Come With Us

Thank the Lord for how this is worded. It actually happened long ago, and it’s getting ready to happen again for the saved.

Come go with us.  If you’re not ready to leave, the invitation is out. The reason the Lord has not come back yet is the Father has not given the command. That is due to his mercy and grace.  The day will come when he says it’s time.  The dead in Christ and those who are alive at that time will go meet him.  Everyone who is not ready still has the chance to join the number of those who are born again and part of the people of God.  Every day that the Lord doesn’t come is another opportunity to get ready.

Numbers 10: ²⁸ Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward. ²⁹ And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel. ³⁰ And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred. ³¹ And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes. ³² And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee. ³³ And they departed from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.

Come, go with us.  We see from verses 11 and 12 that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.  And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.  After the children of Israel left Egypt and while they were in the wilderness at Mount Sinai, God came to the mountain.  The atmosphere formed a protective cloud for the people.  There was so much lightening and thundering that the people were afraid. There were glowing dark clouds that boomed the glory of God. What a coming of God to his people!

As Christians we have been saved out of Egypt and live in the wilderness of this world that is geared against us.  The devil wants to stop our journey, but I’m thankful for the Mount Sinai experiences that we can have and know the blessings of God.  The wilderness of Sinai was not the permanent home, and I’m glad this world is not our home.  That’s why we age.  The time will come when we leave.  God has prepared a land of beauty and wonder beyond our imagination.  He redeemed his people from Egypt through the blood of a lamb. The blood of The Lamb is how we were redeemed from sin.  When we opened our hearts to him, he delivered us.

God had a destination in mind for Israel all along inside the Promised Land.  We have a matchless destination planned for us.  The best experience we’ve ever had with the Lord won’t compare with one moment in heaven. There will be no more conflicts, no more Adam nature to deal with.  It is real!  The children of Israel had never seen the land of promise, yet it existed.  Heaven is just as real.  We don’t have to see it to believe it.  We have the promise of God.  Jesus said I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

When God left Mount Sinai, the mountain became just another mountain.  Thank God for what he’s done in the past.  The past is not our destination.  We must go forward and set our mind to move toward our destination and finish the journey.  God has never left us alone.  He’s been a faithful God.  Never entertain the thought that God will forsake you.  The closer Israel got to the Promised Land, the fiercer the enemies were. They still made it.  The times may be challenging for us, but we can make it by the leadership of God and with his companionship.  The enemy was formidable, but God said move forward.  Between now and when the trumpet sounds it is no telling how hard it will get.  What he said to Israel stands today.  Don’t turn around. Set your face in a forward direction.  His presence is with us.  Following the Bible will get us to heaven.  When the night creeps into your soul and your faith gets dim, set your eyes and move forward.  Jesus will be the light in the darkness.  When the children of Israel followed the Lord, they did fine.

Moses looked at his in-laws and asked them to come with them.  God was giving them a land.  Verse 29 shows us the individuality of it.  I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good.  You’re a person in the eyes of God.  God gave his Son.  His blood was shed for you and me as individuals.  When we called upon the Lord, we were saved.  Together we are in a leading mode.  One day we’ll sever ourselves from these bodies, these clothes, and all our problems.  The fine things we know here will line the walls and streets of heaven.  They are mere building materials for God.

If you’ve not joined the number leaving out, you can still be part of it.  God prepared heaven for us.  In order to make it there, you have to let go of this life and turn to the Lord.  Moses’ in-laws would never taste the Promised Land if they didn’t go with him.  You’ll never see heaven if you don’t turn it over to Jesus.  We’ll leave this life; we must be in a continual state of leaving the world behind.  In order to get home church you can’t keep circling the parking lot and expect to get home.  You have to leave the parking lot.  You cannot stay where you are spiritually and make it to heaven.  You gotta move!

Hobab didn’t want to leave his land.  The Promised Land wasn’t coming to him.  He had to go to it.  To be a Christian, I had to do it God’s way.  I had to be born again.  Moses told him they’d have it good together.  Enjoy the trip getting there.  Between now and heaven can be good.  Look at the miracles Israel would have missed if they had not gone on their journey.  They would have missed the witness of the power of God time after time.  We have such a witness.  When the devil turns up the heat on us, the Lord will cool us down.  Victory is ours until the trumpet sounds.

Come go with us.  We can do one another good.  I want everyone to go to heaven with me.  If you’re like Hobab and haven’t made up your mind, do so now.  You need to get in leaving mode.  Accept Jesus as Savior and set out on your journey.  Take a step toward Jesus and start moving forward.