Numbers 14:39-15:41; Presumption and Promise ~ 20260322 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org
2026 03/22 Numbers 14:39-15:41; Presumption and Promise; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20260322_numbers-14_39-15_41.mp3
Rejecting God and His Promises
We’re looking at the end of Numbers 14 and chapter 15. In 13, ten of the spies sent out to assess the land returned an evil report; they said:
Numbers 13:31 ...“We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32 ...“The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
Numbers 14:1 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
They even attempted to execute Joshua and Caleb, who brought a good report and encouraged the people to courageous obedience. The Lord was angry.
Numbers 14:11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
Moses interceded for the people, asking the Lord to forgive their iniquity, and the Lord answered his prayers. He has pardoned, but there are consequences for rebellion. That generation who preferred to die in the wilderness rather than enter the land would get their request. Their children, who they feared would be taken captive, would live to capture the land. The ten who brought the evil report and caused the whole congregation to grumble, died immediately before the Lord.
The consequences for the rest? “But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness” (Nu.14:32) over the next 40 years.
Godly Sorrow or Worldly Grief?
How did the people respond?
Numbers 14:39 When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 40 And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned.”
This is great, right? Finally the people are grieved and confess their sins. Finally they choose to obey. Moses doesn’t seem to think so.
What is going on here? Isn’t their mourning, their acknowledgment of sin good? Not always. The people were practiced at crying, wailing to get their way.
In Genesis 25, Esau despised his birthright; he traded it for a single meal because he was hungry. Hebrews comments:
Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; … 16 that no one is ...unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.
Esau sought the blessing; he treasured the gift more than the Giver. Tears can indicate true repentance, true turning back to God, or tears can be tears of regret, selfish tears because of a loss of something desired.
Paul makes a distinction in 2 Corinthians 7 between godly grief that brings repentance and leads to salvation without regret, and worldly grief that produces death.
It was clear to Moses that this was of the worldly variety.
Numbers 14:41 But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will not succeed? 42 Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. 43 For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.”
After you refused to follow God into battle, do you think he will follow you? The Lord had already said:
Numbers 14:25 Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”
They were not turning back to God, back to his guidance and leadership. They were grasping at the promise they had forfeited through their unbelief in God, but they were seeking to take hold of it in their own strength. They didn’t return to God; they attempted to gain God’s promises without God, through their own efforts. This is not courage, it is foolhardy pride, and further transgression. Delayed obedience is disobedience. When the Lord says go, they refuse; when the Lord says do not go, they say ‘now we will go up.’
Presumptuous Sin
Numbers 14:44 But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.
Hormah means destruction; it may have got its name from this event. Because of their arrogant rebellion they became as something devoted to destruction.
Moses Established, Covenant Confirmed
After all this, chapter 15 comes as a complete shock.
Numbers 15:1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you, 3 and you offer to the LORD from the herd or from the flock a food offering or a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering or at your appointed feasts, to make a pleasing aroma to the LORD, 4 then he who brings his offering shall offer to the LORD a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil; 5 and you shall offer with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, a quarter of a hin of wine for the drink offering for each lamb.
Leviticus and Numbers are punctuated with this phrase “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying”. Here, after blatant rebellion, the Lord gives instructions for offering grain, oil and wine along with their sacrifices, sacrifices for unintentional sins, and tassels on garments. What is going on here? This seems so abrupt and disconnected that some conjecture a later editor haphazard assembling scraps of texts.
But listen carefully to what God says here:
Numbers 15:1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you,
The people rejected the land, rebelled against God, rejected Moses and chose to go back to Egypt. God wanted to wipe them all out and start over. Moses prayed and God forgave, but said those who rebelled would fall in the wilderness but to their children he would give the land. Now he speaks again through Moses, establishing him as leader, and gives instructions for ‘when you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you’, affirming that he will make good on his promises to this next generation. This is grace, this is not what they deserve.
What he says is not for the next 40 years of wandering in the wilderness; it is contingent on being in the promised land,
Deuteronomy 6:10 “And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant— ...
They were pasturing their flocks and herds in the wilderness, and the Lord was providing them with bread from heaven to eat. But now he is commanding fine flour mixed with olive oil, and wine to accompany their offerings in proportion to the meat they offer. This will require fields and olive groves and vineyards. This would have been a rare commodity in the wilderness, but seeing the cluster of grapes carried by two men, God’s promised land could easily sustain it.
Invitation to Fellowship
But this is even bigger than that. Some of the offerings listed were whole burnt offerings where the animal was entirely consumed in fire and went up in smoke to the Lord. But some of these offerings were meant to be a shared meal in the presence of the Lord, where some of the animal went up in smoke to the Lord, some was consumed by the priests, and some by the worshiper. God is inviting the children of this wayward people into fellowship with him, inviting them to enter his courtyards and feast with him on the good things he gives them, with bread and oil and wine.
Verses 3-5 specify 1.5 liters of flour, 0.5 liter of oil and 0.5 liter of wine to accompany every lamb. Verses 6-7 increase the quantities to 3 liters of flour, 0.8 liters of oil and 0.8 liters of wine for a ram. For a bull verses 8-10 require 4.5 liters of flour, 1 liter of oil and 1 liter of wine.
Numbers 15:11 “Thus it shall be done for each bull or ram, or for each lamb or young goat. 12 As many as you offer, so shall you do with each one, as many as there are. 13 Every native Israelite shall do these things in this way, in offering a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 14 And if a stranger is sojourning with you, or anyone is living permanently among you, and he wishes to offer a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD, he shall do as you do. 15 For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the LORD. 16 One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.”
Verses 13-16 make clear that this applies not only to the native Israelite now living in the land, but equally to the stranger who is sojourning with you who wishes to offer offerings to YHWH. God welcomes all from every ethnicity, from every background to join his people in worship and fellowship in his courts. The Lord is welcoming the nations!
Firstfruits; Remember Who Gave It To You
Numbers 15:17 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land to which I bring you 19 and when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall present a contribution to the LORD. 20 Of the first of your dough you shall present a loaf as a contribution; like a contribution from the threshing floor, so shall you present it. 21 Some of the first of your dough you shall give to the LORD as a contribution throughout your generations.
Here it is again; ‘when you come into the land to which I bring you’. The Lord is giving them the land, and of the produce of the land, he asks them to give back to him a portion, not because he needs it, but because they need to remember where it came from and to whom it all belongs.
Forgiveness for Unintentional Sins
Numbers 15:22 “But if you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses, 23 all that the LORD has commanded you by Moses, from the day that the LORD gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations,
There is such a thing as unintentional sins; did you know that? Sins of ignorance; I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to do that; or neglect; I didn’t know I was supposed to do that. Mistakes; I didn’t mean to do that, but I did, are all still sins. They violate God’s holy standards, and appropriate sacrifices are proscribed, whether it is a sin of the entire congregation (v.24-26) or an individual (v.27-29). When they come to realize their sin, and they make the appropriate sacrifices, ‘they shall be forgiven’ (v.25,26,28)
Death for High Handed Sins
Numbers 15:30 But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the LORD and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.”
There is a sin for which there was no sacrifice. It is a high-handed sin, committed in full knowledge of God’s law. It insults the Lord, despises his word, and willfully violates his commands. This is a sin of knowing rebellion, and it deserves death.
A Covenant Breaker Executed
Numbers 15:32 While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. 35 And the LORD said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Wow, this shocks our modern sensibilities. Public execution for picking up sticks? In Exodus 31, God gave to Israel the Sabbath rest as a sign between God and his people, and stated there the death penalty for violators. Remember, God set his people free from hard slavery. He was not saying, I demand this much work or you will die; ‘but I just can’t get it all done!’ No, he was inviting them into his rest. And a double portion of manna came from heaven every Friday, to remind them that they were abundantly supplied, so they could really rest on the Sabbath. This was an example, not of an unintentional sin, but a flagrant, public, shaking the fist at God overt violation of his command, insulting the Lord and despising his word.
There was no sacrifice a sinner could make that would cover this kind of rebellious, willful sin. And that’s where we all live. All we like sheep have gone astray (Is.53:6). We have rejected his way and gone our own way. And there’s nothing we can offer that will cover it. The wages of our sin is death (Rom.6:23). God himself had to make a way. The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. Jesus took my place, paid my price, so even my rebellion could be taken away.
Tassels with Blue; Remember Whose You Are
Numbers 15:37 The LORD said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. 39 And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. 40 So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.
Make tassels with a cord of blue. Blue dye was extraordinarily expensive, and pointed to royalty and divinity. The veil of the tabernacle and its gate were woven of blue and purple and scarlet. The robe of the high priest was made all of blue, and a cord of blue fastened the gold plate engraved with ‘Holy to YHWH’ to his head (Ex.28:31,37). This was to be a visible reminder that every Israelite was set apart to belong the Lord as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex.19:5-6). Remember whose you are!
This chapter closes with an affirmation to this next generation:
Numbers 15:41 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”
More than just ‘to give you the land’; but ‘to be your God’, the I AM.
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2026.03.22 Sermon Notes
Numbers 14:39-15:41; Presumption and Promise
They rejected God and His promises
Numbers 13:31-14:4
Godly sorrow or worldly grief; do you treasure the gift more than the Giver?
Numbers 14:39-43; Hebrews 12:15-17; 2 Corinthians 7:8-10
Presumptuous sin
Numbers 14:44-45; 15:30-36
When you come into the land which I am giving you
Numbers 15:1-2, 17-18; Deuteronomy 6:10-11
-an invitation to fellowship
Numbers 15:1-16
-firstfruits; remember who gave it to you
Numbers 15:17-21
-forgiveness for unintentional sins
Numbers 15:22-29
-death for high-handed sins
Numbers 15:30-36; Exodus 31:13-16; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 6:23
-tassels with blue; remember whose you are
Numbers 15:37-41; Exodus 28:31, 37; Exodus 19:5-6
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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org