Will you take the land? Numbers 11-13

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2011-13&version=NIV

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." – Numbers 13:30

Caleb spoke these words out of certainty of faith in God’s power, provision, and promise.

Today we read about the Israelites sitting on the edge of the promised land – so close that they were able to see a sample of the fruit of the land. They were had reports of the immense abundance there. One would think that after years of walking towards this promise, they would have been hardly able to hold back and not run straight towards the land. And indeed, that is what God wanted them to do – in Deuteronomy 1:8 & 21 we read that God said, “See, I have given you possession of the land that the Lord swore he would give to your fathers – to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – and their descendents after them….Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

And yet, we know the rest of the story – we know that despite the promise that the land was theirs, the Israelites let their own lack of faith keep them from the land for another 40 years.

God has promised lands for each of us – some which are promises to all Christians, and some are lands to which he wants to lead us individually, to use and bless us in. The question before us is this – do we walk forward into that land with the confidence of Caleb? Or is there something in our own lives own lack of faith that is keeping us from it?

The Word of God says that “All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness", so today let’s explore the story of the Israelites and their lack of faith. Let us learn from their mistakes the things that can keep us from the promised land so that when God has us right on the edge of his promises, we walk with confidence into the land and take possession of it.

So where and how did the faith of the Israelites fail? First, they failed to believe in the promises of God. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible says that they would not take God’s word that is was a good land and that he would, without fail, put them in possession of it. God gave Abraham all possible assurances that he would put his seed into possession of that land (Gen. 15:18;17:8). He expressly promised Moses that he would drive out the Canaanites before them (Exodus 33:2). Let us today stand firm on the promises of God given in his word. Let us stand on his unfailing love and faithfulness. Let us stand on his wisdom, his sovereignty, and his power to take us to our promised land

Secondly, they failed to view the land from the proper persepective. Though they found it to be as good as God had said, they still put their confidence in the judgements of men. The power, size, and number of the people nor the fortified cities would matter little if they viewed them from God’s perspective. But they chose instead the view of the land through man’s eyes. They saw themselves as grasshoppers before giants when the truth was that the giants where but grasshoppers before God. And again, do we not often do the same. We view and respond to our circumstances through our own perspective which is based upon a very limited view as people with limited power. Instead, we should view our circumstances through the eyes of God and power of God.

The third way the Israelites failed in their faith was in their failure to recall the faithfulness of God and the way he displayed his power in their past. Not only had they just traveled for 40 years dependent upon and never failing to receive God’s provision, but they seem to forget the way God dealt with their enemies in the past. God brought deliverance from the heavy hand of Pharoah and oppression in Egypt. Because they were poverty-stricken, they had not resources to start over – but God had a plan to overcome this. He made the Egyptians favorable disposed towards the people and they gave them silver, gold, and clothing. The Egyptians were voluntarily plundered by the Israelites! (Exodus 3:21-11; 12:35-36) When the Egyptians changed their minds and pursued the Israelites, the chariots and horsemen of Egypt were ruined without a single sword drawn.

When we face what seems to be insurmountable odds in our walk towards our promised land, it is essential that we remember how God has worked in our lives in the past. We are to remember, give thanks, and worship at the altar of remembrance for all God has done in the past. It is at this altar that our faith is strengthened, our mind renewed, and we again see entrance in the land as a possibility. When we see what God has done in the past, we remember that he is not a God of the possible, but of the impossible.

I pray that we would have the faith of Caleb when we look towards the promised land. He speaks confidently of success – “we certainly can do it”. He posture is one that leads on in bravery – “we should go take possession of the land” – one bold step, one bold stroke more – it is ours to own but we have to have the courage to take it. Notice he says “we should go take possession” rather than “we should go and conquer”, for he considers it to be something that is done already. He knows how great God is. He knows of his promises, his power, his provisions, and that there is nothing to be done but to enter the land that is God’s good pleasure to give as a promise and blessing to us.

Today's post was submitted by Carol Bartels