Numbers 14 - 7.26.24

Scripture: Numbers‬ ‭14‬:‭17‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

”Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.“

Observation:‭‭

God told Moses to send men to spy on the land in Numbers 13:1  This stood out to me as I read this and went into the next chapter. This is interesting because He knew they would see both the blessing and the mighty people they would have to conquer. He wanted the people to know what they were getting into: something really wonderful that would require faith and trust in Him to attain.

Why would they not have faith? God could do anything when they experienced Him parting the Red Sea as well as many other miracles. But they doubted again!

The spies saw how plentiful the land was, “flowing with milk and honey.”  They brought back samples of fruit that took two men to carry. They also saw that the people were mighty. Ten of the spies spread a bad report about the land and that they would never conquer the people. (About now an old camp song is going through my head. “Twelve men went to spy on Canaan. Ten were bad and two were good.” )

Caleb and Joshua, the two good ones, believed God would devour the enemy and bless them with the wonderful land. All the other people rebelled. They talked about picking a new leader and going back to Egypt. God came down in the cloud and was ready to destroy all but the faithful few and start over.

Moses made a plea for the people, even though he should have been frustrated, which is a huge thing that stood out to me. He has been having face to face conversations with God and His love and forgiveness has rubbed off on Moses. God forgave them. However, they did have a consequence, they would wander for 40 years and would not enter the promise land. Also, God’s words about Caleb, “He has a different spirit and serves me wholeheartedly.” 

Application:

First, I want to live in a way that causes God to say I serve Him wholeheartedly. When God reveals blessings to me that are wonderful, but look difficult, I want to be like Caleb and Joshua and say my God can enable me to conquer. Nothing is impossible with Him giving me strength. I don’t want to forget the many ways He has provided for me and others I know.  He makes a way for what He’s called us to. 

I also want to have a heart like Moses who pleads for the people even when they turn their back on Him. 

Moses also looks out for God’s image to be honored. What would everyone say if they found out these people all perished?  May I pray and intercede for those lost and in a way that brings glory to God.

Prayer:

Lord, you have such great love for your people. You see the big picture. There are times you share that with us in your plans, like the spies who went into Egypt. That can be overwhelming. If I spend time seeking your face and discovering who you are then I will trust in your faithfulness and ability to bring about what you’ve revealed. 

Thank you for all you are doing in my life and those I care for. Help me to have Moses’s heart and plead for those rebelling. May they experience who you are and walk in your forgiveness. 

Amen

- Cindy Howard