September 3, 2013
A REBEL HEART
Deuteronomy 1:26-46
Kathryn Stouffer
Central Truth
When we face hardships, we need to remember to rely on the Lord for strength and comfort and not be corrupted by the distractions of this earth. The Lord is our Daddy. He wants to keep us safe and always has our best interests at heart.
Key Verse | Deuteronomy 1:32–33
"But for all this, you did not trust the Lord your God, who goes before you on your way, to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go." (Deuteronomy 1:32-33)
Deuteronomy 1:26-46
26 Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. 27 And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’ 29 Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. 30 The LORD your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 32 Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the LORD your God, 33 who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go.
The Penalty for Israel's Rebellion
34 And the LORD heard your words and was angered, and he swore, 35 ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers, 36 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land on which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed the LORD!’ 37 Even with me the LORD was angry on your account and said, ‘You also shall not go in there. 38 Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. 39 And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it. 40 But as for you, turn, and journey into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.’
41 Then you answered me, ‘We have sinned against the LORD. We ourselves will go up and fight, just as the LORD our God commanded us.’ And every one of you fastened on his weapons of war and thought it easy to go up into the hill country. 42 And the LORD said to me, ‘Say to them, Do not go up or fight, for I am not in your midst, lest you be defeated before your enemies.’ 43 So I spoke to you, and you would not listen; but you rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country. 44 Then the Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do and beat you down in Seir as far as Hormah. 45 And you returned and wept before the LORD, but the LORD did not listen to your voice or give ear to you. 46 So you remained at Kadesh many days, the days that you remained there.
Dive Deeper | Deuteronomy 1:26-46
When I was younger, my family and I would go hiking in Colorado. But I, being a little diva, would stop frequently on the way up the mountain and throw tantrums because I thought the climb was too difficult and dangerous. My dad would continue to reassure me that he would provide safety and everything I needed if I simply obeyed. I would quickly be sorry for my tantrum, but 25 minutes later I'd start the process again. My immaturity kept me from trusting, but as I got older, I had faith and enjoyed these outings instead of rebelling.
Just as I don't always trust my parents' advice, we often don't listen to what God is telling us. In verses 32-33, we are reminded that God travels before us on our way because He loves us more than we can ever comprehend. Doesn't His selflessness convict you to do as He says?
Verse 29 tells us to not be shocked or to fear our enemies. We have trouble trusting God because we become consumed with little fears in our daily lives, which blind us from the perfect plan God has set. The Israelites disobeyed the Lord, acted presumptuously, and were consequently defeated (verse 43). Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling." In our arrogance, we think we know better, but we must remember to trust God.
To tame a rebel heart, we must trust God, because He is all-knowing. We must seek Him wholeheartedly and not be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6-7). Life following the Lord is an adventure. Enjoy it!
Discussion Questions
1. How have you rebelled against the Lord in the past?
2. Are you rebelling now? If so, what do you think is causing your resistance to the Lord?
3. How can you fully trust God with your deepest concerns?
4. What is an example of how God carried you or showed you the way through a difficult time?