Believe the God You Believe in

July 2, 2019

Believe the God You Believe in

Numbers 14:20–45

Holly Carpenter

Central Truth

This generation of Israelites believed God was real, but they did not believe He is who He said He is—provider, protector, and savior. In the face of death by hunger, thirst, or war, they chose death by wandering away from their God and His promises.

"[N]one of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it."

God Promises Judgment

20 Then the LORD said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. 21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. 25 Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

26 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 27 “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me. 28 Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: 29 your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, 30 not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.’ 35 I, the LORD, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die.”

36 And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land— 37 the men who brought up a bad report of the land—died by plague before the LORD. 38 Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.

Israel Defeated in Battle

39 When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 40 And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned.” 41 But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will not succeed? 42 Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. 43 For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.” 44 But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.

Nobody wanted to write a devotional over a passage of Scripture that referenced "dead bodies" three separate times—which is why I'm here, writing to you today. At first glance, it sounds like the climax of a horror film. At a second, much deeper look, it's far worse.

This generation of Israelites had seen a lot. The power and faithfulness of God had drastically altered their lives, but the biggest alteration was about to come from the pride and faithlessness of their own people.

After a whirlwind adventure of emancipation from slavery, delivery through the middle of a sea, and daily provision in the wilderness, God's people STILL wrestled with trusting Him. They saw His mighty works, but continued to "put [Him] to the test these ten times and ha[d] not obeyed [His] voice" (Numbers 14:22b).

Because this generation of Israelites chose to believe in their current circumstances rather than the God who defies such circumstances, they did not receive the gift of the Promised Land. The author of Hebrews rightly identifies the reasoning for this as their unbelief (Hebrews 3:7–4:13). They believed God was real, but they did not believe that He is who He said He is—provider, protector, and savior. In the face of death by hunger, thirst, or war, they chose death by wandering away from their God and away from His promises. A sad and horrifying ending, indeed.

We are more like the Israelites than we care to admit—stubborn, fickle, and desperate. We trust God when it is easy and run when it gets hard. Thankfully, we follow a God who forgives sin and continues to warn us against it. Hebrews 3:7b-9 rings true for us, just as it did for the Israelites: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years."

This generation of Israelites saw the power and majesty of their God on display, and yet they chose to forget His faithfulness and fulfilled promises. Let this serve as a testimony to us today—trust in the God of the Bible and live in a way that indicates we believe the God we say we believe in.

1. Which promises of God do you trust and believe to be true? Where in Scripture do you find assurance of these promises?

2. Have you seen God move and work in your life as you have believed these promises? If so, how?

3. Which promises do you find yourself struggling to believe? Can you find these promises in Scripture? If so, where? If not, take some time to research, ask your community, and discuss together.