What Do You Know

Text:

Numbers 9:5-10:

5 And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

6 And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:

7 And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?

8 And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.

9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

10 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD.

 

Theme:

What Do You Know

 

Introduction:

• The Book of Numbers
  • The fourth of the books of the Pentateuch, called in the Hebrew be-midbar, i.e., “in the wilderness.”
  • In the LXX. version it is called “Numbers,” and this name is now the usual title of the book.
  • It is so called because it contains a record of
    • the numbering of the people in the wilderness of Sinai (1-4), and
    • their numbering afterwards on the plain of Moab (26).
  • Believed to have been written by Moses…as the other books of the Pentateuch also
• The text depicts the children of Israel in the wilderness under the leadership of God’s servant, Moses.
  • It is the Passover. The children kept the celebration of the Passover in honor of the time that God allowed the death angel to “Passover” the homes of the Jews in Egyptian captivity who obeyed Moses’ command.
  • A specific question was being asked of Moses on this occasion.
    • Men who had been defiled by touching a dead body, by law, were considered unclean to handle the Passover feast.
    • The men asked Moses whether they were disallowed to worship God because of their being defiled by a dead body à They felt that they shouldn’t be prohibited from worshipping God because of it!
      • They inquired of Moses and Aaron to find out “WHAT DO YOU KNOW”
  • Moses’ response à “Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.”
    • In other words, “Wait and I will check with God for an answer”
    • Implicit in his response were two primary statements
      • The first is our theme à “I DON’T KNOW!”
      • The second is our Christian affirmation à “I KNOW GOD KNOWS!”

Body:

• Moses’ first implicit statement in answering the children of Israel is “I DON’T KNOW!”
  • “I Don’t Know” is a phrase most often associated with children or those who are “ignorant” (literally, not knowing)
    • Children are humbly and innocently submissive in their admitting that they don’t know information. This submission is critical to their being able to learn.
      • Can’t learn anything if you already know everything!!!
      • Even Salvation hinges on the submission of the “Children” of God!
        • Mark 10:15, “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.”
        • Luke 18:17, “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.”
      • For the child it is a good thing to say “I Don’t Know” because it makes room for you to learn!!
    • “I Don’t Know” is negatively associated with adults
      • Part of growing up and becoming an adult or “grown” is to KNOW
        • In telling me how to be a man, my uncle used to always tell me to “Take Time to Know”
        • A phrase used to describe one who is “grown” is that they “Know Better”
        • However, it is also a plague or malady for have the phrase “I Know”
          • Folks who know everything don’t get any help!!
          • As Jesus said in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
            • Even Jesus says that He came to help those who were “lost”.
            • If you cannot identify with being “lost”, you will miss out on the Kingdom of God
            • Grandmama always said, “God takes care of Babies and Fools”!!
      • For the adult, it is a good thing to say “I Don’t Know” because it makes room for you to draw closer to God through His Word, Will, and Way!
        • That is what Moses was doing in the text when he said, “Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you”
        • That is what Paul was doing when he said in Philippians 3:12, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.”
        • That is what Jude was implying when he said in Jude 1:24-25, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
        • Moses’ second implicit statement in answering the children of Israel is “I KNOW WHO KNOWS!”
          • We must KNOW and LIVE the OMNIPRESENCE, OMNISCIENCE and OMNIPOTENCE of God!
            • Daniel 3:17, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.”
          • The old gospel songs say it best…For example:

I cannot take the world and hold it in my hand.

I cannot take the lightening and flash it across the land.

I cannot take a piece of clay and mold it into a man.

But I have a Father, I have a Father, who can.

He sits high

And looks low.

He guides my feet

Wherever I go.

I just don’t understand,

But I have a Father who can.

 

Conclusion:

• We must be men and women enough to say “I Don’t Know”
• We must be children enough to say “I Don’t Know”
• We must be Believers enough to say “I Know Who Knows”

We must be strong and trust God to be our understanding when we don’t know!!

• Proverbs 3:5 explains so well, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Also, for times of spiritual struggle, we must be able to say, “ONE THING I KNOW!”

• It’s is always important to “Go With What You Know”!!
• Just like Moses who depended on God’s leadership, we also must “Go With What We Know”!
  • Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
  • Titus 1:9, “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”

One thing I know è GOD IS!

• A friend when you are friendless
• A mother when you are motherless
• A father when you are fatherless
• A bridge over troubled waters
• A shelter in the time of a storm
• A battle ax in the time of war
• A wheel in the middle of a wheel
• A doctor in a sickroom
• A lawyer in a courtroom
• A rock in a weary land
• Water when you are thirsty
• Bread when you are hungry
• My ever flowing fountain
• My rose of Sharon
• My lily of the valley
• My bright and morning star
• My joy in sorry
• My hope for tomorrow

 

#321