God's Story from Beginning to End: THe WIlderness

 
Introduction
For the past several weeks we have been speeding through the first few books of the Old Testament.  In our journey we have highlighted specific areas of interest to help us gain a better understanding of the Bible, God, and what He was up to in creating the world and in the creating of the nation of Israel as His holy chosen people.
 
Last week I spent our time together talking about the nation of Israel and their trek to Mt. Sinai. This journey to the mountain concluded with receiving the law (which included the Ten Commandments), the instructions to build the transportable Tabernacle, and the tragedy as the Israelites willingly walked into rebellion to God through the act of idolatry.
 
Today, we are going to fast-forward to the wilderness voyage and stop at the border of the Promised Land.  Our text for today is Numbers 13:25 – 14:25. I would invite you to go to this passage and while you are finding it, I will give some background to get us caught up.
 
Background
 I am sure you noticed that I skipped completely over the Leviticus.  This bypass in no way suggests that it is an unimportant book, in fact it is, as Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers are all linked concerning the preparation of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant and forming the Israelites into the holy people of God.  We also see in these books the consistency of God’s character and responses to Israel’s behavior throughout. So, we may all be on the same page, here is a summary of each book as they link together to tell the bigger picture of what God is doing in His people…

1. Exodus – Focuses on deliverance, Mt. Sinai, God giving the Law, and the instructions to building the Tabernacle that would house the presence of God.  
2. Leviticus – Highlights true worship and holiness.  It stresses the role of sacrifice in maintaining a right relationship between God and humanity.  
3. Numbers – Focuses on the wilderness journey to the Promised Land.  It emphasizes the vitalness of the priesthood for preserving the nation’s spiritual health. It also echoes the importance of having faith/trust in and obedience to God.

 
This is where we will pick up this morning as we look at Israel’s continual trust issues and their rebellion through their lack of trust in God and His ordained leadership.
 
Up to this point God has faithfully guided, provided for, and protected Israel in their wilderness journey.  The wilderness represents a place of preparation and testing.  We see this with Israel as they were being prepared and tested in the wilderness.  John the Baptist lived in the wilderness as he was being prepared to be voice of the One who was greater than he.  Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for forty days. 
 
Once the Israelites arrive at the border of the Promised Land the LORD commands Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan.  He was ordered to send one leader per tribe (of the twelve tribes of Israel) to go with Joshua to spy out the land.  Moses tells them to…

1. Observe what the land was like. (13:18a)
2. Determine if the people who live there are strong or weak, or few or many. (13:18b)
3. See if the land was good or bad. (13:19a)
4. See if the towns have walls or if they are unprotected (13:19b)
5. Examine the soil to see if it was fertile or poor. (13:20a)
6. Find out if there are many trees. (13:20b)
7. Bring back samples of crops (13:20c)

 
Numbers 13:25 – 14:25
This passage is divided into three parts, and we will look at each one individually.
I.The Good News, The Bad News, The Good News, The Bad News (25 – 33)
II.Israel’s Rebellion (14:1 – 12)
III.Moses’ Intervention (14:13 – 25)
 
The Good News, The Bad News, The Good News, and the Bad News
The Good News
Vs 25 – 27:  The spies were exploring the land for forty days and upon their arrival back to Moses and Aaron, they gave a full report of their findings.  They reported that the land is plentiful, and the soil is healthy.  It is flowing with milk and honey, (this is obviously a reference to the promise God made to Moses) in Exodus 3:8, “ So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.”   While in the land of Canaan the spies took some samples of fruit, and the grapes were so large that one cluster needed to be carried on poles.  This was good news!
 
The Bad News
Vs 28 – 29: According to the spies the land was filled with powerful people inhabiting large and fortified cities.  This becomes the new narrative.  The men start to focus on the obstacles that they will face.  The first obstacle was the land is filled with the descendants of Anak who was a clan or family of noted giants.  They could not see past the size of some of the inhabitants and even though these giants were big, the God they served was much bigger.  The second obstacle was their enemies, the Amalekites lives in the land.  The Amalekites were descendants of Esau and even though their patriarch’s Esau and his brother Jacob had patched up their differences, apparently their ancestors had not.  It was the Amalekites who attacked Israel in the desert on their journey to Mt. Sinai and Israel won the battle because of Moses’ hands being raised.  This was bad news.
 
The Good News
Vs 30: But one of the spies, a young man full of faith and trust in God, spoke up and quieted all the grumbling and negativity and said, “We can do this!  This land is ours for the taking!”  His faith and trust were grounded in the belief that God could win this battle for them.  This good news!
 
The Bad News
Vs 31 – 33:  Unfortunately, the dissenter’s voices rose louder than Caleb’s voice.  Their lack of faith and trust in God was infectious as they spread the word that the inhabitants of the Promised Land were stronger than Israel.  They exaggerate their report by saying the land will devour anyone who lives there, thus referring to the supposed hostile living situations and inhabitants.  The embellishment continues as they tell the Israelites that all the men they observed are of great size.  Let’s not forget to mention, there are giants in the land, and they make us look like insects in comparison to them.  There is no way we can defeat them!  This is bad news.
 
Israel’s Rebellion
Vs: 14:1 – 4: Word spread, and the Israelites cried out in protest to Moses and Aaron.  Once again, they start blaming them for their current circumstances.  Eventually their complaining turns to God.  They say, “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”  Really?!  Their faith in God is so small that they would rather go back to Egypt than to stay and fight for the land He has PROMISED them.  If this isn’t bad enough, they decide they want to vote Moses and Aaron out of leadership and appoint a new leader to return them Egypt!
 
Vs 5 – 9: Upon hearing this Moses and Aaron fall on their faces before the congregation of Israel.  Theologian Gordon Wenham writes, “No wonder Moses and Aaron fell on their faces not to plead for their lives, but to express their awe at the sacrilegious blasphemy of the people.”  This vulgar display of disbelief and heresy the Israelites show is VERY concerning to Moses and Aaron.  Wenham continues, “(Falling on your face) in Numbers usually anticipates some great act of judgment. Moses and Aaron, sensing the presence of God, fall to the ground in fear at what he is about to do.”[1]  
 
Caleb and Joshua respond in a more traditional way by tearing their clothes to show how deeply distressed they are with the congregation.  They try to reason with the people by telling them if God is with them, then they will be successful.  In fact, they note, God is on their side and their enemies do not, so victory is inevitable.
 
Vs 10 – 12: One would think that after a faith filled speech encouraging the Israelites to trust God, and reminding them of his trustworthiness, that the natural response would be to rally up the troops and advance.  This is not what happens.  The people start talking about stoning Joshua and Caleb.  This does not refer to an uncontrolled mob killing.  Remember, they recently had the law given to them, so the nation had the judicial authority to have them stoned for major religious crimes.  However, no crimes were committed.  Ironically, the congregation wants to have them stoned for following God’s lead.  Regardless, Israel rejected Caleb and Joshua’s accusation of Israel’s rebellion to God and incorrectly claim they are false witnesses worthy of stoning.
 
Naturally, God is not happy with the Israelites, and he vows to destroy the Israelites and start all over again.  He tells Moses He will make a new nation, a stronger nation, and a greater nation. 
 
Moses Intercedes
Vs 13: Moses’ response is not what some would think.  Had I been in Moses’ shoes I probably would have responded, “Ok, if that’s what you think is the right thing to do, then so be it.”  But his response is just the opposite he says, “Don’t do that!  What will people think if you destroy the people you delivered from captivity?  Remember who you are and what you represent!” 
 
Vs 17 – 19: Moses pleads for God to be patient with Israel and to pardon their sins.  He reminds God (not that He needed reminding) of his character… He is patient, unfailing in love, forgiving of sins, and just.
 
Vs 20 – 25:  God shows mercy and does not destroy the Israelites.  He does act justly because he forbids every single person alive at that time to enter the Promised Land, except for Joshua and Caleb.  He then instructs them to not advance to the Promised Land, but instead head back towards the Red Sea.  
 
This is a sad ending to the story since the unbelief, lack of trust and rebellion against God led to more wandering in the desert.  If only the Israelites would have responded properly to Caleb’s plea, then the Israelites could have entered the Promised Land that very next day…  But they didn’t.
 
Application
So how can this passage be applied in our everyday lives?  Here are four suggestions…

1. Wilderness: God sometimes allows us to go through or calls us to go through wilderness experiences (i.e., loneliness, despair, trials, tribulations, persecutions, faith challenges, etc.) to prepare us to be the people God calls us to be. Our faith journeys are just that… journey’s and sometimes we will be on a mountain-top, a valley, or the wilderness.  No matter where we are, remember God is present, guiding, and protecting us.  
2. Promises:  If God promised it, it will come to pass PERIOD.  Do you trust that he is faithful to complete what he has started?
3. Crisis: We all have the crises of trust and obedience at some point in our lives.  I am not saying having an unshakeable faith is easy and comes naturally, it does not!  Sometimes the opposite is truer than not. How often do we make it through difficult times and when we are almost through it, we allow fear and lack of faith to hinder us from moving forward?  I can’t tell you how many times God has directed, protected, and provided for me in my life and yet I still struggle with completely trusting that He will pull through for me all the time.  But God loves to do the impossible, so sometimes when we think He cannot or will not pull through for us, have faith that He will do what He needs to get us on track with Him and be glorified.
4. Intercession:  Moses prayed for the unbelievers.  He didn’t pray that God would impart harsh judgment on them because they deserve it.  No, he prayed that God would have mercy on them and even though they don’t deserve it, pray a blessing over them and keep watch over them. My friends, it is important to pray for our unbelieving friends, families, acquaintances, and those who we may see as enemies or opponents to the faith.  We should be praying for the salvation of those who do not believe.  Our prayers for unbelievers are imperative because we are asking God to show grace and mercy to those who we may feel are undeserving of salvation.  We may never know if our prayers are effective or not because the outcome is not ours to determine.  We are called to pray for those who do not believe and share the Gospel (Jesus is the Son of God, He is eternal, He came to this world to show the way to the Kingdom of God, He was crucified on a cross and died for our sins, He rose on the third day for our justification and ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He rules and reigns for all eternity).  Let us never stop praying for those who do not know Jesus Christ, so they may come to know Him as Lord and Savior of their lives.

[1] Wenham, G. J. (1981). Numbers: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 4, p. 136). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.