Okay, how's that?
Well has this loads up. I'm going to wish our mother's happy mother's day.
And.
Happy Mother's day. There's a picture of me with my mom.
I think it was 1,984. And this is in India.
The one time I went to India, and I didn't have any weight to lose, but I did lose weight, and so there's my mom and my Wisconsin mom, Ruth.
That was, I had a 2019, maybe. Ruth gave a, gave a little talk at a synagogue in brown deer.
So. Thank you, mothers, I have a verse, Isaiah 66, 13, as one whom his mother comforts.
So I will come, comfort you, and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
I was just thinking, you know, moms provide comfort, and I'm thankful for my mum and for Ruth, and thankful for all the moms here, Caroline, taking care of my kids and driving to school and doing lots of things.
Thanks thanks to all of you, it's great to be a part of the chapel fellowship.
So my title of my message is, will you answer God's call?
Call, spread.
I want you to consider. God's call comes to all of us, and there's really 2 parts to God's call.
He wants us to accomplish something for him. He wants to use us, but he also wants us to see his Son, and know that we cannot progress or serve Him without knowing, loving, and accepting his Son, and what He's done on our behalf, so will you answer God's call.
So I've got a few verses in numbers chapter 10.
If you would like to look at them. I've got them right here on the screen as well, and numbers chapter 10.
Starting in verse 29.
And a little introduction is that Moses and the children of Israel are in a state of transition.
They are about to move into the wilderness on a journey to the Promised land, and Moses speaks to a man named Hobab, and it's his brother-in-law.
And he's speaking to him about going on this journey.
So let's let's read now in numbers 1029, says.
Now, Moses said to Hobab, the son of Ruuel the Midianite, Moses, father-in-law, we are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, I will give it to you.
Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.
I highlighted. Come with us. This is the invitation.
The next verse, verse 30, says, and he, and that being Hobab, he said to him, I will not go, but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives.
That's the rejection. The invitation was given, and it was rejected.
Moses doesn't give up, though verse 31 says so, Moses said, please do not leave in as much as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.
This to me is the work. He made an invitation to Hobab, and then he's also telling him you're going to have a purpose.
You'll have a job. You can be. Our eyes.
Verse, and it shall be if you go with us.
Indeed, it shall be that whatever good the Lord will do to us, the same we will do to you.
That's the benefits. He got the invitation. He rejected it.
He was given a work, and he's given the benefits.
Moses is saying the same thing, he really said in the previous verse, in the previous verse 29, he said, we'll treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel, and he essentially repeats that whatever good that lowered will do to us.
The same we will do to you.
There's not a whole lot known about Hobab.
There is a few things known about him, and they are pretty much disputed.
So!
Hobb is, is the brother-in-law of Moses.
Possibly some might say that it was another name for Ruell or Jethro, as if he needed another name.
Hobab, and I don't know. Maybe that was a pet name or something.
It's in dispute. Scholars will debate that.
But if we assume it was the brother-in-law of Moses, he he knows him.
He's relative, his wife's brother Moses wanted to bring people along.
On his trip that he could trust. You know, Hobb Bab, you could say he was of a good lineage.
His father grew. Well is the is said to be the priest of Midian.
Jethro, the priest of Midian, and that's nothing to sneeze at.
So the son son of this man? You might. You might say that he's a prince.
Maybe the name Hobab sounds weird, but it it means favoured or beloved.
So 2 other things about Hobb that are also in dispute.
He's he's a Midianite or from Midian, and then he's a Kenite.
Let's talk a little bit about Midian. Midian would be.
Let's see see if I can show it. Well, I'll just point to it.
It's at the bottom right here, Midian, and you can see that, Moses went on.
Some journeys, and when he left Egypt after he killed a Egyptian man, he ended up in Midian, and that's where he met his wife, A.
Zaporo, and he was fleeing Egypt, and found refuge in the land of Median.
Also I wanted to mention that Abraham took a wife.
A concubine Catura, and from her came the sun. Midian.
So that's where the lineage comes from.
And Midian, the land of Midian is to the south.
There!
So Moses went to Midian, and he was fleeing, and in Exodus, chapter 2, it says that the priest of Midian had 7 daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water.
Their father's flock, and the shepherds came and drove them away.
But Moses stood up and helped them, and watered the flock, and that is how he came to meet the daughters of Midian.
The daughters of Sorry Ruell, the priest, I mean Midian, and that's how he came to meet Zapora and became the son-in-law to Ruuell.
Other things happened in Midian while Moses was there.
He did receive his calling. Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro's father-in-law, the priest and Median Median, and the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bush, and the Lord said go return to
Egypt.
You know. The Midianites also were in league with of Balaam.
So the elders of Midian were there with Balak of Moab, and they were in Ligue.
With this bailam? Who who Balak wanted to curse.
Israel, but Balaam wouldn't. But in the end Balaam did a do other things that were in a way much worse.
So the Midianites are a friend to Moses, but the Midianites have been an enemy of Israel.
Gideon slew the Midians in the battle where their kings were killed and their princes, and there was a glorious victory for Israel.
So what's a Kenite?
Can I? We talked about the Midianites. We talked about Midian.
Midian would be more like the area or the place, and the Kenite would be more like the tribe or the lineage.
So the Kenites were those that dwelled like nomads in the wilderness and the desert.
And this would be one of the reasons why Moses wanted Hobab to join him on the journey, because he did know the wilderness, or that's what we suspect. And the Kenites were this tribal people.
Some people say that these terms are synonymous, so some would say that the Midianites and the Kenites are the same thing.
So again. It's confusing. We don't know whether Hobab's ruelle or not.
We don't know whether Kennites and Midianites are the same or not.
But they are certainly of the same area. And there's also some that were friendly to the Israelites, and others that weren't so.
It wasn't a blanket statement to say that is, was treated poorly by all Midianites, when some they knew well.
So a Kenite is mentioned in judges. Heber, the Kenite, and his wife is probably more famous, and it's hard to say Yale J. A.
E. L. The wife of Heber, the Kenai was the one that put that tent peg.
See, she's holding a hammer there, put that tent peg through the temple of Barrack so she's known as Yale, and her husband is.
Can I? So there's just a little connection there.
So another thing in first, Samuel, right before Samuel rebuked, saw, and the the kingdom was no longer his right.
Before that in first Samuel 15. It says, Saul said to the Kenites, Go to part, get down from among the Amalekites, that people that he was going to destroy, lest I destroy you with them, for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt, so the
Kenites did depart from among the Malachites, so they were not part of that slaughter, and is probably more famous that Saul did not kill the king, and he left the choice choice cattle and sheep, and the Lord had said to destroy everything.
So everybody wants to know where they're from, who they are.
Ancestry com will track down who your relatives are.
We all want to know, hey? I was related to this this famous person, or I'm royalty, or whatever, and that's kind of what I'm getting at with this whole Midian and Kenite.
He was not of Israel. Hobab was not of Israel.
And you know we want to know what countries maybe we came from or what's our heritage?
23, and me. You can get your lineage all spelled out through your DNA.
But the important thing here is to know that when we apply it to to us, I want us just to consider something that when we consider our calling, that it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter if you're from you know Chicago, it doesn't matter.
If you're from India, it doesn't matter where you're from.
It doesn't matter who your parents are. It doesn't matter who what you're great.
Great grandfather did. It says in Romans, 1012, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord overall is rich to all who call upon him, so God is calling you.
Don't worry about your lineage, your heritage, good or bad, you make the decision for what God wants you to do, and that is to trust Christ.
So back to the invitation. We're talking about the invitation.
You know we talked about Hobab's background, and that he's not someone that that really is part of Israel. But he received the invitation.
Some of you might know who this is. I was watching an interview, and this man received an invitation.
He received an invitation to be at the coronation, and he was interviewed, and this man his name is Rees Mallows.
He provided everyone in England with hand sanitizer.
He owned a bottling company. I think it was in Ireland, a bottling company, and he changed it into a hand sanitizer facility during Covid.
So because of that, he was interviewed, and because he received an invitation.
You know. I think we're all pretty impressed by that, you know.
Receiving this invitation is not a lot of people receive this invitation right, and even he didn't know what to do.
He received some random email. And he just thought it was a big joke.
So and it turned out to be real. And you know, what did he do to deserve this?
He! He! He didn't ask for it. He received it, but he he did do something that they thought was worth inviting him.
There's many other examples in the Bible of those that were invited that aren't of Israel.
This is Rahab, and in Joshua she she housed 2 of the the scouts of Israel that were looking at the land, and she hid them, and she herself, new.
That she wanted to be part of Israel, and she took in these men, and she had them promise that her and her family would be safe, and they could go with her when they took over Jericho.
Ruth is also a big example, and you know it says that roof wouldn't leave her mother-in-law, even though her sister in law, Orpa didn't want to stay, and she went with Ruth she went with Naomi back to the promised land.
And in Matthew, chapter one, and verse 5, it says that Salman begot Boaz by Rahab and Boaz we got Obed by Ruth.
So these 2 ladies were accepted.
John, chapter John, chapter one, and verse 12, says, but as many as received him.
To them he gave the power to become the sons of God, or the children of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor are the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but God.
Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer, and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
So as you look at these people that have been called Hobab, Rahab, and other Ruth and others, you know.
What are you to do with your call? God wants you to accept Christ into your heart, and it's through the forgiveness of sins that He's secured, that you can be in heaven's glory.
John 3, 7, says, do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again.
You are brought into the family of God, and you are a new creation.
Nothing of your past, nothing of your heritage can bog you down, or you can have pride in it goes both ways, and being born again, is being into, born into Christ's family.
So the rejection Hobb rejected Moses, he said, I won't go.
There's a story, a parable of 2 sons, and the man said to his sons, and he said, Son, go work today in my vineyard, and this is in Matthew, chapter 21.
By the way, and he answered and said, I will not. But afterwards he regretted it, and went.
He came to his second son, and said likewise, and he answered and said, I go, sir, but he didn't go.
And you know this is, we don't know what happened to Hobb.
We do know that Christ was talking to the Pharisees, and those that show an appearance of being obedient to the call.
But they don't actually obey the call. There's nothing that you can do in your life to show that you're morally better than others that will bring you into a relationship with Christ.
Outward appearances won't do it. You have to except and believe.
The rich young man. The rich young men approached the Lord Jesus, and wanted to know the way of salvation.
But in reality he did not want to give up what he held dear.
And the sad truth is, he had too much that he loved, that he couldn't love more, and God wants us to put God in the right place in our hearts.
So the work Moses offered Hobaba a job too.
It wasn't just. Hey! Come with us, he said. You know you're going to be our eyes.
He's going to be our scout. He's going to help us.
And even this is a little bit debated in this passage.
Some would say that Moses should not have had him as a guide.
He had God as a guide, and some would say, this was a mistake by Moses, but there's also a group that say, well, it could have been the right thing to do to bring Hobab in as practical help, so there's 2 sides to that but what I like to look at this
passage in what I see it. I'd just like to think that God does have a purpose for us.
He isn't just bringing us into his family, and we twiddle our thumbs.
He has a work for us.
And it's the body of Christ that we get to join.
And our work is useful. And it's helpful for the other members in the body, it says, First Corinthians, 12.
Now you're the body of Christ, and members individually.
The body of Christ, a. Each of our talents, each of our gifts are useful, and they work in conjunction with the other gifts.
Sometimes we think that our gift is, you know, not as good as somebody else's, not as useful, but God doesn't see it that way.
What he wants is your dedication in your effort in your time.
The benefits. So what you know what's in it for me, I guess, is what what we would say, or at least we think what is in it for me.
But God has really provided that as well.
You know, when I think of things that we receive when we're in Christ, there's 2.
There's 2 spheres I think of. One is here, and now and then one.
He's after death in eternity, and here and now we have many benefits, and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those are are called according to his purpose.
God wants us to have fulfillment in what He's giving us to do.
He wants us to to know that what he's tasked us to do will bring us fulfillment, and also he has a plan.
Sometimes we can't see it now, but these things work together for good.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable in first creations.
15. What if all we had was what we did here on this earth?
That would be sad, and Paul knew that.
So in first Thessalonians 4, we read, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God and the debt in Christ will rise first then we who are alive, and remain shall be caught up together in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words, your work will be rewarded, and there will be a comfort, knowing that we have something to look forward to.
That's even more fulfilling.
In my father's house, or many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you.
I'd go to prepare a place for you. He's preparing something special for us, and it's something we can't even imagine.
But because he's God, I trust that this will be beyond our hopes and dreams.
So to wrap things up. What happened to Hobbad?
Not really sure there's some will say that because Kenites are mentioned later, that that proves that Hobab did finally accept the invitation and go with Israel.
Some will say that. Well, just because this Kenai was there doesn't mean Hobab really did, except the invitation.
So, it's an unknown, that's what fascinated me about this passage.
To begin with, and his name really so. But what does that mean to us?
What it means to me is that.
Second. Peter, 1, 10, says, therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure.
So, for if you do these things you will never stumble.
What does that mean? It means you can, once you are saved, you can have assurance that what you're doing that shows other people that you are.
Christ is the proof that you yourself are putting your best effort forward to love God and obey Him.
It's as simple as that. We don't know what happened to Hovb, but we don't have to.
Take a look at yourself. First of all, have you accepted Christ?
He died for your sins. And he rose again, and he conquered death, that in that death and resurrection you can be raised, and in believing that you are saved.
And what does God then want you to do? That's the other aspect of this.
What is he calling you to do he's called you to salvation, but he's also called you for his purposes.
Are you open to follow his purposes? Let's pray, Heavenly Father, thank you for the invitation that you've offered to all.
And this invitation is from your son, the Lord Jesus. And this invitation came at a great cost to the Lord Jesus.
His suffering on the cross for those hours of darkness where He where the Father laid the sins of the world on him, and He paid this terrible price for us, and he's inviting us.
Will we reject him? Or will we accept that free gift and the benefits that come with it?
And we're just praying for those that don't know.
The Lord Jesus says, their Savior, that they might come to know him.
And no abundant life, and the promises that are waiting for us, and those that have been born again.
May we put in the effort and time to show gratitude to our Lord and Savior, and we I just want to ask a blessing for all the mothers here today and foreign wide that we can honor them as they've comforted us over the years, and we pray all these things and name the Lord
Jesus Christ. Amen.
We're dismissed, Jim, you've got one song, Ok.