From Jericho to Jerusalem

 

Zacchaeus and the Triumphal Entry

 Book of Luke Chapter 19

 

The Lord Jesus Christ was making His way to Jerusalem because He had an appointment with a cross and He intended to keep it.

 It had been only an hour or so that He had restored sight to a blind beggar from Jericho.

 This man, being blind, still recognized the Lord Jesus as the Messiah.

 Luk 18:38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

 As the Lord comes to the streets of Jericho, He comes to a short man named Zacchaeus.

 Zacchaeus was a Jew, but he was also a very rich man.

 Zacchaeus was so short that he had to climb up into a tree to see over the crowded streets as the Lord Jesus was coming into view as He entered Jericho.

 Being chief among the publicans meant that he was superintendent of customs and tribute in the district of Jericho.

 He would have been especially hated by the Jews and considered a traitor to Israel.

 Something had been bothering Zacchaeus for a long time.

 Zacchaeus was a dissatisfied man. His dishonest acquisitions had made him rich but had subtracted him from his peace of mind.

 He knew that the least he could do would be to repay those whom he had robbed. But his soul required more, and longed for salvation, such as only Jesus Christ could give.

 We call this Holy Ghost conviction.

 Here we see that the Lord Jesus knew what was going on with Zacchaeus before He met him.

 The Lord Jesus stopped under the tree where Zacchaeus was located and invited Himself to the home of Zacchaeus.

 Let's read:

 *****Luk 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

 We know that the walls of Jericho had fallen by a miracle of God in the time of Joshua, and he captured that city.

 Joshua also put a curse on this city; Jos 6:26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

 The city of Jericho had been re-founded by a man named Hiel, a Bethelite who did exactly what Joshua had said.

 1Ki 16:34 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.

 Not too long into the future, there was a college of prophets founded at Jericho, if we remember Elisha.

 2Ki 2:4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

 Jericho is no more than a collection of mounds today.

 *****Luk 19:2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

Luk 19:3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

Luk 19:4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

Luk 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

 That word “chief” tells us that Zacchaeus was a very rich man.

 Zacchaeus had one problem, and it was that his wickedness was starting to bother him.

 This was Holy Ghost conviction.

 The Holy Spirit was very busy during the time of Jesus, but He was not yet given to fill the believer.

 Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

 Joh_16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

 Zacchaeus could not understand it, but he knew he wanted to see Jesus.

 He knew it was more than curiosity; he just had to see the Lord.                            

Personal taxes and property taxes were collected by the Roman government, but the customs on goods were farmed out.

 This created a system that could be easily exploited.

 Zacchaeus had exploited this system until he was rich and probably caused the customs collectors under him to contribute to his wealth.

 There was a huge crowd waiting for the arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The streets were already crowded because of pilgrims going to Jerusalem for the Passover.

 Zacchaeus then climbed a sycamore tree to increase his chances of seeing Jesus.

 We should understand that if you are truly seeking the Lord Jesus, He will find you!

 This is how faith begins its work in us.

 We may not understand it at first, but we just know that once we meet Jesus, things will get better.

 He may not have been sure if Jesus would come that way, but something told him that He would.

 Zacchaeus was hated by those on the ground under him, but he was not ashamed to seek the Lord Jesus.

 We must never be ashamed of our Lord Jesus!

 All of a sudden, the Lord was there, and He already knew the name of Zacchaeus.

 *****Luk 19:5  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

Luk 19:6  And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

 The Lord Jesus invited Himself to the home of Zacchaeus.

 The Lord Jesus does not just want us to turn to Him, but He wants all those in our homes to turn to Him.

 This was more than Zacchaeus expected, but he became excited and he welcomed this opportunity to meet the Lord.

 Jericho was a city full of priests.

 Jericho was the summer home of the Herods.

 The Herods were the last of the Edomites and not Jews.

Jericho had a city government.

 All the religious world hated all publicans, and Zachaeus was chief of the publicans.

 The Lord Jesus set public opinion aside and chose the home of the most hated man in that city to dine with and lodge with.

 We should also understand that the Lord Jesus was going to Jerusalem to die.

This would be Zacchaeus's only chance to repent and accept the Lord Jesus for who He is. Our Savior!

 It was the same for all those lined up to meet Jesus; that day was the day of salvation for them all.

 1Jn 1:3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

 Zacchaeus obeyed the Lord and made haste, and joyfully received the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The naysayers, the mumblers, and the murmurers began to do what they do best.

 *****Luk 19:7  And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

Luk 19:8  And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. x

 By saying that Zachaeus was a sinner, they were also saying that they were not sinners.

 We know better!

 Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 Zachaeus realized that all those around him were staring at him, and most of them were not pleased with him or with Jesus.

 This crowd had nothing but contempt for Zachaeus.

 The world does not understand the love of God!

 A transformation is taking place in the life of this little man.

 The Lord Jesus had not told Zachaeus as he had told the rich young ruler.

 Zacchaeus came up with these things himself. He knew he was a sinner, and he knew his sins.

 Zacchaeus was experiencing a radical change in his life.

 Zacchaeus had a new attitude about his wealth. It just did not mean the same to him any longer.

 He would give it back to those who were poor.

 Luk 12:33  Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Luk 12:34  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 The rest of his wealth would be used to correct the wrongs he had done as a tax collector.

 Zacchaeus said, "In all those cases where he had defrauded others,” he would obey the Word of God.

 Zacchaeus knew the Scriptures; this was his sin.

 Lev 6:4  Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,

Lev 6:5  Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.

 He goes even further. Exo 22:1  If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

 This law applied to sheep, but Zacchaeus applied it to anything he had taken from anyone.

 This also seems to say that Zacchaeus knew those he had caused the most harm.

 This is what the Holy Spirit does: He will remind us of those we have harmed the most.

 How did the Lord Jesus respond?

 *****Luk 19:9  And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

Luk 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

 The Lord Jesus was speaking more to that crowd than He was to Zacchaeus when He said these words.

 Zacchaeus had been converted from Judaism to Christianity in a big way.

 Sadly, many more did not respond to the truth they had just seen and heard.

 Zacchaeus repented and changed his whole life.

 Zacchaeus was serious about giving his life to the Lord Jesus.

 Life has more meaning once you meet the Savior.

 It was the Lord Jesus Himself who proclaimed Zacchaeus to be saved.

 Jesus said it was repentance that saved Zacchaeus, but Zacchaeus would bring the message of salvation to his household.

 Zacchaeus met the Lord Jesus and brought Him into his heart and then took Him into his house.

Zachaeus now had peace in his soul.

 The Lord Jesus tells this entire crowd why He came to this earth: He came to seek and to save all who are lost!

 Rom 3:28  Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

 Zacchaeus put himself in a position to be saved by seeking Jesus, but the Lord Jesus did the speaking to the heart of Zacchaeus, and that heart was torn out, and a new heart was put in.

 Ezk_36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

 The Lord Jesus, on leaving Jericho, told the people another parable.

 After this, Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time.

 *****Luk 19:28  And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.

Luk 19:29  And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

Luk 19:30  Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.

Luk 19:31  And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

Luk 19:32  And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.

Luk 19:33  And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?

Luk 19:34  And they said, The Lord hath need of him.

Luk 19:35  And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. 

Luk 19:36  And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.

 Before we get to this portion of our lesson, the Lord Jesus gives us another parable which relates to His servants while He is gone back to Heaven.

 Jesus makes it very clear that many of His servants actually hate Him.

 Many of these servants expected the Lord Jesus to take the throne of King David and run the Romans out of Israel and Jerusalem.

 Had the Lord Jesus claimed to be King?

 Jesus claimed to be King of a place not on this earth.

Jesus claimed to be the King of Peace.

 We know when He returns, He will become King of this earth for one thousand years.

 There is a three-thousand-foot rise in elevation from Jericho to Jerusalem.

 Going to Jerusalem was an uphill walk all the way from Jericho.

 The Lord Jesus knew it was time to fulfill His destiny as told by the prophets.

 His purpose was to suffer and die for all mankind.

 He would enter Jerusalem as the King Messiah in peace.

 Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

 It was the providence of God that the Lord Jesus would enter Jerusalem in such a dramatic fashion.

 The whole scene was centered around Him riding into the city of Jerusalem on this colt, which had never been broken.

 If that colt had spoken, it would have said it was happy to carry the burden of the Lord, for His burden is light.

 The Lord Jesus had come to Jerusalem as the Prince of Peace.

 Isa_9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 The Lord Jesus had claimed the right to use this colt because He is Lord of all creation.

 The Greek word “kurios” is used here, which means the One with Supreme Authority.

 In the New Testament that word Lord carries the same meaning as Jehovah in the Old Testament.

 I have often felt like I was that colt tied to sin and only Jesus could make me free.

 Exo 13:13  And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.

 If the Lord Jesus had not caused me to be made free, then I would have died because He would not have redeemed me.

 Fetching this colt was extremely important if the Lord Jesus was to proclaim He was indeed King.

 When we are delivered from the bondage of sin, we are servants who carry the Lord around in our hearts and on our feet.

 This is our duty as the servants of God.

 Rom_12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 When the Lord Jesus gives us specific instructions, and we follow them exactly, things will go just as He said.

 We are not to add to or take away from His Word!

 Bethany was a suburb of Jerusalem, only two miles from Jerusalem.

 When the Lord Jesus was in Jerusalem, He stayed with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in their home in Bethany.

 The message of Jesus was very clear:

 1) He was the promised King the prophets had talked about.

2) He was not coming as a conquering King or as any world leader at this time.

3) He was coming as Savior with Peace.

4) Jesus came to show the world that God is first the God of Love and Reconciliation.

 This colt was a symbol of Peace.

This colt was a symbol of service.

This colt was a symbol of sacredness because it had never been ridden by any man, woman, or child.

 1Sa 6:7  Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:

 The Lord Jesus wanted the world to know that He indeed is that sacred hope promised in the Scriptures.

 Tit_2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

 The Apostles threw their coats upon the colt to form a saddle to protect the colt.

 The rest of their coats they threw upon the road.

 You see, not only our deeds but also our walk should be subject to the Lord Jesus.

 There were thousands of pilgrims along the road to Jerusalem, and they threw their coats or palm limbs on the roadway.

 Many of them had seen the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead and many other miracles.

 This crowd that would be in Jerusalem was probably the largest crowd to have ever assembled in Jerusalem.

 They clearly saw that the Lord Jesus was coming in peace.

 Psa 115:1  Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.

Psa 115:2  Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?

Psa 115:3  But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

 These people praised God for His truth.

 *****Luk 19:37  And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;

Luk 19:38  Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

 Most of the people in the area of Judah and Galilee had heard of the things that the Lord Jesus had done, and most of these same people had come to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast with great hope.

 They truly hated Rome.

 Many of them realized that the Lord Jesus Christ had the power to do anything He chose to do.

 Act 10:36  The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)

Act 10:37  That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

Act 10:38  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

 They thought the hour of freedom from the tyranny of Rome had come.

They thought that God was going to free all the nations of the earth from Roman domination.

They thought that Jesus would set up His throne in Jerusalem to rule and reign over the righteous.

They thought Jesus would establish Israel as the leading nation of the world.

 They had failed to see many things.

 They failed to see that Jesus was riding a colt of a donkey, which was a sign of peace.

They failed to see that Jesus was riding an animal of burden, to carry the burdens of all mankind.

They failed to see that Jesus was riding an animal of Sacredness.

They failed to see that Jesus was riding a humble animal that symbolized meekness.

 1Pe 2:23  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1Pe 2:25  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

 And then the Pharisees speak.

 *****Luk 19:39  And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

Luk 19:40  And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

 No one was going to get a Pharisee to praise the Lord Jesus.

 The Pharisees are the enemies of the Lord, and they were disturbed at what was happening around Him.

 What they see is unacceptable in their eyes and must be stopped.

 These same ones had already given the order to hunt Jesus down and murder Him.

 To them, Jesus was no more than a teacher and not a very good one.

 They considered the Lord Jesus to be an insurrectionist.

 Those stones would have been very happy to sing out in praise of our Savior!

 We know that the Sun hid its face when the Lord was crucified.

 Mat 27:45  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

 We also know that the earth cried out in pain at the death of our Savior.

 Mat 27:51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

 Yes, those stones would have certainly cried if the Lord Jesus had told them to.

 *****Luk 19:41  And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

Luk 19:42  Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

Luk 19:43  For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,

Luk 19:44  And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

 It should be obvious to us that God has a true love for the City of Jerusalem.

 It really hurt the Lord to allow Jerusalem to be destroyed and the nation to cease to exist for over nineteen hundred years.

 God has a plan, and nothing will change Him from completing His plan.

 Psa 81:11  But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

Psa 81:12  So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

Psa 81:13  Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

Psa 81:14  I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

 The Greek word "klaio" means more than wept it means the Lord Jesus burst out in tears and wailed over Jerusalem.

 The Lord Jesus weeps for all the lost.

 Peace was actually within reach for Israel and Jerusalem, and they wanted no part of it.

 How many wars have been fought after the Lord Jesus offered peace, but the world wants no part of it?

 The people of the world will believe anything but the Word of God.

 This world is doomed to destruction because there is no faith!

 The word "shalom" means freedom from trouble, but it means much, much more than this.

 Jerusalem had only one day left to accept the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we know their answer.

 1) There is peace of the world. This is a peace of escapism, of avoiding trouble, refusing to face reality.

2) There is the "Peace of God". A peace that comes from deep within us, a tranquility of the mind, a peace that settles and strengthens through terrible trials.

 The source of true peace is the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Jerusalem fell because they could not see that in Jesus Christ, God had visited His people, and they had rejected Him.

 There is much greater devastation coming to this world for the same reason, and it is not far off.

 Amen

Always Complaining

 The Murmuring of Israel

Book of Numbers Chapters 13 and 14

As Christians we must realize that when put our own personal preferences before our focus on God and the Word of God, we are stepping toward idolatry!

We must learn to follow Jesus even when it seems things are against us! He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us all our days.

Being a Christian will never be easier than it is right now, until we get to the Glory World.

In fact we already know things are going to get worse here on Earth before the Lord returns.

Murmuring and complaining reveal to God just how far we are veering from true faith. 

In fact these things can reveal a total lack of faith, a lack of trusting in the Lord.

Grumbling and complaining about the way God does things is dangerous!

Israel began showing their lack of faith when they did not accept that Canaan Land, the Promised Land, would be as God described it.

Lev_20:24  But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.

We must understand that being negative to the truth of God will defeat us and then destroy us!

A negative attitude is always unwilling to face the facts!

A negative attitude will reject the truth of every situation!

A negative attitude will almost always lead to open rebellion!

A negative attitude will cause an unwillingness to listen and follow the truth!

A negative attitude about the Lord Jesus Christ will lead you straight to Hell!

At this time in this new nation of Israel, they had an unbelieving attitude, and it was separating them from our merciful God.

We should understand that Jehovah God will only tolerate such rebellion for a limited amount of time!

God knows our heart and God knows when our heart will never change.

Gen_6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: 

We could say that the striving of the Holy Spirit is not a physical thing but that it is the energy God uses to place the truth into our minds.

It could be called convincing or persuading, all taking place in our mind because of what is taking place in our heart.

The heart is deceitful, and this is the first place that the Holy Spirit chooses to do battle within us.

We call it Holy Ghost Conviction!

God had led these children of Israel to the entrance to Canaan Land and Israel refused to enter even though God had commanded them to and told them He would be with them.

We should understand that negativism and defeatism does not set well with God because cannot be defeated and he will never feel defeat.

The Lord Jesus Christ was not defeated when He went to that cross on Mount Calvary, He was the Victor, Satan was the loser.

Our God cannot be defeated, neither can the Son nor the Holy Spirit!

Instead of just entering the Promised Land as commanded by the Lord, this unruly mob decided they wanted more proof of the truth of God.

How many are out there today who are seeking proof for the existence of God when the sites if God's Creation is proof enough.

Anyone that believes this world came about by accident are just foolish!

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 

Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 

Jer_17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

God does not need to explain anything to us, we should be able to see the world we live in did not come about by some accident!

Israel chose out twelve men to go into Canaan Land as spies to see if the land was as God described it.

These were not just random men, but men who had leadership qualities and could be trusted, or this was what was intended.

It is at this time that Moses began to push forward a young man named Joshua (God saves).

Remember Moses could lead the Children of Israel to the Promised Land but only Joshua (Yeshua) (Jesus) could lead them into the Promised Land.

Canaan Land would include the lands of Israel today, plus Lebanon, and much of Syria.

The mission was conducted, and the spies left to make an assessment of the Promised Land for forty days.

One of the places they looked at was Hebron and God had already made a promise to Abraham about Hebron.

Gen 13:14  And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 

Gen 13:15  For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 

Gen 13:16  And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 

Gen 13:17  Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 

Gen 13:18  Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD. 

God does not ever forget His promises!

These spies returned after a forty-day mission and a report was given to Moses.

Was the Promised Land as God had said?

*****Num 13:26  And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. 

Num 13:27  And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

1) The land did flow in milk and honey.

This land was fertile, very productive, and fertile. We may see some typology of our own lands here in America but especially Israel.

The proof was in some of the fruit that these spies brought back with them.

This land could easily provide food for the new nation of Israel.

Their livestock would find plenty of grazing land and water was available.

It was a wonderful land because it was land, that God had chosen for His people. 

It was the Promised Land.

What had the Lord told Moses while these children of Israel were still slaves to Egypt?

Exo 3:7  And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 

Exo 3:8  And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 

Exo 3:9  Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 

Some of the promises of God were ready to be fulfilled, but there are always those who see a dark side to everything.

Reminds me of some of my own family.

*****Num 13:28  Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

Num 13:29  The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.  

Nevertheless, is a word that should never been used in the English language!

Nevertheless is a word that stands in opposition to the truth!

In other words, "even though everything is just like what Jehovah the Almighty God said and even though He will be with us at all times, the same God who destroyed the Egyptian army, which was the mightiest army in the world, those people look to be too strong for Jehovah God".

To hear ten of these spies those cities were so strong that no one could defeat them.

These men were defeated before they even started!

Putin thought that the Ukrainians would be this type of people and just melt before the Russian Army but that has not happened.

When we look out upon the world, we can see some mighty scary things and the thought of Nuclear War is a scary thing, but when you travel with the Lord there is no obstacle that is so great it can overcome God if we are obedient to Him.

No power on this earth can overcome the power of the Almighty God!

God had already given these children of Israel Canaan Land and He was not going to change His mind.

So what, there were some men that looked like giants.

The Jews are a shorter than average race of people and most every basketball player today would look like giants to them and even today there are a few men and women who are extremely large.

The Amalekites were a wicked people:

1Sa 15:18  And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. 

They were also warlike:

1Sa 15:32  Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. 

1Sa 15:33  And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

God commanded the Hittites to be destroyed they were so wicked along with those other nations:

Deu 7:1  When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; 

Deu 7:2  And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: 

To not enter the Promised Land as commanded by the Lord God, was to reject God!

There were two, Caleb and Joshua, who saw no problem in being obedient to God.

We should understand those ten spies were exaggerating and distorting the truth saying that God had led them to their death.

God will never do such a thing, but even if I die, I will still be with Him in Heaven before this carcass of a body ever drops to the ground.

These men brought an evil report when God was seeking strength and courage like that of Caleb.

The same strength God is seeking from the Church.

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

This wicked distortion of the truth turned the hearts of these people against God.

This is what is happening in our world today! There is a wicked distortion of the truth, or we could say truly little truth from the leaders of nations.

*****Num 14:4  And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. 

Num 14:5  Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 

Num 14:6  And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: 

Num 14:7  And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 

This wicked report spread through the people like Covid 19, and the words of Joshua and Caleb were not heard at all.

They all put on their mask and waited for this virus to kill them just like this world has done for more than two years.

All they could think of were cities with such strong walls they could not toppled.

Men so strong they did not need weapons.

Even giants that could not be stopped.

No one talked about the "Grace of God".

No one talked about the miracles they had seen.

No one remembered the angel of death.

No one talked about the "fire of God" or "the cloud" that had led them there.

Fear becomes an overwhelming force, when we allow it to take hold of us and many have during these last two years of Covid 19.

Some people are still so afraid they will still not leave their homes and a new delivery mechanism has been put in place by many retailers.

Nothing brings us into bondage as quickly as fear, but the Lord teaches us how to harness our fear.

2Ti_1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

When we have the Holy Spirit living within us, we have no reason to fear anything in this world!

We do not belong to this world any longer!

Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 

All the Israelites were grumbling in unbelief, the whole assembly!

Not a single person beyond Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb were trusting God.

They did not believe God could lead them to take control of the Promised Land.

It is said that no race of people can wail like the people of the East, and I can believe this even today!

The more this people expressed their fear the more they feared.

This people felt they would be better off to just die in the desert and God said "ok" if this is what you want, then this is what you will get.

Joshua and Caleb could not change their thoughts.

*****Num 14:8  If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 

Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 

These two young men did their absolute best to change the minds of this people but could not.

In the least, to rebel against the God who saved them, would bring dire consequences.

We know that even when we have the truth of God, most people will still fear what this world holds for them.

We will find that the rebellious lost of this world have such a great fear of this world they will want to destroy God's people and we see this today.

They do not want to hear what God has to say.

God will not tolerate unbelief and rebellion from any person for very long, and remember, they are already sentenced to damnation unless they repent.

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. 

When we fear this world more than we fear God, then one day God will show us why we are wrong, when He shows us why we should have feared Him.

Jud 1:5  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 

God condemns rebellion:

1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 

Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 

Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

We should understand that God is serious about the truth versus the lies of this world.

As Christians we have the truth of God!

We do not have to argue or run from the lies of this world!

All we need do is stand upon the truth of God and He will take us home one day to our true home the true Promised Land!

Amen