Preaching the Word: Numbers—God's Presence in the Wilderness

by Iain M. Duguid

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2006

Overview

Like the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness, Christians today are in the midst of a journey between events of deepest significance—the death of Christ that was the exodus from bondage to sin and death and Jesus' second coming to usher his children into the true and final promised land as a glorious destination to the journey. Author Iain Duguid seeks to aid both pastors and laypeople on this journey by explaining the profundities of the biblical text, especially its less transparent portions, and communicating the lasting message of God’s devotion to those who follow him in faith.

The book of Numbers tells the story of the events occurring in the years between the nation of Israel’s exodus from Egypt and their entrance into the Promised Land. The lives of two generations are recorded: the first lacking in faith and receiving their just punishment from God and the second believing the Word of God and so entering into their inheritance as his children.

Like those generations of Israelites, Christians today are in the midst of a journey between events of deepest significance—the death of Christ that was the exodus from bondage to sin and death and Jesus’ second coming to usher his children into the true and final promised land as a glorious destination to the journey. Author Iain Duguid seeks to aid both pastors and laypeople on this journey by explaining the profundities of the biblical text, especially its less transparent portions, and communicating the lasting message of God’s devotion to those who follow him in faith.

Contents

Top Highlights

“The goal of their mission was not to decide whether entering the land was possible or desirable: the Lord had already reminded Israel that this was the land he was giving to them (13:1). All they had to do was receive it as a gift. Nonetheless, any major military undertaking requires good intelligence so that the best strategy can be evaluated. God’s promise did not eliminate the need for responsible action.” (Page 168)

“How could these two groups come up with such different assessments of the same facts? The answer is not hard to find. The majority completely left God out of the equation. They described the land they toured as ‘the land to which you [Moses] sent us’ (13:27), not ‘the land the Lord is giving us’ (compare 13:2).” (Page 170)

“He didn’t contest the powerful nature of the inhabitants of the land; yet the defining ‘but’ in his report was not the size of the opposition but the presence or absence of God’s favor.” (Page 169)

“This is the heart of blessing: to have the Lord delight in us so much that it is as if his face shines whenever he sees us. Blessing is not just that our faces shine when we look at the beauties of God, but that he delights to turn his face toward us and look at us. Blessing is our heavenly Father’s face beaming as he looks upon us. Can you imagine God delighting in you in this way?” (Page 90)

“The story of the book of Numbers is written to a people whose lives are lived between the accomplishing of their redemption and its consummation, between the exodus and the Promised Land.” (Page 19)

Product Details

• Title: Numbers: God's Presence in the Wilderness
• Author: Iain M. Duguid
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2006
• Pages: 371

About Iain M. Duguid

Rev. Dr. Iain Duguid (PhD, Cambridge) is professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Duguid’s academic interests include various topics of Old Testament theology. His doctoral research was on Ezekiel, which was published in the Supplements to Vetus Testamentum series, and he remains part of the small but lively group of scholars around the world interested in the theology of that prophet. He has also published scholarly work on Esther, Nehemiah, the Song of Songs, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi as well as more popular treatments of the patriarchs, Esther, and Daniel. Current research projects include Judges, the biblical theology of worship, and preaching Christ from the different genres of the Old Testament. As part of the oversight committee for the Holman Christian Standard Bible, he engages in regular discussions about best practices in Bible translation. He has also contributed to many study Bibles.