How to deal with temptations and sins

Text Numbers 5:1-10 Time 05/02/12 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

We have begun to look at the book of Numbers and do far we have considered the first four chapters. Those chapters are not easy because they chiefly contain lists. However, in Numbers 5 we come to laws or rather clarifications regarding laws that have already been given and a new law. This evening we just want to look at the clarifications found in Numbers 5:1-10. The connection with the previous chapters is probably that having spoken in Chapters 3 and 4 about the priests and Levites and how they were to guard the tabernacle we now come to some important matters concerning them in relation to the people.

There are two things here. Both sections (1-4, 5-10) begin with the same phrase The LORD said to Moses. I think we need to give full weight to both parts of that sentence. It is the LORD who speaks here. This is God's Word. However, it was spoken to Moses and so it is part of the Old Covenant and with the bringing in of the new covenant many things have changed and so we need to bear that in mind as we seek to see what God wants us to learn here. There are no doubt two things at least to learn about holiness.

1. Hear God's command to exclude all the unclean and learn to avoid all that offends God

We need to say four things

1. Hear God's command here to exclude all who are unclean

In verses 1-3a we read of three sorts of people that are to be excluded from the Israelite camp - The LORD said to Moses, Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease or a discharge of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean because of a dead body. Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp.

This builds on a number of laws that have already been given in different places in Leviticus. The three categories are “The diseased” - the old versions refer to leprosy but most scholars today believe that the way the Hebrew term is used it must include diseases besides what we now call Hansen's disease. “Those with a discharge” - this is a little vague but would include any discharge of blood or other bodily fluid but probably it is those again with some sort of disease that are in mind. “Those who have touched a dead body”. Touching a dead animal or person incurred ceremonial uncleanness.

What the three examples have in common is that they involve communicable uncleanness. Anyone who touched such a person would themselves be ceremonially unclean. By putting such a person outside the camp that danger was averted. The matter of ceremonial uncleanness meant something and it was to be taken seriously.

As we have said many things have changed since then but the need to be serious and sensible in the face of disease is well known today. We know a lot more today about infection and contamination and the harm they can do. The same thing is true of death and ought to be when it comes to the matter of holiness, which is the subject these verses raise for us today.

2. Understand why this was to be done

The reason for this seriousness and caution as we have said was so that they will not defile their camp, and note the addition - where I dwell among them. The tabernacle of tent of meeting where God visibly dwelt was there among the people have we seen, right at the centre and it was important that they remember that. God was there! The camp, therefore, was to be holy. It was to be a special place.

Something similar can be said about churches today. When we meet and not only when we meet God is in the midst. We must take very seriously the need to be holy, therefore. We ourselves must take care to be holy and we must be careful too not to cause others harm, even inadvertently, by a thoughtless word or action. We are to be a holy people.

3. Notice how the Israelites were quick to obey this command

There is an emphasis on the obedience of the Israelites in this matter in verse 4. It says The Israelites did this; they sent them outside the camp. They did just as the LORD had instructed Moses. It would have been enough perhaps to have said The Israelites did this; or if that was not clear to say The Israelites did this; they sent them outside the camp. But it is They did this; they sent them outside the camp. They did just as the LORD had instructed Moses.

Again they are an example to us of prompt and thorough obedience.

4. Learn to avoid all that offends God

Although the concept of ceremonial uncleanness has been done away with in Christ there are still things to learn here. We need to remember that God is with us and he expects us to be holy. We need to get rid of anything in our lives then that is going to lead us into sin. We need to look at our lives and consider how we live.

Is there anything in my life that is making it more likely for me to sin or for me to lead others into sin. What about the job I do? What about studying and the way I go about it – is that leading me into sin in some way? The sort of work or study it is, the hours it takes, the sort of people it brings me into contact with? What about my patterns of rest and sleep? Am I going to bed too late? Am I getting up too late? Am I taking time to relax? And what about my leisure time? Is there too much TV or the wrong sort of TV? What about what I read or how I use the computer? How am I using the Lord's Day? Am I getting the most out of it? We absolutely must get rid of anything that is likely to lead us into sin or to offend God or that will lead others into sin.

Of course, a Christian cannot see the phrase outside the camp without thinking of the point that the writer to the Hebrews makes – that it was outside the city gate that Christ died. Under the curse of God he was crucified outside the camp. He says, therefore, Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. This is to apply the idea in a different way – outside the camp is the place of shame and disgrace. It is not where the world thinks it is at – but this is the place to be.

2. Hear God's words on what to do when you sin against another and learn to deal with sin

The second section here repeats a law found in Leviticus 6 but with some elaboration. There are three things to say

1. Listen to God's words about wronging another here

There are three things under this first heading.

1 Recognise that we sometimes wrong each other

In verses 5 and 6a it begins The LORD said to Moses, Say to the Israelites When a man or woman wrongs another in any way. In fact it could be more general than that. It could be “When a man or woman does wrong as men do in any way”. Whichever way we take it the subject is sin and probably it is the sin of stealing that is chiefly in mind. We are reminded that although we are not subject to ceremonial uncleanness in the way people once were we are still able to sin as they were able to do then. If it was easy to be ceremonial unclean – just touch a dead body or have some bodily discharge – so it is always easy to fall into sin. We should not but how often we do. Such sin must be dealt with.

2 Realise that is unfaithfulness to the Lord

When we sin it is not just against others and against ourselves but as it says here when someone sins they are thus unfaithful to the LORD. It is unfaithfulness to the Lord for those who are bound to him in covenant especially are failing him when they sin. They are being unfaithful. When we sin then we must see this dimension – it is also against God.

3 Understand that such sins incur guilt

It says of such a person that person is guilty. We cannot say “well, we all sin, it is just one of those things”. No, we must see that we incur guilt when we sin. We are guilty. Our consciences testify against us. We are not innocent.

Do you see that? Because you have sinned you are guilty. You know that you deserve punishment.

2. Notice what is to be done in such a situation and how that applies to us today

The second thing is about what the guilty must do. There are at least two things here.

1 There must be confession

7a and must confess the sin he has committed. You have to own up. Even if no-one else knows you are guilty you have to confess. You have to acknowledge that you have sinned.

When you sin do you confess it? Do you own up. I don't think this means that we have to tell everyone everything we have ever done wrong but it does mean we cannot deny our sin and must be frank about our guilt.

2 There must be restitution and more

More than that He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged. We are used to hearing about guilt and confession but we hear a lot less about restitution and potting things right. It is not enough just to confess sin we need to do something to put things right. So if you steal something you must give it back and more, if you are unkind in some way then you must make it up to the person and more. There must be restitution and compensation. Under the law this is set down as 20% extra. We are no longer under such a law but we must do something to put things right. You have upset someone – you must help put that right, you have been guilty of adultery, say, you must not only confess your sin but somehow try to pay back the one you have wronged.

3. Consider what to do when restitution cannot be made

In verse 8 a situation is envisaged where restitution cannot be made – either because that person is dead or perhaps because they are in some position where they cannot easily receive a gift (in slavery say). But if that person has no close relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, it says, the restitution belongs to the LORD and must be given to the priest, along with the ram with which atonement is made for him. A sacrifice must be made anyway but in addition something is to be given to the Levitical priest. Verse 9 and 10 add that All the sacred contributions the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him. Each man's sacred gifts are his own, but what he gives to the priest will belong to the priest. That is not of so much interest to us as the Levitical priesthood has been superseded with the coming of Christ. The principle still stands, however, that where we cannot make restitution to an individual we can still make it to God quite apart from our need to trust in the sacrifice of Christ for forgiveness.

So whereas in many cases restitution can be made to a person – the parents you disobeyed (if they are still living), if still living - the person you stole from, the child man may have abused, the person you lied to, where that person is no longer alive or you have no contact with them you can nevertheless pay it back to the Lord as it were. So say a man looks at pornography. He is unlikely to be able to find those people an make restitution to them but he can do it to the Lord. If he has been lazy, say, and there is no-one in particular that has harmed he can nevertheless make restitution in Christ to God.

Here is something to think about then. Am I guilty of a sin? If so, confess it to God and, where appropriate, before others. Don't stop there, where you can, make it up to those you have sinned against and more. If it is not so much individuals who you have direct contact with then do it to the Lord by giving to him – time, energy, money, etc.

So we are saying firstly that we must keep out of our lives all that is displeasing to God. When we do sin we must not only confess it and trust in Christ's sacrifice on the cross for forgiveness but we must also make some effort to make restitution and do some more – if we cannot make it up to individuals we can at least do it before God.