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
