Bible Studies
Look Forward (Deut. 2:3)
Series: Additional StudiesIntroduction:
1. I have never seen an automobile with headlights in the rear! 2. While parents may seem to have eyes in the back of their heads, none do! 3. Students may enjoy turning around and talking to the person behind them, but classrooms face forward and my teachers insisted that I do the same. 4. It seems that all of life is designed to move forward and so it is with God’s people. We are to move forward. 5. God had delivered Israel from Egypt. He had brought her through the wilderness, providing food, water and direction. They were moving positively to take possession of God’s promised land. 6. As a result of their perception of the challenges that faced them in taking Canaan they were discouraged, depressed and paralyzed, and as a result they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. 7. In Deut. 2 God tells the next generation in Israel it is time to move forward.Discussion:
I. God always takes His people forward.A. From day one of the creation there is forward movement in Scripture.
1. Each day of the creation is progressive movement toward the goal.
2. Even man’s sin does not stop the forward movement.
B. God begins immediately to move forward with redemption.
1. The rest of Scripture moves forward to the accomplishment of God’s goal.
2. When we read the accounts of Seth, Noah, Abraham; the genealogical records; the promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob everything is designed to move forward in a continual progression.
3. We have described this in various terms as “the scheme (plan) of redemption,” “our spiritual heritage,” “the purpose of God.”
4. We see it unfold with the coming of John the Baptist, the coming of Jesus, His death on the cross, the establishment of His church, the preaching of the gospel, the expectation of His return.
C. Any glitches in the forward movement are at man’s hand.
1. The sin of Gen. 3.
2. The subjugation of Israel in Egypt.
3. The unfaithfulness by Israel in not taking the land after the Exodus. Some thought of going back to Egypt (Num. 14:1-4).
4. Men may stand in the way of God’s forward movement, but He always moves forward (Num. 13:30-33). The faithful move forward with Him. Joseph was a forward thinking man (Gen. 50:22-26; Ex. 13:19) The unfaithful are left in the dust of the desert.
II. It is appropriate to remember past events, but these are no more than temporary pauses, designed as catalysts to propel us forward.A.The Passover and the offering of the first-born were just such memorial events.
1. The Passover was a memorial observed for the Lord for having brought them out from the land of Egypt (Ex. 12:42ff).
2. As was the offering of the first-born animal and the redemption of first-born sons (Ex. 13:11ff).
B. The Lord’s Supper is just such a memorial event.
1. It looks back to the death of Christ (1 Cor. 11:26).
2. But proclaims His death looking forward to His coming (1 Cor. 11:26).
III. What is the message for us?A. We need to have a forward moving direction in our personal spiritual life.
1. Paul speaks of our growing up (Eph. 4:14-15).
2. Heb. 5:11-14 speaks of those who are dull of hearing. It says, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”
3. Where are you headed? What are your goals? “My goal is heaven.” What are you going to do till you get there? Heaven is the culmination of our labors here. Are you purposefully moving forward?
B. As a community of believers, a congregation of God’s people, we need to have a forward moving direction.
1. I see congregations from time to time that seem to be looking back over their shoulder. They talk about how things used to be. They tell me how bad the world is. They tell me that people are not interested in hearing the gospel.
2. They say the church is not growing and report on congregations that are dwindling. Their young people are gone.They say the young people are uninterested. If they see a congregation growing they discredit it. They are depressed and they are depressing. It is a situation that has developed into a downward spiral. They may turn on one another. Blaming the preacher, the elders, certain individuals. They may blame the world, the athiests, the evolutionists, the denominations. It is not about who is to blame. The question is what are we going to do?
3. Are they making plans for moving forward? Not likely. Not having plans long ago has contributed to the current situation. They were not looking forward and now it is hard to turn around. They are fixed in a downward spiral.
4. They add to their problems by focusing on who has left and who has become unfaithful. Nothing wrong with noting such but do not focus on it so that your grief paralyzes you (2 Tim. 4:9-18).
5. We need to be future oriented. We need to be thinking about not only our children, but our grandchildren and great grandchildren. We need to be thinking about the message of God and making disciples of all the world. We need to teach and work and sacrifice and think beyond ourselves.
6. I hope that we in our planning as a congregation and you and your planning as an individual will secure the future by leaving a legacy of faithfulness for generations. Let us think positively, move positively, and allow the Lord to take us forward.
Conclusion:
1. Circling the mountain until we die in the desert is not my idea of reaching the promised land. 2. We have circled the mountain long enough. 3. To the work, forward into battle!!
