Based on Numbers 13,14
Those foolish, foolish Israelites!
There they were, just a little over three months out of Egypt, standing on the very borders of Canaan. Wow, what a trip! They had so far witnessed the parting of the Red Sea, literally walking right through the piles of water rising on each side, hissing as if to devour the whole lot of them. If that were not enough, every step was on solid, dry land.
I don’t think science or special effects could duplicate that Godly maneuver.
They had drunk the crystal clear water that burst miraculously forth from a rock. Last I checked, rocks don’t contain water.
From the very beginning of their journey, the presence of God led them in the form of a towering pillar of cloud. By day it sheltered them from the desert’s scorching sun. Then just like clockwork, as the evening air began to cool, this marvelous cloud became a pillar of fire for warmth and light through the darkest hours of the night.
Nature itself was responding to the call of God to serve mankind.
They were spectators of God’s presence at the foot of Mount Sinai as He spoke through black smoke and fire. They trembled at the claps of thunder and shrank in terror at the sound of His voice. It was almost as if the thunder was clapping at the presence of God Almighty; not in fear, but with the power of joy.
The Amalekites marching troops attacked Israel, but were soundly defeated as long as Moses lifted his arms in an act of surrender to the mighty Jehovah who fought for them.
Moses' surrender to God brought victory? Now that's something else the thunder could have clapped about.
As dew upon the grass, the heavenly manna fell to sustain them day after day.
A physical demonstration that “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Deuteronomy 8:3.
Soon the land that flowed with nourishment and prosperity lay before them; now the Lord would surely discover whether all those object lessons, calculated to win the hearts and trust of His chosen, would be enough.
Nature was obedient. Would man also respond to the call to trust Him, to follow His instructions and directions?
Moses sent 70 of his finest men into the land that was promised, just as God had ask him to, to explore it and see what would soon be theirs.
They came back after 40 days with the report.
Was the soil good? Yes, very good!
Were there abundant crops? Yes, the crops were huge in size and abundant!
Were there fortified cities? Oh yes, very big ones!
Were the people strong? YES, there were giants in the land! We were like grasshoppers to them and to us!
When the 70 finished their report. 68 of them saw the giant difficulties, 2 saw a giant God.
Those two, (Caleb and Joshua) wanted to claim what was already promised to the Israelites. The other 68 forgot what the presence of the Lord had previously accomplished on their behalf. Their focus was on their inability, forgetting God's ability. Looking through man's eyes, it seemed so impossible that the thought of returning to Egypt and slavery seemed preferable to proceeding.
This body of "believers in God," the Great I Am, did not realize that their future destiny lay in the choice of their next decision.
Would they trust in the power and promises of God or would the circumstances facing them confine them to wilderness wandering?
It’s easy to see from this vantage point that they made the wrong decision, but after thousands of years viewing and reviewing the miraculous workings of a superior God, are we still wandering around in a desert?
Nature knows and responds to the voice of God immediately. Do you respond to God’s voice? Do I?
How many miracles is it going to take for us to be able to say as did Joshua, “Do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them." Joshua 14:8,9.
Oh, those foolish, foolish Israelites!
copyright 10/4/2014
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