The Blessing Of Consequences

Sometimes God gives us what we want so we can learn from the results. 

Numbers 22:7-8 Balak's messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak's message to him. 8 "Stay here overnight," Balaam said. "In the morning I will tell you whatever the LORD directs me to say." So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam.

In the previous post we saw that God's people are almost home despite themselves, they have proven that they are not worthy to be God's people that will inherit the promises made to Abraham, but they will do so anyway. We saw that the blessing is the Lord's and nothing that they can do will change the blessing. God always knew that they would be undeserving so there isn't any reason to change his mind hundreds of years later.

As the story of Balaam continues to unfold we will see that it creates a lot of questions than it doesn't explain. We will see that God and Balaam will both say and do things that are surprising and confusing, they will both go against what we expect. If you disregard the other scriptures about Balaam and just focus on the next couple of chapters of Numbers it will seem like Balaam is a pretty good guy, doing the right thing most of the time, but don't forget that is how Satan always presents himself. 

God's people are probably unaware that King Balak is so afraid of them that he is planning to attack them, they are in their camp minding their own business, unaware that God is working to protect them in supernatural ways even though they are probably complaining about him while all of this is going on.

Balaam Has Visitors

Numbers 22:9-12 That night God came to Balaam and asked him, "Who are these men visiting you?" 10 Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message: 11 'Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come and curse these people for me. Then perhaps I will be able to stand up to them and drive them from the land.'" 12 But God told Balaam, "Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!"

A delegation sent by King Balak visits Balaam to hire the false prophet to curse Israel. When Balaam receives the invite to curse God's people he seems to react the way that he should, you would think that he would not hesitate to make some quick money but Balaam responds wisely, stating he will seek God's will first and he would only do whatever God tells him to do. 

God takes the initiative and visits Balaam and opens the conversation with a question. When God begins a conversation, especially with a question, there is usually a very good reason to be afraid, but  Balaam seems very comfortable talking to God. It seems like he has probably done it before, instead of fear, the prophet seems to be acquainted with the idea of talking to God or possibly with other spiritual beings.

Balaam appears obedient and spiritually sensitive when he sends them away because God said no. We are not told that he felt disappointed about missing out on the large sum of money and fame that could be his. At this point, all we know is that Israel is a nation blessed by God, and Balaam’s role is to stay home and not interfere.

Balaam receives visitors again, this time it is another delegation from the king and also a return visit from God. The king sent more important people with bigger prizes, what a picture of how Satan works, he is the best at making his offer better and better to try and wear us down.

Numbers 22:18-19 But Balaam responded to Balak's messengers, "Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the LORD my God. 19 But stay here one more night, and I will see if the LORD has anything else to say to me." 

Balaam never sounded more spiritual than when he referred to God as “the LORD my God” but don't be fooled. Balaam wants a God he can manipulate and negotiate with, he knows God and he knows his will but he is pretending to love God more than money. He is constantly searching for a loophole that will let him have both God’s approval and Balak’s money. 

Balaam Gets What He Wants

Numbers 22:20-22 That night God came to Balaam and told him, "Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do." 21 So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the LORD to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along,

Imagine the delight Balaam had when God told him to go to King Balak, he was probably as delighted as we are surprised that God seems to make a complete turn around from what he said before without any explanation. And then surprise again, God is angry that he went. What's going on?

What looks like permission was actually God letting Balaam have exactly what his stubborn, money-loving heart insisted on. Balaam is going to learn that God's permission is not the same as God's approval. God is going to graciously give Balaam the opportunity to learn more about the God that he thinks he already knows.

It is difficult to understand that God’s sovereignty means nothing happens outside of his ultimate permission, but he permits things that are contrary to his perfect will that grieves Him. We have the freedom to choose to accept God's will or go our own way. (Matthew 23:37, Romans 1:24-28)

This not the first time that God allowed something outside of his will, we will see this concept play out after Israel was settled in the Promised Land, they will ask to have their heavenly king replaced by an earthly king, despite God's will. 

I always wondered why God chose Saul as their first king but now I think that God gave them exactly the type of king that he warned them about so that they would be blessed to learn from the consequences. (1 Samuel 8:1-22, Numbers 23:21)

Balaam did what we all do, we assume that the path of least resistance, with wide open doors, is the will of God but Balaam shows us that we need to be careful about that logic.We fail to see that God's permission is not the same as God's approval and he often permits things that he doesn't approve of.

Balaam Enters God's Classroom

Numbers 22:22b-23 As Balaam and two servants were riding along, 23 Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road.

Balaam wasted no time getting on the road without any idea that he was entering God's classroom where the angel of the Lord stood ready to teach him, opposing his path with a drawn sword. It is amazing that Balaam is in this situation without any understanding of what is going on because it isn't until God allows himself to be seen that Balaam becomes aware of his presence. (Numbers 22:31-33)

Balaam's knowledge of God continues to show after he sees the angel of the Lord, he isn't afraid because he sees an angel with a sword, Balaam is afraid because he believes that the angel of the Lord is actually God. We know the angel is not an ordinary angel because he speaks in the first person as God and Balaam responds in fear with a confession and repents.

All of these encounters with God should have drawn Balaam to God but instead he is dangerously close to God's drawn sword. Ultimately Balaam chooses the path that leads to the sword, tragically he dies by the sword because he ignore God's kindness. (Numbers 31:8, Joshua 13:22) 

The “way of Balaam” proved to be the way of destruction, Balaam is proof that intellectual knowledge of God, spiritual experiences, the ability to speak true words about God, and even miraculous encounters with God does not guarantee your eternity with God. (2 Peter 2:15, Matthew 7:22–23)

Balaam Reminds Me Of The Prodigal Son

Let's compare the two, both men know the father, they know the fathers will and they both chose greed and lived to please themselves. God was merciful to both men and blessed them with a wake up call while they were in the middle of the consequences of their sin. (Luke 15:11-32)

Both men show us that getting our own way can be the severest judgment of all. However, they also offer a stark contrast in how to react to the consequences of rebellion. God's blessings were wasted on Balaam as he failed to learn his lesson, leading to an unhappy ending. The Prodigal Son, in contrast, repented and returned to the Father.

Their stories should make us think twice about our demands. Instead of demanding that God agree with us, we should ask God to help us agree with Him. We need His wisdom to discern which "open doors" are truly His will and which are paths He is merely allowing us to walk against His perfect plan.

These two men should make me think twice about what I ask for, instead of demanding that God agree with me I need to ask God to help me to agree with him. I need to remember that God might let me have my way and he may let doors be wide open that he may not want me to enter. 

I need to pray to discern God's will without asking for my own, I need to realize that he may have plans to use my will to teach me more about his will. (Romans 2:4)

The Blessing Is The Lord's

Will God keep his promise after 40 years of grumbling and disobedience?

Numbers 22:3-5 And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified. 4 The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This mob will devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!"

So Balak, king of Moab, 5 sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor, who was living in his native land of Pethor near the Euphrates River. His message said: "Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and are threatening me.

After wondering around in the wilderness for decades, God's people are approaching the Promised Land again, but this time it is the grown children of the previous generation that God said would not enter. The first generation refused to trust God but the second generation seems to be doing better as God has given them success in battle against their enemies because they put their faith in his ability.

But their success brought about a new problem, the nations fear God's people and will do anything to protect themselves even when Israel didn't threaten any violence against them. As they approach the Promised Land the attacks begin with King Sihon, this win for Israel gave the Moabites their independence from King Sihon but instead of being thankful King Balak and his people were fearful that Israel would be their new captors.

Balak didn't know that God already told Israel not to attack Moab, his unfounded fear reminds me of Pharaoh's fear of God's people while they were living under his reign in Egypt. (Exodus 1:7-10) Satan used that unjustified fear to try to get rid of God's people once and he is about to use fear again to get rid of the threat that God's people would have a Messiah that would be the end of him.

The Ways Of God

The only way to defeat God's people is to reverse the blessing that God gave to Abraham and his descendants. But God has already confirmed the blessing with Abraham, Isaac and again with Jacob seven times and then he reconfirmed it again with his people at Mount Sinai so how could there be any doubt?

But there will always be doubt because the blessing is so amazing and God's people are so undeserving. This is the way we think today, shouldn't we have to do something? How could it be a gift that can never be taken away? How could such a blessing come to such a faithless and disobedient people without some strings attached? 

Is God Really For Them?

Exodus 19:5 Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.

Didn't God say that if they obeyed him then they will be blessed? Perhaps Satan is hoping that God will take the promise back after the way God's people have behaved for the past 40 years in the wilderness. 

The covenant God made with Moses had an obedience clause (Exodus 19:1-6)

Just before the law was given at Mount Sinai, including the Ten Commandments, God promised that he would treat his people in accordance with the way that they treat him. In the covenant God made with the people through Moses it was clear that they would be blessed for following the rules and disobedience would bring punishment which could mean that he would hold back his blessings.

So this covenant was conditional, maybe Satan was hoping that this covenant was a good sign for him but the promise made to Abraham didn't have any of these terms.

The covenant God made with Abraham was unconditional Genesis 12:1-3)

God's people have disobeyed and complained about God so much that maybe Satan is counting on God's holy justice and wrath to overrule his mercy and grace. But when God made this covenant he knew how the people would be, he knew his people would fail to live up to his standards. 

God gave the covenant anyway even though the laws that he was going to give them in the future at Mount Sinai wouldn't be followed. God would hold back some blessings but their disobedience would not cancel out the blessing of the Promised Land.

Is The Blessing Still True

Moses reminds Israel multiple times that the Promised Land is due to God’s oath to the patriarchs, not because Israel did anything to deserve it. None of their bad behavior could cancel the promises to Abraham but they could delay the fulfillment of the promise.(Deuteronomy 6:10, 9:5, 29:13, 30:20)

It will seem like God has good reason to cancel it and Satan will make sure to accuse them but thankfully what Satan says about them and what they think about themselves is not what matters. 

The most important question for any of us is what does God think about us?

Excerpts from "John Darby Synopsis of the Bible" explains it so well:

It is of the highest interest to see the special character of this prophecy. It is God who, of His own will, interferes to take the part of His people against the enemy, and that even without their knowing it, or asking for it.

The people know nothing about it; they are perhaps still murmuring in their tents against the ways of God with them. It is God declaring His own thoughts and confounding the malice of Satan.

He can see no iniquity in the redeemed people. How could He see any in those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb?

It is amazing that God's people were so unfaithful, Satan comes along to point out this fact by accusing them like he accused Job, but once again God wins the debate with Satan in the life of his children in the wilderness wonderings just as he did before in the life of Job.

New Testament Fulfillment & Final Confirmation

The New Testament shows us that God's unconditional promise is partially fulfilled with the arrival of Jesus. (Luke 1:68–73, Hebrews 6:13–18) And they knew that it was fulfilled in spite of their imperfections. Just look at what Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians:

Galatians 3:17-18 This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. 18 For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God's promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.

The promise was made to bless us even though God knew the law that was given later would not be fulfilled. Man hasn't changed, we are all guilty still today for not fulfilling the law but thankfully God is also the same today and he will complete the fulfillment of his blessing despite what we do.

Galatians 2:16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.

I must strive to obey God's rules even though I will never come anywhere close to the command to be holy as he is holy but thankfully my performance doesn't terminate the promise. (Matthew 5:48 // 1 Peter 1:16)

God could not and would not revoke his blessing to his people no matter how bad they have been on the short trip across the wilderness that turned into 40 years. The wilderness experience shows me that God is willing to give grace and mercy that cannot be lost.

Balaam could not prophecy or give a curse against God's people way back in the Old Testament and despite his efforts God is still for his people and he will see them through to the Promised Land.

The great promise of eternity with him is still good!

The Battle Is The Lord's

God's people will struggle to be faithful in life's battles.

Numbers 21:1-3 The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that the Israelite's were approaching on the road through Atharim. So he attacked the Israelite's and took some of them as prisoners. 2 Then the people of Israel made this vow to the LORD: "If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy all their towns." 3 The LORD heard the Israelite's' request and gave them victory over the Canaanites. The Israelite's completely destroyed them and their towns, and the place has been called Hormah ever since.

The only place the nation of Israel has ever lived since they became a nation has been out in the wilderness. The time in the wilderness may seem like a waste but God didn't let their time in the wasteland go to waste.

God could have taken his people straight out of Egyptian slavery and put them in a safe place at the border of Canaan or he could have destroyed the Canaanites himself and put his people in the Promised Land without any battles and without any casualties. 

God has a timeline and a purpose for each chapter of his story. His timeline moves at a slow pace that is very frustrating and difficult to understand. Remember how slowly God's promise to Abraham progressed, Abraham was 75 years old already, he had to wait 25 more years for a son and he till had a small family when he died.

Over six hundred years later God's people have grown enough in size to be seen as a nation, they have learned about God and now they have established a military.

Accomplishments In The Wilderness
Receiving the Covenant and the Law at Sinai - How to live for God (Exodus 19–24) Construction of the Tabernacle - How to live with God (Exodus 25–40) Establishment of the Priesthood and Worship System - How to be made right with God. (Leviticus 1–10; Numbers 3–8) Military Organization and Training (Numbers 1–2, 10:11-28)

As they approach Canaan they were not looking for a battle but they didn't avoid it either, they defended themselves for the first time and God gave them their first win. (Numbers 21:1–3)

But God's people will go from great victory to great defeat, trusting God for victory in the battlefield didn't turn into trust in God's goodness in providing their food but instead of appreciating him they doubt his goodness again and bring God's judgment upon themselves. (Numbers 21:4-9)

God forgave his people and gave them more wins east of the Jordan River in the territory that would belong to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. This area isn't the wilderness but it isn't the Promised Land either, they are not home yet as they will realize that the plains of Moab is a place of battles.

Numbers 21:23-24 But King Sihon refused to let them cross his territory. Instead, he mobilized his entire army and attacked Israel in the wilderness, engaging them in battle at Jahaz. 24 But the Israelite's slaughtered them with their swords and occupied their land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. They went only as far as the Ammonite border because the boundary of the Amorites was fortified.

Numbers 21:33-34 Then they turned and marched up the road to Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and all his people attacked them at Edrei. 34 The LORD said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land. Do the same to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon."

The Israelite's rack up three wins and they haven't even crossed the Jordan River, they were being attacked while they were trying to get access to the river to get to the other side.

Victory over Sihon, King of the Amorites (Numbers 21:21–31):

The Israelite's requested safe passage through the territory of Sihon, king of the Amorites, promising not to plunder or disturb his land. But Sihon attacked and Israel defeated Sihon and captured his territory.. 

It looks like the Amorites have finally experienced the Lord's judgment that he told us about in Genesis 15:16.

Victory over Og, King of Bashan (Numbers 21:32–35):

It doesn't take long for another battle to come, God's people faced Og, the king of Bashan and defeated him and his army. 

Israel already has a lot of territory outside of the Promised Land just because they were protecting themselves. With God’s favor, the Israelite's defeated Arad, Sihon, and Og, despite being outnumbered or outmatched.

The Lord Is With You

The last time God's people were this close to the Promised Land they lacked the faith to go to war to claim the Promised Land as their own but this time it seems that God is allowing them to experience victory through his strength so that they will trust him.

2 Chronicles 20:17 But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD's victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!"

Even after God's people have had many more victories and have taken possession of the land they will continue to struggle with the idea that the battle is God's and they can rely on him to ensure another victory. 

But the struggle isn't just for them, it is our struggle, even when it's much more simple. My faith wavers and I am not homeless in the wilderness, I have a kitchen full of food and water and I am not dealing with an approaching military threat. 

When God is for me who can be against me? Because of his presence I can have peace in this troubled world. I should be thankful and have confidence that the same God that brought me to this trouble will bring me through and take me to my Promised Land. (John 16:33, Romans 8:31)

Moses' Snake - Healing From Our Sin

The picture of deception and death will show us the means of grace and eternal life.

Numbers 21:6-9 So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. 7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, "We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take away the snakes." So Moses prayed for the people. 

8 Then the LORD told him, "Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!" 9 So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!

Snakes have been a part of God's story from the beginning, just about anybody that knows something about God's word knows about the snake that deceived Adam and Eve in the garden, but that is just the beginning.

God's people learned about the importance of snakes while they were living in Egypt. The Egyptian people saw the snake as a political and religious symbol that they worshiped. The cobra goddess was supposed to be the protector of Egypt so imagine how surprising it must have been when God used the snake as the first miraculous sign to validate Moses' and Aaron's authority. 

God proved his superiority when he changed Aaron's staff into a snake but then it went to the next level when Pharaoh's magicians did the same. God had Aaron's snake swallow all of the other snakes so that there should have been no doubt about who was in control. (Exodus 7:8-12)

The next encounter with snakes was forty years later while God's people are on their extended tour of the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. They have already been to the edge of the Promised Land once but they doubted their ability to be victorious against the Canaanites.

They could have been eating the awesome food in the Promised Land but instead they despise the food that God is still providing for them in the wilderness. The same God that was miraculously brought them out of Egypt proved to them daily that he was still in control of nature as he provided them with food but they didn't respect that power.

They were anxious to tell God that he wasn't coming through for them. God's power and his blessings in there lives was not appreciated so God used his power through snakes again. This time be uses them to discipline his people by sending poisonous snakes. God is very good at making his people aware of their sins so that they can repent and beg for mercy. 

God provides salvation for his people

God reveals the method that he will use to allow his people to be healed from the wound that the snake caused. Moses had to craft a snake out of bronze and attach it to a pole so that the people could look to it and be saved.

It is interesting to note that bronze was used in the Tabernacle on the altar of burnt offering where the sacrifices were made for sin and also for the basin that the priest used for purification. The use of bronze stands in contrast to the use of gold in the Holy of Holies.

It is also interesting to consider that the cure did not come immediately, it would probably take a few hours or maybe a day or so to make the bronze snake, we don't know why used human interaction as a part of the remedy instead of healing them instantly. It seems likely that more people died before the cure for the snake bite was in place.

Perhaps God was showing us that we don't usually get relief from the fallout of our sin immediately, the consequences can be severe and long lasting. 

But why did God choose to use a snake?

It is ironic that the snake brought healing to everyone that could look up in faith and see it. The snake already has a bad history of deception, pain and death. so it seems a bit peculiar to see the snake in a positive light as a source of hope and healing.

God doesn't erase the negatives, he works through them for a much greater good, he took the symbol of everything wrong in our world and repurposed it into a symbol of life and healing. That sounds a lot like what he did with the cross.

It's just like God to re-purpose a negative into a positive.

John 3:14-16 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 16 "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

I don't know how you feel about snakes but it seems a little bit disturbing to think that the snake on the pole is a symbol or type of Christ but even Jesus compared himself to this symbol in his first recorded gospel conversation with Nicodemus.

The snake on the pole was a foreshadowing of Jesus redemptive work. God's judgement was on me until I looked to the cross and saw my Savior there. Jesus took the curse of sin and redeemed me from the kingdom of darkness. The same cross that was an instrument of death and shame became a symbol of victory and salvation!

The snake points to Jesus, but Jesus surpasses it, embodying the ultimate expression of God’s love and grace. Jesus isn't like the snake at all, he is actually the antithesis of what the snake represents, as with every foreshadowing of Jesus the symbol has limitations.

The man made snake didn't have any power on it's own, through God's power it offered physical healing but it was powerless as a remedy for the consequence of sin. It did not offer forgiveness or eternal life. When Jesus was lifted up on the cross he became the means for my spiritual healing. Jesus sacrifice went beyond judgement and discipline to offer me complete redemption and reconciliation with God. (Romans 5:10)

The dead snake on a pole pointed to Jesus but perhaps it also foreshadows the ultimate fate of Satan as the serpent in Revelation. Just as the bronze snake was destroyed by King Hezekiah because it became a source of idolatry, Jesus will destroy the serpent at the end of time. (2 Kings 18:4, Revelation 12:9)

God's story began and it ends with the snake. Satan is described as “that ancient serpent, called the devil,” linking him directly to the snake in the Garden of Eden. Remember God's promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head? That day is still in the future but it will finally happen as Satan will be powerless against God's judgement.

Thank you God for going above and beyond the temporary, physical healing to provide the only eternal, spiritual healing that I desperately needed. I was powerless to help myself on judgement day but I know how to overcome by relying on your power to reverse the curse of the snake so I will not share in his fate!

Moses' Rocks - Trust And Obey

God's people need to do things God's way for his glory.

Numbers 20:1-5 In the first month of the year, the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried.

2 There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people blamed Moses and said, "If only we had died in the LORD's presence with our brothers! 

4 Why have you brought the congregation of the LORD's people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? 5 Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!"

Every since God redeemed his people from the kingdom of darkness they have refused to react to difficult situations with any degree of faith in him. You can't help seeing the evidence of God's love and his power long before their dramatic exit from Egypt and then again when God showed up for his people again right after that with the miraculous Red Sea crossing. (Exodus 14:31)

Seems like God's people would respond better after all of that but the display of God's love and his power to save didn't keep his people from doubting him. You can see how fickle they are by noticing the scripture address for each of these events, it is one verse or one chapter right after the other., God's people quickly went from singing his praises (Exodus 15:1-21) to grumbling about Moses leadership and the lack of food and water. (Exodus 15:24, 16:1-3)

God was testing their faithfulness to him, all they had to do is:

1. "Listen to the voice of the Lord and do what is right" (Exodus 15:25-26) 
2. "Follow my instructions." about the food that God rained down. (Exodus 16:4)

God told them that he was testing them and he told them what they needed to do to pass the test. Sounds very fair, shouldn't be too difficult to pass. But while they were being tested by God, as Moses put it, they were also testing God. (Exodus 17:2) After all of the works of God that his people have seen on their behalf they still didn't get it. 

Fifteen months later when they safely reached the edge of the Promised Land, they still didn't trust and obey, that's why they are on a 40 year trip extension. If they had moved into their new land they wouldn't be here complaining about the lack of water.

God's people failed the test

1. They are still blaming Moses for doing all of this to them.
2. They wish that they had died along with their rebellious relatives that God already killed. 
3. They wish they had stayed in Egypt. 

Instead of remembering how bad it was at the end of their stay, they seem to be recalling the good old days when they first got to Egypt. These people are probably not old enough to remember the day when the Egyptians treated them good.

Moses and Aaron responded well to the complaints of the people, they went to the Tabernacle and God showed up and tells them how to provide water. Moses and Aaron didn’t try to solve the problem on their own or argue with the complainers. Instead, they went to the Tabernacle, sought God’s presence, and received divine guidance. So far, so good, but wait.

Numbers 20:10-11 Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. "Listen, you rebels!" he shouted. "Must we bring you water from this rock?" 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.

Moses didn't respond well to God's instructions, the great way that Moses reacted to the people didn't last for long. Moses didn't follow the details of God's instructions, he has made water before, it involved a rock but the details were more important than he thought. In order to get God's blessing you need to do things they way he tells you.

Moses seems to be frustrated with the people he was called to lead, he seems to lose his composure and lashes out at the rock instead of simply speaking to it. To make it worse it seems like Moses is taking credit for providing the water instead of giving God the glory. 

You see, it isn't just the nation that struggled, the leaders of God's people have their own fears, doubts and frustrations with God and with his people. God has dealt with Moses as he has with the rest of the nation, with patience and grace, but this time Moses will have to face serious consequences.

God's leaders fail the test

After everything that Moses has been through with these people it seems harsh to us that God tells Moses that he will not lead Israel into the Promised Land. The next time they reach the border Moses would get a preview but he will not get to enter.

We want to defend Moses and tell God that it isn't fair to treat him so severe, that's a natural reaction that comes from our own experience with God, we all know that we have been worse than Moses and we got away with it. We know that there are plenty of times when God didn't give us what we deserved.

When Moses failed earlier in life God gave him grace but as Moses grew in his faith God's expectation that he would grow in faith and obedience. 

Numbers 20:12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!"

God requires the leaders of his people to be held to a higher standard and they often experience greater consequences that are a lot more severe. (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:6-9, James 3:1)

A leaders faith and failures affects other people, when their faith is strong it is a blessing to those under them but the opposite is also true. When they fail they can ruin their own lives and the lives of the people they are supposed to influence for good.

If you think about it, the severity of God's punishment to Moses and Aaron in this situation is similar to the punishment when God's people refused to trust and obey and enter the Promised Land.

The death penalty is the result in both the failure of God's people and the failure of their leaders. The people that voted to not go into the promised land died as a result of wandering in the wilderness and the leaders that failed also died in the wilderness because they didn't trust God.

Just before God allows the next generation to enter the Promised, Moses warns them that they must choose for themselves, he reminds them that trusting and obeying are often linked to God's blessings. (Deuteronomy 28:1-68)

I need to see the ugliness of my sin in light of God's holiness, I need to remember that living in grace is not a license to sin, I will not have prosperity, peace, and divine favor if I live like the world. (Psalm 1:1-3, John 15:10-11)

I need to be careful to trust and obey in times of prosperity and also when I am walking through the wilderness, especially as a leader in the church. As a child of God, my story should bring glory to him, without shame.

I need to give God the glory for the great things he has done. (Deuteronomy 8:17)

RELATED ARTICLES

Broken Leadership (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)

Timeline - Israel In The Wilderness (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)

Aaron's Staff - Resurrected From The Dead

A dead stick brought back to a fruitful life.

Numbers 17:4-5, 8 Place these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant, where I meet with you. 5 Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people's murmuring and complaining against you.

8 When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron's staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds!

My study of the Old Testament has taught me a lot about priest and their special calling to serve God and his people. One of the ways that God set his people apart from other cultures was in his rules for worship.

It seems that worship has always included sacrifice, ancient cultures around the world offered sacrifices to their "gods" long before the Levitical priesthood. Even in the Bible there are examples of priestly roles being performed by ordinary men. (Cain and Abel, Job, Melchizedek, Noah, Moses)

But when God chose a people (the nation) he also chose a people (the priest) to lead them in worship and to be his ambassador to mediate for his people. Unfortunately God's people would challenge his decision to use a particular group of men to be their religious leaders.

Man Wants To Be In Control

In my recent post about Korah's rebellion we saw that Korah wanted more privileges than God allowed, he had a special God given job in the Tabernacle but he wanted to get a promotion. But it wasn't just Korah, he was able to convince a group of men to follow his ideas instead of following God. (Numbers 16:1-11)

God already made his choice and told his people that Aaron’s descendants were set apart for the priesthood “forever, from generation to generation.” But that wasn't good enough to keep Aaron's position from being challenged by the men that served under the priest. 

Man has always wanted to be in control of his life even if that means worshipping God in a way that God doesn't want. Being in control didn't work out well for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-24) or for Abraham and Sarah but we still struggle with the same temptation today. (Genesis 16:1-16)

Miracles Confirm That God Is In Control

God's reaction to Korah's rebellion made it clear that he is in control and if you rebel there may be severe consequences. But after his wrath and justice is revealed his people still don't get it. God will give his people another lesson about his desire for the priesthood.

This time God teaches his people in a softer response that demonstrates his grace and mercy. The people will get an object lesson, a visual that should help them to remember that God is in control.

God told Moses to place a bunch of dead trees (walking sticks) in the Tabernacle so that God can prove to his people that Aaron is the High Priest. The other sticks had the name of the tribe on them but Aaron's staff had his name on it so that it was crystal clear that he is God's choice from the tribe of Levi.

So many dead sticks sitting in the same environment but only one came back to life!

A dead stick doing something that only a a live stick can do while it is still attached to a tree is a miracle that only God could do. Aaron's staff was the only one to produce buds but God took it a step further and proved the buds were for real by having some of them produce fruit.

God had to be in control of every detail in order for this visual lesson to work, the buds and blossoms was pretty amazing but even the fact that the staffs were sticks from an almond tree is not a coincidence.

God's people would have remembered the golden almond buds and branches of the golden lamp that God told them to make for the Tabernacle. Without sunlight, the golden lamp provided the light that is needed in the darkness of the Tabernacle o that the priest could do their work. (Exodus 25 and 37)

Jesus Is The Light

John 1:4-5,9,18 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed God to us.

The light that shined in the Tabernacle was a picture of better things to come. Jesus was the true light, fulfilling the lamp's symbolism but expanding it's reach as the greater light of the world. 

God wants all men from around the world to worship him, Jesus’ light extends universally, offering salvation and truth to all people that will culminate in Heaven where "the Lamb is its lamp” (Revelation 21:23).

Jesus Is The Branch

Isaiah 11:1 Out of the stump of David's family will grow a shoot- yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.

Zechariah 6:12-13 Tell him, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of the LORD. 13 Yes, he will build the Temple of the LORD. Then he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles.'

Aaron's dead branch that produced fruit was a picture of something far better. The tree like lamp and the branch of Aaron's staff are a symbol of the promised Messiah that came up from a stump that was presumed to be dead.

The promised Branch that would produce an amazing amount of fruit had a lowly starting point in our world. Born in the disappearing lineage of King David in a small town to a humble family without status or renown yet he rose to become a "hero" in his day.

But he would lose all of his followers and finish his life even more lowly and humble than he was at the start. All of his fans would disappear as opposition grew against him, he became despised, rejected, betrayed and crucified.

How ironic that The Branch would be hung on a dead tree!

Ephesians 2:1,4-5 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)

What a paradox! The life giving Branch hung on a lifeless tree but unlike the dead wood of the cross this dead wood came back to life and turned his defeat into victory for my benefit. The dead Branch would come alive in a greater way than Aaron's staff ever did. 

In God's wisdom, the source of our physical life was put to death on a dead tree to also be the source of our spiritual life. Without Jesus I was just as dead as Aaron's staff that could not produce fruit. But if I become a part of the life giving vine that the Branch offers then I can also be used by God to produce fruit. (John 15:1-16)

Thank you Lord for making this dead man come alive. I pray that my life will produce righteous fruit that proves that I am alive physically and spiritually. (Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 1:11)

Rejecting The Power Of God

Mediators are necessary because of God's power and our rebellion.

Numbers 16:1-2 One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben. 2 They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly. 

Numbers 16:39-41 So Eleazar the priest collected the 250 bronze incense burners that had been used by the men who died in the fire, and the bronze was hammered into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. 

40 This would warn the Israelites that no unauthorized person-no one who was not a descendant of Aaron-should ever enter the LORD's presence to burn incense. If anyone did, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and his followers. So the LORD's instructions to Moses were carried out. 

41 But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed the LORD's people!"

Over and over again, God's people have rejected his sovereign rule in their life. We have already seen that God's people have rejected the pleasures of God and they have rejected the promises of God and in the last post we saw that God's leaders rejected their ministry that God blessed them with and desired more than he allowed.

A small group of men were able to get 250 followers to united against Moses and Aaron and demand better positions. And now there are the 250 bronze incense burners that belong to nobody.

The men also demanded that there be consequences for a lack of leadership in Moses. Why did God give them a leader that couldn't get them to "a land flowing with milk and honey." Where is our new home? Where are the fields and vineyards? (16:13-14)

Everything that was wrong with their situation was somebody else's fault. The entire trip from Egypt to the edge of the Promised Land was full of signs and wonders to help them learn that God is in control and he loves and wants to bless his people. 

Being in this wilderness at this point isn't God's idea, they rejected God's exit strategy then they rejected God's leaders and now they are rejecting God's power. (14:1-4) 

God Shows His Power So They Will Know

Numbers 16:30 "But if the LORD does something entirely new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have shown contempt for the LORD."

Moses shows great wisdom over and over again in Numbers 16, Moses says "the Lord will do something powerful and then they will know" over and over again. The Lord came through, he showed his power but sadly the people did not learn.

First God's people made Moses their excuse for not being in the Promised Land and now they blame him for the death of God's people. God's grace and mercy are coming dangerously close to an end

The power of God could not be more obvious and it couldn't be any more ignored. When you think they have learned their lesson, think again, it never took them very long to forget and lose their fear of God and his power.

Man Rebels Against God's Power

Numbers 16:41-42 But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed the LORD's people!" 

42 As the community gathered to protest against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of the LORD appeared.

43 Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the Tabernacle, 44 and the LORD said to Moses, 45 "Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!" But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground.

God’s people ignored His power to conquer the Canaanites and claim the Promised Land. They ignored His power again when He judged 250 rebels. Now, they seem blind to the danger of their own demise.

Moses and Aaron understand the situation, the power of God is coming against his people, Moses command to Aaron helped to affirm Aaron's role as the High Priest as God's wrath is turned away from his people.

It is difficult to understand that some people received the benefit of Aaron's work as High Priest while 14,700 people died before Aaron could get busy to save the rest. (Numbers 16:47-50)

Mediators Are Necessary

The Israelites stood at the edge of the Promised Land, yet they doubted God’s power to defeat the Canaanites. They rebelled again during Korah’s uprising, ignoring God’s authority, and now 14,700 more perish.

Yet, in His mercy, God used Aaron to intercede, as he rushed to offer incense. This act affirmed Aaron’s role as High Priest and revealed God’s heart to save. But Aaron’s work was only a shadow of something greater that was needed, something that could fully bridge the gap between sinful humanity and a holy God. 

That’s why we need Jesus, our perfect Prophet, Priest, and King. As our Prophet, he reveals God’s truth; as our Priest, he offers Himself as the ultimate sacrifice; as our King, he reigns over all creation (Hebrews 7:27).

Thankfully, God’s power to judge is matched by His power to forgive. The story of Numbers 16 points us to Christ, who saves us from our endless rebellion which started way back in Genesis 1. 

Today, reflect on this: Are you trusting in Jesus as your Mediator? Thank God for His grace, which provides a way to peace with Him!

RELATED ARTICLES

Mediators In The Old Testament (thegospelcoalition.org)

What does it mean that there is one mediator between God and man? (gotquestions.org)

Rejecting The Position Of God

It is dangerous to demand that God give you what you deserve.

Numbers 16:1-4 One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben. 

2 They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly. 3 They united against Moses and Aaron and said, "You have gone too far! 

The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the LORD, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the LORD's people?"

4 When Moses heard what they were saying, he fell face down on the ground.

Today we are looking at another way that God's people have rejected his sovereign rule in their life. We have already seen that God's people have rejected the pleasures of God and they have rejected the promises of God and now we will see that God's leaders are not content and will reject the limits that God has on how they can serve him.

As soon as God chose this people and made them a nation he gave them the rules for life and worship. Unfortunately it is way too easy for us to become unhappy with God's design, Satan doesn't have to work very hard to get us to reject God's promises, his pleasures and the position that he has for us.

Moses has already dealt with challenges to his God given authority, it started way back when they were still in Egypt and right after God brought them out of Egypt the people were still rebelling against Moses. (Exodus 5:1-23, 15:22-27)

God gave his people a social and religious structure to live by and he made the duties of Moses and Aaron and every other lower level of leadership very clear. God also made the penalty for doing things the wrong way very clear so it is difficult to understand how God's people rejected the rules that God made.

The people that became unhappy with their job assisted the priest in worship and they had an important job when the Tabernacle was being moved but they were not content, they wanted to do more than God allowed.

They could not go into the most holy area during worship and they could not go in that area to remove the holy objects so that the Tabernacle could be moved when it was time to break camp. The priest had to go in and cover the holy items and then bring them out the Kohathite clan. (Numbers 4:1-20) 

Their God given authority to work for him in ministry was not enough for them, they wanted a promotion, God set the rules for the priesthood and he already showed us how serious he is about enforcing the rules. 

Moses response was so wise! These guys better be right!

Numbers 16:5 Tomorrow morning the LORD will show us who belongs to him and who is holy. The LORD will allow only those whom he selects to enter his own presence.

Numbers 16:10-12 Korah, he has already given this special ministry to you and your fellow Levites. Are you now demanding the priesthood as well? 11 The LORD is the one you and your followers are really revolting against! For who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?"

12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, "We refuse to come before you!

These rebels are so bold that they ignored Moses' summons to meet with them and then they accuse Moses with outrageous allegations. The good old days back in Egypt should have been replaced with a new land that is also at least as good as Egypt was. 

For them to say that they experience the good life in Egypt, "the land of milk and honey" and demand the new "land of milk and honey" that they were promised. (Numbers 16:13-14) They seem to forget that they rejected God's promised land!

These rebels should have been terrified at the idea of "playing" priest just to see if they were allowed to do it. They were aware of God's response when Aarons sons didn't perform their duty as priest the correct way but they didn't seem to care. (Leviticus 10:1-3)

God handles the rebellion and the rest of God's people prove that they are just as bad as the men that God killed. The people had the nerve to accuse Moses and Aaron of being responsible for the death of these men.

Numbers 16:41 But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed the LORD's people!"

Really!?! Everybody knew the rules for coming into the Lord's presence. Moses didn't make the rules, God used Moses as the messenger to reveal his rules to God's people. (Proverbs 19:3)

God's people must be very careful about negative thoughts because they have a habit of growing very quickly and they spread to the people around us. A lack of contentment in where God has chosen to put you and the ministry that he has given to you can spiral out of control and infect the rest of the church.

Whether in the government, the church, or the home, God never grants authority for the power or benefit of those in authority. Serving God requires that you be his servant as well as a servant to those around you.

We must decide for ourselves if we are going to argue with God.

Galatians 1:10 Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant.

God's people must remain humble and be content with their God given ministry. We should strive to do our best in whatever God has called us to do, but be careful not to do our best to promote ourself. (John 3:30)

God's choice to use me and in what capacity is totally his choice. I can choose a different area of ministry and attempt to work "for him" on my own but the consequences can be very severe to myself and to the people around me that I was trying to serve. (Galatians 6:7-19)

RELATED ARTICLES

Lessons From The Life Of Korah (biblicalcounseling.com)

Who Were The Sons Of Korah (gotquestions.org)

Oh Death - MercyMe

You ain't nothin' but a stone, that my Savior rolled away!

Video: Oh Death by MercyMe

Oh death, I will not be afraid

In the end you will lose

I will dance on your grave

With the One who buried you

You ain't nothin' but a stone

That my Savior rolled away

Set you straight and set me free

Oh, death, you arе dead to me

Oh, death, you arе dead to me

Luke 24:5-6 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee,

Rejecting The Promises Of God

God's people still have trust issues that hold them back.

Numbers 13:28-31 But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley." 

30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. "Let's go at once to take the land," he said. "We can certainly conquer it!" 

31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. "We can't go up against them! They are stronger than we are!"

One of the main points of God's story in the Bible is the promise of God to take a group of chosen people to a Promised Land. God took his people from the depths of despair in the dark kingdom of Egypt and treated them with great grace and mercy as he lovingly guided them to live in a better place.

God also taught them to live a better way that reflects his values, he paused the trip at Mount Sinai to prepare his people to live in that land in a way that is totally different from the nations around them. Their new kingdom should have been a reflection of God's future kingdom that we are all longing to see but they failed to complete their mission.

But their struggles and failures are very much like ours. We all have the tendency to doubt God's goodness as we focus on our immediate circumstances and we begin to compare ourselves to others and sometimes we even think that the people that are not God's people have a better life.

It seems logical from a human perspective to believe that God's people should be treated the best and have the easy life, but God didn't separate us from the troubles of this life, When the trouble comes we can be tempted to believe the lie that the joys and blessings that God has for his people are somehow inadequate and not worth the sacrifice.

There is a lot that we can learn from God's people in the Old Testament that will help us on our journey across this wilderness that is our temporary home as we move towards the amazing destination that God is preparing for his people.

Travel Tips For The Road To The Promised Land:

Do Not Doubt God's Word 

In Numbers 13:1-3 it looks like it was God's idea for his people to scout out the land and the people that are there but 40 years later when Moses gives final instructions to God's people, it seems like God was just giving the people what they had already asked for.

Deuteronomy 1:21-22 "Look! He has placed the land in front of you. Go and occupy it as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. Don't be afraid! Don't be discouraged! 22 But you all came to me and said, 'First, let's send out scouts to explore the land for us. They will advise us on the best route to take and which towns we should enter."

The Israelites lacked the courage, and faith to take the land that God told them is theirs. After all of the protection that God provided since the plagues way back in Egypt, especially that last one, and after all of the care and protection on the way through the wilderness, they still didn't put their faith in God's word.

Do Not Discourage God's People

Negative talk can be all in your head or it can come from someone around you, we have to remember that it is way too easy to be discouraged and the negative talk that we listen can keep us from listening to God's voice. 

It's bad enough when one person does it but in these verses there is a committee, that's usually a bad sign, this committee was reporting about their research. You could call it opposition research, they found that God was honest about the goodness of the land but, they had a very big "but."

Numbers 13:28 But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!

Deuteronomy 1:26-28 But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God and refused to go in. 27 You complained in your tents and said, 'The LORD must hate us. That's why he has brought us here from Egypt-to hand us over to the Amorites to be slaughtered. 28 Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, "The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there-the descendants of Anak!"'

It only takes one negative voice to stop the work of God but this was the majority of voices in a committee so it would be almost impossible to overcome their recommendation. The negative voices set them back 40 years.

Certainly there must have been other travelers that they met along the way during those 40 years in the wilderness, those people must have been amazed that God didn't get his people to the place that he promised. But it wasn't God that failed, his people still had more to learn about how dependable he is.

Do Not Defy God's Will 

Numbers 14:1-4 Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. 2 Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. "If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!" they complained. 3 "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?" 4 Then they plotted among themselves, "Let's choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!"

Everyday God's people are forced to make a choice, will we follow the leader that God has given us or will we elect a new leader and go back to Egypt. Negative people in the church discourage God's people and stir up a rebellion against God's leaders.

Do Not Disobey And Deserve God's Judgement

Numbers 14:10-11 But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle. 11 And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?"

God showed up with some serious questions for his people, and suddenly his people are concerned about the consequences of their sin. They have always strived to have the easiest life possible and now that they know how God is going to punish them they decide it is better to obey his first command. 

Numbers 14:40-42 Then they got up early the next morning and went to the top of the range of hills. "Let's go," they said. "We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land the LORD has promised us." 41 But Moses said, "Why are you now disobeying the LORD's orders to return to the wilderness? It won't work. 42 Do not go up into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the LORD is not with you. 

Taking the land isn't an option any longer, since God isn't going with them, they will not have a victory over the Canaanites. They couldn't win no matter what they did, they were sentenced to death in the wilderness but if they rebelled and tried to defeat the Canaanites they would still experience death.

We love the Bible verse that says "If God is for you, who can be against you," but turn that around. If God is against you, it doesn't matter who is for you.

Reacting To God's Will

We need to know and understand God's will: Ephesians 5:17,20 Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to find delight in his will: Psalm 40:8 I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart." We need to whole heartly obey his will: Ephesians 6:6 As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart

I need to appreciate the promises of God and totally trust him to come through no matter what the evidence around me seems to be saying. God gave me the example of our ancestors found in the Bible to help me.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

Help me Lord to grow in faith and obedience to your will despite the fact that what I feel, what I see and what I think may be telling me to doubt your goodness. I want to trust and obey so that you will be glorified.