Read Numbers
14-15 & Mark
6:1-32
To discover:
As you read note the words said to describe Israel’s
failure.
To ponder:
Dissent travels fast. “All” and “every” member of the
assembly grumble on hearing the spies’ report, even threatening to stone their
leaders. And this the same evening.
The desire
is to reverse God’s work: choose a different leader and return to Egypt.
The godly grieve, recognizing how serious this is. Joshua and Caleb also affirm
the land is just as God promised (14v7-8), warning the people against
rebellion, and telling them that “if” God is pleased with them, he will give it
as he is “with” them. As with previous grumblings, God then speaks with the
people at his tent. Their action is to hold him in “contempt” and “refuse to
believe in spite of” the many miracles witnessed. We too must give an account
for “every careless word we speak” (Matt 12:36-37).
And we too should grieve the sins of the church.
Twice God
asks “how long” Israel
will act this way. It hints to his patience wearing thin, whilst looking to the
time he will give them new hearts. For now, he is minded to destroy them and
make a nation through Moses. But Moses intercedes. For us it is a model prayer.
Moses’ ultimate concern is God’s glory. If the people are destroyed, he feels
the nations would assume this meant God was unable to do as he intended. For
this reason he therefore calls on God to act according to his revelation of
himself. He quotes God’s words after the incident with the golden calf. This
event is similarly key in the history of Israel
(14v17-19, Ex 34:6-7).
God
forgives as asked, but destroys the faithless spies with a plague and condemns Israel
to living in the desert for forty years until every adult but Caleb and Joshua
are dead. These two have a “different spirit” and “follow” God
“wholeheartedly.” So only they and the children will inherit. Again, however, Israel
fail. Trying to remedy the situation, they admit their sin yet disobey this
“command” by now going into the land, only to be beaten because the LORD was
not with them.
Throughout
the contrast is between belief and unbelief - between trusting God by trusting
his word and his power to fulfil it, or being fearful in the face of what seems
to stand against it. We are warned not to display the same hardness of heart in
turning from God, lest we fall short of entering our eternal rest (Heb
3v7-4v11). When faced with the struggle with sin, the desires of life or the
hardships that can come with faith, we too can be tempted to grumble and turn
back, telling ourselves we’ve followed Christ pointlessly.
Chapter 15 affirms
that the people will eventually enter the land (15v2), giving instructions that
assume their harvests will be good (15v19-21). Most striking is that aliens are
counted “the same before the LORD” once more displaying his wider concern.
Offerings are specified for when
the community or one person unintentionally sins, and the seriousness of
intentional and so defiant sins is stressed. This is to “despise” God’s word. We
should take note. It implies unbelief. In Israel
such people were to be “cut off” (ie. destroyed in some way by the LORD). This
is immediately seen in God’s instructions over the Sabbath breaker. Knowing that
this was the great sign of God’s covenant relationship with Israel
made it a hugely defiant act.
As if acknowledging how hard Israel
are finding obedience, God then commands that they hang blue tassels from their
clothes as a reminder. Blue was the colour of the curtain concealing the ark
that contained the commandments.
Praying it home:
Praise God that he is faithful to his promises and able to
fulfil them. Ask him to give you a wholehearted spirit that never doubts this
or turns from him.
Thinking further:
None today.
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