A Hard Lesson

Numbers 14

Remember yesterday we ready chapter 13. That was about the report the 12 spies brought back. Everyone except Caleb and Joshua said a negative report and said how there was giants that occupied the land. There was not hope for them to enter in and the whole things was lost. In this chapter we see the peoples reaction to the spies. They start crying and complaining against Moses and Aaron. They were even questioning the Lord and wondering why he would bring them to this land so they could fall by the sword. Moses, Aaron, Caleb, and Joshua tried to plead with the people and said that the land was good and that the Lord delights in his people and he would not allow them to fall by the hands of these people. The whole congregation almost started a rebellion because they even were thinking about stoning these four men with stones. God intervened and asked Moses, “How much longer will these people despise me?” God has been very patient with Israel. Of course Moses intercedes for these people and God does not forsake them but there are consequences for their lack of faith.

The consequences

God tells Moses that he will not abandon the people but all those that saw what he did in Egypt will not be able to enter in the Promise Land. Man, all that work and yet they blow it just like that. It is true though that they were not ready for the Promise Land because they were not willing to have faith and fight for what God had promised. Because of this, they were told to return back to the way of the wilderness and they will wonder around for over 38 years. What a huge price they will pay for their sin. The sad thing is that the people did not listen to the Lord and they decided to go into the land and try to take it now. Moses warned them and said, “It is too late now.” God is not going to be with you because you are now realizing your fault.

So often we can place our feet in the Israelites shoes as we are faithless to a faithful God. He fights for us and directs our paths and instead of following him, we run in fear and when the plan may get revealed after the fact it can be too late and we must learn our lesson. Are you like Israel? Is there a giant in your life and your are afraid of? Did you know God is on your side? Have you not had faith and you have learned the hard way? Maybe it is time in the wilderness again because you are not ready for the Promise of God? All I know is that I am like these people all too much. I need to be able to make a stand like Caleb or Joshua and stand for the Lord. If he is for me, who can be against me. Sometimes we learn from our mistakes and it becomes a hard lesson, why can’t we just follow the commands of the Lord? Welcome to being human and wretched. In order to follow after the Lord we must follow after Christ everyday and admit that we are sinners and we are in need of a Savior.