the point
He's gonna destroy him and Moses could have just been like, yeah, you know what maybe maybe we should you know
Go ahead take him out
You know, he because that got to remember that was pretty big what he did, you know, he messed up in a bad way
When what we learned is that he could bounce back, you know, give people a second chance and let them correct themselves
You know as long as they're not a stiff-necked person
They'll get it right and they could end up being a huge blessing at like Aaron was to Moses
So, you know Moses when really lastly what I want to just point out on this chapter is in what I thought was great
Where we can learn from this is that the influence that God or Moses had with God
I mean Moses was a guy who had influence with the Lord
I mean, he's like step aside Moses. I'm gonna destroy him and God and the Moses says no or don't and he makes an argument
And God is persuaded not to do it
God changes his mind about what he's going to do to these people based on what Moses said
I mean Moses is a man who had a lot of influence with the Lord. He listened to him and
It's not that Moses was telling God something he didn't know I
think God lets that happen to show us that you know, we can have an influence on God and
That God wants to listen to us. God wants to hear our input even though, you know, we understand God knows the beginning from the end
Maybe God just wants to hear us say it
Maybe God does want to show us himself strong in our behalf
But he's just waiting for us to say something. He's just waiting for us to say Lord. Would you do this?
He'd love to do it
But notice this and I told you to pay attention it comes it comes at a price
Oh, I want that kind of influence with God. I want to be able to sway God's might
I want God to act on my behalf. I got one God to listen to what I have to say and
And I want to have influence with him not saying where we can, you know, coerce God or something like that
But I'm just saying that way we can
Give our input to God and have him move on our behalf
But note that doesn't come cheap that doesn't just you don't just get that it comes at a price and if you look there at
verse 18
Is that I fell down before the Lord as at the first 40 days and 40 nights and I did not
I didn't either eat bread nor drink water
Because of all your sins, which he had sinned. That's the second time he did that
That's 80 days without food and water
He come 40 days. He's coming out of the mountains got the tablet. Finally. I'm gonna give this law
And I'm gonna get some bread. I'm gonna get some water. I'm gonna eat something
He's all and then they're doing this wickedness and smash them. It's back up the mount
another 40 days
But but look at the impact I had look at the influence that he had
But that kind of influence doesn't just come cheap. God doesn't just give that willy-nilly
Give God a reason to listen to you, you know
God's gonna listen to the guy that's faithful that's willing to sacrifice that's willing to stay in his presence and
Put up with some things and you know what you say? Well, I don't know. That's that's kind of heavy
I don't know if I really want to go through all that. Well, here's the thing it benefits others
you know a lot of people benefited from Moses his willingness to sacrifice and
And to be put himself out there an uncomfortable situation
You know and it kind of reminds me again. It always comes back to this
so winning
You know other people benefit when we put ourselves out there on a blustery
Windy
Wet dark night in the middle of November
You know knocking on a door in the rain and you sometimes wonder if the people are gonna open the door and say
Hey dummy, even a chickens got enough sense to get out of the rain, you know
But there we are and it's uncomfortable, you know, or just even you know, whatever the weather
Going and knocking on a door and being nervous and feeling out of place and feeling awkward
You know and putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation, I don't know if I want to do that
Yeah, but you might just have influence with God and you just might benefit somebody
You know for eternity
So if we want that kind of influence with God
Then we have to be willing to kind of pay that price and we could be
You know a type of Moses to other people it's good