Promise 27 from Numbers 21:2-3

Numbers 21:2-3 - "So Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, 'If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.' The Lord heard the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, then they utterly destroyed them and their cities. Thus the name of the place was called Hormah." - The Canaanites began an offensive against the Israelites and they were winning. They had already captured some of them. When the Israelites realised they couldn't do this in their own strength, they regrouped and sought the Lord. Their pleas however wasn't "Lord, save us!" but it was a strategic move in working together with the Lord. The plan was, 'God delivers the Canaanites into their hands', in others words, 'You drive them toward us, and we'll take care of the rest.' This was a vow, or a promise they made to God, but it stems from the realisation that they couldn't do it on their own and needed His help. This wasn't a vow such as "Lord if You help me win the lottery, I'll give to the poor!" but a vow of working together against the enemy. Some people think they have no control over the enemy, so they wait for God to come and wipe him out, but God blesses those who realises the authority they have in taking control of the enemy with God's help.

Promise 26 from Numbers 20:12

Numbers 20:12 - "But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them'." - This is such a difficult verse and so difficult to understand. The consequences of something that seems like semantics, given to the ones called His friends and spoke to personally. What was it that caused such hard punishment? It wasn't Moses' striking the rock too hard or even yelling at the sons of Israel, but it was his lack of belief in God. He felt he needed to handle the situation his own way, so as a result of his lack of belief, and probably anger toward the people, he spoke to the people and struck the rock, instead of speaking to the rock and letting God strike the people with a new revelation of His love, care and holiness, by giving them water. If only Moses hadn't taken his eyes off the Father. If only he didn't let his own emotions take over. How different it would look for him and Aaron. How often do we take our eyes off the Father in frustrating circumstances? I would hate to see how many promises have been deterred and how many blessings I've missed out on because of my lack of faith in believing that God will do what He says He'll do. There are consequences to our unbelief.

Promise 25 from Numbers 20:8

Numbers 20:8 - "'Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.'" - Many of us who are raised in conservative churches are taught to pray pleading "if it only be your will God" prayers when we want Him to act on behalf of other people. God tells Moses and Aaron to speak to the rock, 'tell it what you want it to do' and it will happen. God gave them the authority to exercise His power. He didn't tell them, "Now go in front of all the congregation and plead to Me, asking if it be My will to bring forth water out of the rock", He said, "Go speak to the rock and it WILL happen." So often we dishonour God's character by questioning His will while we pray, when He makes His will known to us all over scripture. What people don't realise is that He is waiting for us to receive what He is freely giving us; authority to use His power so that He gets the glory when people see it is His will and see His character shine through us. Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." Jn.10:10. It's the theif that robs people from water, from health, from relationships, etc... God gives us the authority to claim back what has been stolen so that God's abundance can be poured out on His people.

Promise 24 from Numbers 20:6-7

Numbers 20:6-7 - "Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them; and the Lord spoke to Moses." - Moses and Aaron were once again targets of complaint by the people. Even in the midst of mourning the death of their sister, the people rose up against them and blamed them for bringing them to a place with no food or water. People suffer terribly at the words and actions of others. We live in a world of angry people who only think about themselves. I've seen how people can absolutely destroy another through their complains, anger and disrespectful actions. So what did Moses and Aaron do during this very difficult time? They went into the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. They retreated back to their God. There was nothing more that they could do, but to fall on their faces before Him. In that position of surrender, the glory of the Lord filled the room. God came before them right in that place; and spoke! Often  times people feel as though God has abandoned them during times of trouble. Usually the case is that people don't get themselves to that place of surrendering all that stress and sorry and fall on their faces before Him, so as to hear His voice. God doesn't always wait for us to be in that desperate place before He speaks, He's always speaking, its just that in that quite space we can hear Him clearer. If you haven't heard God's voice lately, maybe its fall on your face time. He will come to you in all His glory and speak!

Promise 23 from Numbers 18:20

Numbers 18:20 - "Then the Lord said to Aaron, 'You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.'" - Do you realise what a relief this is? I don't know about you, but I've spent so  much time "investing" in people and places during my life time. Investing in relationships, investing in status, investing in culture, investing in the spiritual lives of others. There was a long season of my life where respect was a must for me. I also NEEDED to be needed. This lead to a life of striving for that status of respect from others and a place to be needed by others. Praise the Lord for God's freedom! No person and no place owes me anything! God is my portion, and Him alone. I can work along side others, I can love people and can be sensitive to the culture around me, but I am not chained or obligated to anyone or any place. God has given that freedom. I don't need to strive to inherit anything from this earth, I have my full inheritance in Christ, He is my portion, He fills me up! Thank you Jesus!

Promise 22 from Numbers 18:8

Numbers 18:8 - "Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, 'Now behold, I Myself have given you charge of My offerings, even all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual allotment. This shall be yours from the most holy gifts reserved from the fire; every offering of theirs, even every grain offering offering and every sin offering and every guilt offering, which they shall render to Me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.'" - All of the offerings given to the Lord, He entrusts to Aaron and his boys. God has a full store house of riches, the holiest of holies that He desires to give us free access to. All of the gifts of His Spirit He delights to fill us up with, the gifts of His power to heal, to love, to encourage, to bring knowledge, etc... He entrusts us with these things, Jesus said, "All that I do even more, you can and will do because I go to My Father who is in Heaven." What a sacrifice God makes to entrust us with His gifts. How are we stewarding them? Are we accepting them? Are we opening our hands, hearts and minds to receive what is freely given to us? Are we using that which we have for His kingdom and His glory? He will never let our hands be empty. We will never have an excuse that God doesn't care. He lavishes us with gifts that rightfully belong to Him.

Promise 21 from Numbers 17:10

Numbers 17:10 - "But the Lord said to Moses, 'Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put an end to their grumblings against Me, so that they will not die.'" - More than 14,700 people had just died because of their grumbling against the Lord. The Lord knew that if the people went on without punishment then the results would be even worse for the people of Israel than the plague which killed the 14,700. Some people read passages like these and think God is heartless, but God is not limited in His knowledge by the present. God is a merciful God. He put in measures, through the budding of Aaron's rod, to assure that there wouldn't be a repeat of more deaths. It wasn't so that the people wouldn't grumble anymore, but so that they wouldn't die. God loves His people. He was just as saddened by their deaths as those who remained alive. The whole purpose for Him bringing His people out of Egypt is so that they would have life and life abundant. The people were too self absorbed to see and to hear and to believe what God was giving them. Can you imagine how much that breaks His heart? So many believers today are living their lives grumbling instead of living the abundant life that God is giving them. When will believers open their eyes, ears and hearts to step into the promises given to them by God?