LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE WILDERNESS
Lessons from the Wilderness
Exodus 24:1–7 (ESV)
Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”
3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”
1 Corinthians 11:23–28 (NIV):
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup
CHANGE:
make (someone or something) different; alter or modify.
replace (something) with something else, especially something of the same kind that is newer or better; substitute one thing for (another).
Lessons from the Wilderness
1. MARK THE ENDING.
Exodus 15:1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider1 he has thrown into the sea.
2. DEAL WITH THE “MURMURING.”
Philippians 2:14-16
14 Do everything without murmuring or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
3. GIVE PEOPLE ACCESS TO DECISION MAKERS.
Exodus 24:1 (ESV)
Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar.
4. CAPITALIZE ON THE CREATIVE OPPORTUNITY OF THE WILDERNESS.
5. RESIST THE URGE TO RUSH AHEAD.
EXODUS 32:1
When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” 2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.”
6. UNDERSTAND THAT “WILDERNESS LEADERSHIP” IS SPECIAL.
ESTHER 4:14
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
APPLICATION:
WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYING TO YOU?
WHICH OF THESE SIX PRINCIPLES SPEAKS TO YOU?
HOW CAN YOU APPLY AT LEAST ONE PRINCIPLE TO YOUR LIFE AND LEADERSHIP THIS WEEK?