This week Michael writes how Israel sent spies into the Promised
Land to see if they would be able to enter into the land. Only two of the
twelve spies, Joshua and Caleb brought back a favorable report. The other ten
spies gave a bad report that Israel would not be able to conquer the land.
According to Numbers 14 the Children of Israel grumbled and complained that God
had "called them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness." They
wanted to appoint leaders to lead them back to Egypt. When Joshua and Caleb
said that God would prevail if they went into Canaan to take the land, the
people wanted to stone them.
Here is the story from Numbers 14:10-19 And
all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord
appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel. Then
the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long
will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?
I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of
you a nation greater and mightier than they.” And Moses said to the Lord:
“Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up
from among them, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They
have heard that You, Lord, are among these people; that You, Lord, are seen
face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a
pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if You kill these
people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak,
saying, ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which
He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’ And now, I
pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, ‘The
Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and
transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of
the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ Pardon
the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy,
just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
The people were concerned with their own happiness. They
were in pursuit of the blessing. Did Moses say, "your job, God, is to make the people happy?" What was Moses'
plea to God on behalf of the people? Moses didn't argue whether the
people should live or die for their rebellion and grumbling and complaining
against God. Rather, Moses pleaded for the glory of God. When we seek the
blessing instead of God's glory, do we deserve anything less than what the
children of Israel deserved? Moses reminded God that he is slow to anger
and exceeding in love. He also reminded God that he will not let Israel's
injustice go unrequited. God is a righteous judge. Those who rebel
against God will suffer the consequences unto the fourth generation.
The children of Israel subscribed to a
"Humanistic" doctrine. They were in pursuit of the blessing
instead of the Blessor. What makes something right or wrong according to
"Humanism?" Humanists don't think that God gives the standard
for right and wrong. Rather they think about the effects of their choices
on others and the "right" or kindest course of action that will
"do the least harm" according to the probable consequences of their
actions. They say that "morality" is something that comes from
within: affection, cooperation, and social instincts that are a
"natural" part of community. For a "humanist" the
ultimate "morality" comes from within ourselves and not from an
external God. The Humanist philosophy could be embraced by most so-called
Christians. What is the fallacy of this "humanistic" doctrine? Humanism
is the religion of “the flesh” desires. Humanism says I must worship myself for
I am the master of my own destiny, I am the captain of my soul. Humanism
reiterates the devil's original lie, "I'm my own God ... I shall be as God, knowing good from
evil."
The question is "do we deserve the Promised Land?"
Do we deserve the promises of God? All
we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way. A
Humanist's decision point is "what's the level of personal
benefit?" If this is our decision criteria as Christians, then there
is no difference between the actions of Christians and pagan unbelievers. In
order to be resurrected, we must first die to the God of self. The heart of
Christianity, as opposed to humanism, is the death of our selfish sin nature so
that we can be alive unto him.
Let’s pause Michael’s message about “Glory to God” and
continue on the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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