Numbers
chapter 14 is the moment of decision for the nation of Israel. Will
they believe God’s promise, or will they believe the doubters? Each
of us has a similar moment of decision to make regarding God’s
promise to us. Similarly we have many doubters who don’t want us to
take that step of faith to accept Jesus Christ as Lord. The chapter
begins, “All
the nation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron… If only we
had died in Egypt… We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
Look at Moses’ reaction, “Then
Moses and Aaron fell down on their faces in front of the whole
assembly“.
They realized the seriousness of rejecting God! After Joshua and
Caleb cry out, “Do
not rebel against the Lord… The Lord is with us.”
the whole assembly “talked
about stoning them“.
This is so often the case with us today when we are on the verge of
restoration. Our friends and perhaps even family throw doubts at us;
“That’s
a little radical isn’t it?”
They get angry when we reject sin for redemption and sometimes lash
out at us. If you take a stand for Christ, be prepared for a
backlash.
God
takes it very personally when the people reject Him. “I
will strike them down with a plague and destroy them.”
He makes an offer to Moses to become the new patriarch, “I
will make you into a nation greater than them“.
Moses to his credit intercedes for the people by reminding God of
His
reputation
and His
promise
to Abraham. Moses reminds all that would hear of God’s nature, “The
Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and
rebellion. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished.”
Moses pleads for his people; “In
accordance with Your great love, forgive the sin of these people“.
Wonderfully God answers Moses’ prayer; “I
will forgive them as you asked“.
But not without consequence, “Not
one of them will see the land I promised in an oath to their
forefathers“.
Only the faithful Caleb and Joshua will be allowed to enter into the
land. God pronounces His judgment. Forty years of wandering in the
desert, “one
for each of the forty days you explored the land. In the desert your
bodies will fall– every one of you twenty years old or more.“
Too
late the people mourn and repent. “We
have sinned. We will go into the place the Lord has promised“.
Moses warns them, “Do
not go up, because the Lord is not with you… you will fall to the
sword.”
We read, “Nevertheless,
in their presumption, they went up toward the hill country, though
neither Moses nor the ark moved from the camp“.
And of course, “the
enemy beat them down“.
You can’t manufacture faith. The book of Hebrews in chapters 3 and
4 comments about the application of the lesson in Numbers 14 for
believers today. “They
were not able to enter in because of their unbelief… we also have
had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message was
of no value to them because they did not combine it with faith. Now
we who have believed enter in that rest, just as God has said.”
If you are on the fence, please enter into God’s forgiveness. By
faith believe God’s promise.