Category: Teachings
Faith, Fear, & False Repentance: God’s Judgment and Mercy

Faith, Fear, & False Repentance: God’s Judgment and Mercy

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Judgment and mercy. These are two things you might not expect to go together. But a Biblical view of God and His character holds these two words side by side. If you lose judgment, you end up with a God who does not ultimately care about sin. But if you lose mercy, you are left with an utterly hopeless view of life.

God’s response to Israel’s unbelief involves both judgment and mercy. Numbers 14 gives a clear look at the character of God and how He responds to His people’s sin. Through studying this passage, you see three truths about the Lord: God does not need anyone, God is merciful but there are still consequences for sin, and God more strictly judges those who spread falsehood about Him.

This post will look at each of these three truths so you can better understand how the judgment and mercy of God relate. Doing so will give you a bigger and more biblical view of God. Read through the last half of Numbers 14 before you continue reading if you need a refresher on the context.

God does not need anyone

In the last post in this series, I explained God’s response to Israel not wanting to enter the promised land. God declared Israel’s fundamental problem was unbelief. The Lord has brought them out of Egypt to the edge of the promised land, performing signs and wonders along the way. But here at the edge of the promised land, Israel crumbles due to sinful fear of the nations which already live in the land.

What is God’s response to this rebellion?

11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

Numbers 14:11-12, ESV

There is irony throughout this passage where God gives His judgment. Think of these verses this way: since Israel did not remember the plagues God hit Egypt, God would strike Israel with a plague. In other words, God is threatening to treat Israel just like His enemy in the book of Exodus. The Lord judged Egypt with plagues, now Israel will get judged in the same way.

How could God threaten this? Because Israel is behaving like God’s enemy right now. Their unbelief and rebellion is as worthy of judgment as Egypt’s wickedness was. But you might ask, “If God destroys Israel, He won’t be able to keep His promises! God is stuck!”

But the text before us gives a different answer: God could destroy Israel in judgment and still fulfill His promises.

God is not dependent on anyone to fulfill His promises. He is utterly and completely sovereign. The Lord choosing to use a person or a nation is simply a mercy and a privilege, not a right or a guarantee.

God could just as easily fulfill his promises with or without Israel. The Pentateuch is incredibly clear: what makes Israel important is God’s plan, God’s promise, God’s choice. I have written before on God choosing Israel. I think one of the more helpful verses to remember is Deuteronomy 7:7.

The Lord was devoted to you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all the peoples. For you were the fewest of all the peoples.

Deuteronomy 7:7

God isn’t going to be manipulated. It is not as though God is thinking “Oh man, Israel really should be punished but drat, I made a promise to them! Guess they have me stuck!” No, God simply says “I could destroy this nation and still fulfill my promises!” It would not be a difficult thing for God.

We would all do well to remember the needy one is not God. It is us. We need God desperately, God does not depend on us at all.

God is merciful but there are still consequences for sin

If you continue to read Numbers 14, you see that God does not destroy Israel. In a future post I will look at Moses’ mediation and why God does not destroy Israel. Essentially what happens is God chooses to show Israel mercy. Israel does not get what their sin deserves because God is faithful.

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.

Numbers 14:20-23, ESV

It is important to notice that God pardons Israel, but there are still consequences for their sin. Both judgment and mercy are present. God swears by himself that Israel will not enter the land in this generation. It is not a “easy” consequence. An entire generation will die in the wilderness. You might think this is too harsh, but this judgment is incredibly merciful.

To understand fully what God does with this judgment, however, you must notice three ironies.

The first irony: Israel didn’t want to enter God’s promised land, so God judges them by giving them what they want. The entire generation will not enter the promised land.

Israel said out of fear in verse 2 “If only we had died in the wilderness!” God gives them what they prefer as an act of judgment. The entire generation will die in the wilderness.

The second irony: the scouts had 40 days to enter the promised land. In judgment, God will give Israel 40 years, one year for each day, outside of the promised land.

The third irony: Israel says “our children will be plunder in this land.” Israel is terrified the nations will take their children. But God in judgment says He will give their children the land as plunder. The opposite of what Israel feared will happen.

Each of these ironies demonstrate how just God’s judgment is. God simply gives Israel exactly what they asked for.

The judgment of God isn’t always taking away something you want. Sometimes, God judges your sin by giving you exactly what you wanted.

God’s stricter judgment for those who spread falsehood

Finally, God deals with those who were not loyal to the Lord: the spies who spread the bad report. God’s judgment on these spies is particularly harsh. Numbers 14:38 says only Joshua and Caleb survived. God reserved the most immediate and intense judgment for those scouts who lead Israel astray.

Why did God put to death these scouts? The text leaves no question of their guilt: Numbers 14:36-37 says they incited the community to complain and they spread a negative report. The text repeats that the spies spread a negative report 2 times for emphasis. The spies were given a position of authority, but they used this authority to spread falsehoods about God. James 3 gives a similar warning to the Church.

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

James 3:1, ESV

God’s people receive both judgment and mercy in response to their sin. But God’s judgment is always just. This means the people who were most responsible for the rebellion, the spies, were judged more harshly. If you have a position of authority in the Church, use it to speak truths about God. Spreading lies or falsehoods about the gospel is inviting God’s judgment.

The question is: did Israel get it? After God’s judgment and mercy, did Israel truly repent in response? In the next post in the series, I will show how their response is one of the best examples of false repentance in Scripture. All of Numbers 14 serves as a sobering warning about how you and I relate to the Lord.

Click here to find other posts in this series. If you are enjoying this series, check out my other series “Happy?” where I go through the Psalms and examine what they teach us about true happiness.
What it Means to Trust in the Lord

What it Means to Trust in the Lord

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The pursuit of happiness is a fundamental axiom of our culture. People propose all sorts of ways to achieve joy. However, God has declared happiness is possible only through Him and His word. Psalm 40 connects your happiness to trust in the Lord. But the question remains: what does trusting in the Lord actually mean?

In our study of the Psalms so far, we have seen a number of truths about happiness. It depends on whether you are on the world’s side or Jesus side. Belonging to God leads to happiness. Those who have God as their refuge are happy. Amazingly, the Psalms have still have more to say about happiness. But thus far, we could summarize the Psalms teaching about happiness as

Your happiness is directly dependent on the state of your relationship to God.

Every Psalm thus far has fleshed out this fundamental truth. It isn’t your circumstances that determine your happiness. Happiness is found in God alone and therefore how happy you are is dependent on how you relate to the one who created you.

Psalm 40 expounds on this principle further. The Psalm is full of thanksgiving, praise, and petition. But what shines most clearly is the Psalmists relationship with the Lord. In the second section of the Psalm, the author connects happiness to trust in the Lord. You can read the whole Psalm, or read verse 4 below.

How happy is the man who has put his trust in the Lord and has not turned to the proud or to those who run after lies!

Psalm 40:4, HCSB

If this verse was given out of context, it would not be very helpful. But from the surrounding verses, there are at least 4 clarifying truths which define for you what trust in the Lord really looks like.

1. The alternatives to trusting the Lord

Turning to the proud for help

This is the first of two “counterfeits” Psalm 40:4 gives to trusting the Lord. “Turning to the proud” simply means running to those who do not rely on the Lord for help in times of trouble. The proud don’t need the Lord. Pride keeps us from humble dependence on the one who created us. It is an attitude of self-sufficiency. Even though you can know that pride is a sin, in times of difficulty, stress, or trial, it can be tempting to turn to prideful people for help.

Where do you go when times are difficult? Oftentimes it is so easy to go to anyone but the Lord. Psalm 40 warns you: if you seek help from people who don’t love the Lord, you will not end up happy. Even though people who don’t seem to need the Lord appear to have their lives together, self-sufficient people cannot ultimately aid you in your time of need.

The best help you can give someone in suffering or difficulty is pointing them back to the Lord. God-dependent people encourage others to depend on God.

Turing to lies for help

The second “counterfeit” is turning to lies. I take “lies” in this passage to mean “anything that claims authority but is contrary to God’s revealed instruction”. As soon as times get difficult you are bombarded with solutions and worldviews which seek to help you. They may sound incredibly appealing. Some promise quick fixes or support. But Psalm 40 says if you run after those things, happiness will elude you.

How can the Psalmist say this? Because anything contrary to God’s word is contrary to reality. The Bible doesn’t claim to be a nice book that is sometimes helpful. No, God’s word claims to reveal what the world really is like. It is not enough to read your Bible when times are good but run to worldly thinking in times of difficulty. If a teaching or an ideology is contrary to the Bible, it is a lie. Running after a lie will send you on the fast track away from the Lord and away from happiness.

Both self-sufficiency and living according to teaching contrary to Scripture demonstrate a heart which is not trusting the Lord.

2. Trust in the Lord means waiting on the Lord

Psalm 40 starts out with an example of trusting the Lord. The Psalmist simply waits patiently. If you read the following verses, it seems the Psalmist had been crying out to God for help during an adverse circumstance. But the phrase “I waited patiently for the Lord” points to the reality that God did not deliver the Psalmist right away. So the Psalmist had to wait.

One of my favorite Christian books on dating has an amazing quote.

The normal posture of the Christian life is waiting.

Deepak Reju

What a helpful quote. I think a lot of times it is easy to make your trust in the Lord conditional on whether He solves your problems right away or not. You might think to yourself “I’m trusting the Lord! So why hasn’t He removed (fill in the blank difficulty, trial, etc.)?” Such a heart attitude fails to recognize a major part of trusting the Lord is waiting patiently for Him to act.

Isaiah 30:18 even further clarifies this point.

Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy, and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God. All who wait patiently for Him are happy.

Isaiah 30:18, HCSB emphasis added

God does not promise to act in your timing. He doesn’t follow your schedule or remove every burden the very second you desire it removed. But look at what He does promise! You can be happy in the waiting. Why? Because waiting on the Lord to act means you are trusting, relying, and depending on God not yourself. And if God is the one in control, what do you have to fear? He will either deal with your problem in due time or change you so that you can bear the problem.

3. Trust in the Lord means delighting in His word

Verses 6-8 give another picture of what trusting the Lord looks like. Rather than listening to the lies of the world around him, the Psalmist instead has God’s instruction living within Him. The Psalmist even goes farther than that and says he delights to do God’s will. What is the significance of this?

If you are trusting in the Lord, you will be one of those people who is always consulting their Bible.

Oftentimes, “trust in the Lord” is an abstract thing. It can be very hard to discern whether you are trusting God or something else. Want to know a simple check to see what you are trusting? Ask yourself what you listen to. Who you listen to. What you read. Those who trust the Lord are humbly dependent on God’s word and it is their delight. They see the value of it.

If you trust the Lord, His word will be your primary “counselor” as it says in Psalm 119:24.

Your decrees are my delight and my counselors.

Psalm 119:24

Who do you consult first when something goes wrong? Which people do you contact? The writer of Psalm 119 consulted God’s word. You will not find happiness until you trust the Lord. And you will not truly trust the Lord unless you run to His word in every circumstance.

4. Trust in the Lord means sharing Him with others

Waiting patiently on the Lord and consulting His word are both very private and personal ways you actively trust God. However, Biblical faith never stays private. If you read verses 9-10 of Psalm 40, you see the Psalmist proclaiming God’s greatness. Why?

Hide God’s word in your heart. Reveal God’s greatness with your praise.

When the Psalmist saw God’s worth, when God delivered him from distress, the only logical outcome was for the Psalmist to publicly praise the Lord. The words used in Psalm 40:9-10 are “proclaim”, “did not hide”, “spoke about,” and “did not conceal”. The Psalmist is making it evident to his hearers that God is worthy.

What is the goal of all this praise and proclamation? Verse 16 of the Psalm gives the answer:

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let those who love Your salvation continually say, “The Lord is great!”

Psalm 40:16, HCSB

When you are trusting the Lord and you see the happiness that comes from trusting the Lord, you should want to share it with others. Your heart should want other people to realize the Lord is great and to put their trust in Him. Evangelism and sharing God’s word with others should not be a difficult burdensome task. Not for a person who has trusted in God.

An analogy might be helpful. Imagine you have some terminal illness. You decide to try out a new, experimental treatment. Then imagine that treatment completely cures you. Now, if you knew that there were other people who had that same illness and were in need of that same treatment, would you need anyone to force you to tell other people?

For those who have trusted in the Lord and tasted His goodness, it is no great sacrifice or difficulty to proclaim to others how great God is. How faithful His love is to those who fear His name. In fact, one of the ways to tell if you are actually trusting in the Lord is to examine how yous speak about Him to others. Do you speak about His love towards you with others? Is there a desire in your heart for everyone to say “Yes! You are right. God is great. I shall trust in Him alone?”

Conclusion

Trusting the Lord isn’t some abstract thing. It is immensely practical. You cannot be truly happy without it. Trust in the Lord is simply abandoning self-sufficiency and other “quick fixes” and patiently waiting for the Lord to act. In the meantime you make God’s word your instruction. And when the Lord does act, you praise Him publicly so others are reminded to put their trust in Him.

If you feel that happiness eludes you, ask yourself honestly before the Lord “Who or what am I trusting?”

Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram so you don’t miss any posts or tools. Any books or resources you have found helpful? I would love to hear from you!
Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: Unbelief in God

Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: Unbelief in God

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Unbelief in God and His promises is often your fundamental problem in life. It keeps you from the happiness you desire. Unbelief can lead to sinful fear of man. It is based on feelings rather than revealed truth. And in Numbers 14, unbelief in God is the sin that ultimately keeps Israel from entering the promised land.

In the last post of this series, I discussed the progression of sinful fear in Numbers 14:1-4. Israel started out weeping out of fear. Then they started complaining. And finally Israel fell into outright rebellion against God. Israel declared it would be better for them to appoint their own leader and return to Egypt, the place the Lord just freed them from.

Then, God shows up. God declares His take on Israel’s situation. How does the Lord interpret Israel’s rebellion?

11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

Numbers 14:11-12, ESV

Israel’s problem is unbelief in God

There are two parallel statements in Numbers 14:11-12. The first is “how long will this people despise me?” and the second is “how long will they not believe in me?” The primary question you must ask as a reader is what is Israel not believing about God? The answer from the text: Israel isn’t believing God is powerful enough to keep His promises.

Israel thinks the problem is the nations in the promised land are just too strong. But that isn’t the main problem.

God declares that Israel’s problem isn’t nations around them or their circumstances. It is a wrong theology, a wrong view of who God is.

God goes as far as to say Israel has despised Him. That is strong language. How has Israel despised God? By their unbelief. God says Israel has no excuse for their unbelief because He performed plenty of signs and wonders among them. 

As my Pastor always says, unbelief in God is not an intellectual issue. Israel did not need more signs or more evidence of God’s power and ability to keep His promises.

What belief in God looks like

It is interesting to contrast Numbers 14 with what happened in Exodus 14.

29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Exodus 14:29-31, ESV emphasis added

This text details Israel’s reaction after they cross through the Red Sea and God destroys the Egyptian army. The text says God saved Israel from the Egyptians and Israel saw the Egyptians dead. Israel observed this great act of God on their behalf. What was their response?

  • They feared the Lord
  • They believed in the Lord
  • They believed in His servant Moses

There is a connection between seeing what the Lord has done and fearing Him and believing in Him. In Numbers 14, you see the opposite of this.

Instead of fearing the Lord, Israel is fearing the nations. Nations not any more powerful that Egypt who God defeated clearly and decisively. Instead of believing in God and in His servant Moses, Israel is ready to rebel and go back to slavery.

God looks at this fear and lack of faith and calls it for what it is: Israel is despising Him. Rejecting Him.

The high cost of unbelief in God

God does not deal with Israel’s unbelief lightly. In Sailhamer’s excellent commentary, he points out that all Israel is going to face in the rest of the Pentateuch is a consequence of their unbelief in God. They are going to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Not enter the promised land. A whole generation is going to die.

Why? Because of something Israel did in the past? Because of a battle they lost?

No. All these consequences are going to happen to Israel simply because they failed to trust in the Lord.

Unlike their behavior in Exodus 14, Israel is not properly fearing the Lord and believing in Him. If you read through Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers up to this point, Israel has seen even more miraculous signs than they had in Exodus 14. But as I said before, unbelief isn’t based on lack of evidence. Israel had plenty of reason to believe God was powerful enough to bring them into the land.

How awful a sin is it to not believe in God? God is prepared to destroy Israel because they are not trusting Him. Is this too harsh? I mean, the nations in the promised land really are strong. Doesn’t God know trusting Him in spite of circumstances is difficult? Is unbelief in God really that big of a deal?

The answer God gives is this:

Lack of faith in God is equivalent to rejecting God

Without faith it is impossible to please God. The righteous will live by faith. Walk by faith and not by sight.

Israel had the promise that God would bring them into the land. They had seen the power of God displayed. They knew God had brought them out of slavery. So why are they fearful? Why are they rebelling?

Unbelief. Lack of faith in the promise of God. It might not sound like such a “big deal”. But unbelief in God is a rejection of Him. It is trusting in something other than His word as truth. Israel was walking by sight, not walking by faith in God and His promises. The consequences of unbelief are severe because God is so incredibly great and powerful.

Application #1: Your specific sins are fundamentally based in unbelief in God

This text should shape our thinking of what sin is. Fear and sin are related fundamentally to unbelief. You might fight and struggle with a myriad of different sins. Different people you know might fight different manifestations of sin. But everyone’s fundamental battle is against unbelief. It is a fundamental sin.

God is a promise-making, promise-keeping God. He doesn’t ask us to fulfill His promises; He asks us to trust Him (think Abraham). Simply believing in Him and His promises pleases the Lord. Therefore, not trusting in the Lord displeases Him. Unbelief in God and His promises is never a neutral thing.

A lot of times in my own life, I treat trusting in the Lord as something I can either have or not have. It becomes like a cherry on top of the Christian life.

It is also very easy in the Church to talk about trust in Lord very casually. A situation or a trial comes up and you here something like “Oh I just need to trust the Lord”, or “I’m struggling to trust in the Lord.” This makes it sound as if belief in God is a part of the Christian life rather than essential to it.

Believing & trusting in the Lord is not something you can choose to do or not do depending on your circumstances. It is the essence of the Christian life.

And belief in the Lord’s promises is essential when things get difficult. Often times, you and I have a very superficial view of our problems. So, we end up going after very superficial solutions. When you are faced with a difficulty, or problem, your first question should not be “how can I fix this problem?” Or even when faced with your own sin, your first question should not be “What can I quickly do to stop feeling guilty?”

When faced with a problem or your own sin, your first questions should be: What promises of God am I not trusting? What am I actually believing to be true? 

What promises of God should you have trusted to avoid this situation? What are you functionally believing to be true about God? Are there things you say you believe, but you aren’t living in light of?

That is what Israel needed to do in Numbers 14! To say “Wait a minute, we are fearful because we have forgotten God’s promises!”

Application #2: Know and trust in God’s promises to you

God promised Israel the land and that He would defeat the nations currently living in the land. A very specific promise, God explicitly gave to Israel. You might think that you don’t have any promises like that.

But you have to understand God bathes his people in promises.

If you read the New Testament, you see just as many promises (if not MORE) than the nation of Israel had at this point!

  • We are promised if we suffer with Him we will reign with Him! 
  • We are promised if we are faithless, He is faithful because He cannot deny Himself!
  • We are promised all things work out for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose!
  • We are promised God will make a new Heavens and a new earth where JESUS will reign forever!
  • We are promised that the sufferings of this present time are not WORTHY to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us!
  • We are promised that God has given us EVERYTHING we need for life and Godliness!
  • We are promised if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead you WILL be saved!
  • We are promised Neither death nor life nor ANYTHING in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Promise after promise after promise. Most of your problems in life are because you aren’t believing the promises!

Just like Israel. The next 40 years wandering in the wilderness comes simply from not believing and trusting in the Lord’s promises even though God has proven Himself again and again.

So next time you are faced with a problem, a sin, a difficulty, the first question you should ask is “what am I actually believing? What am I trusting in here? Am I trusting in God’s promises or is it not?”

  • When you are disciplining your children and it doesn’t seem to be working what promises should you trust in?
  • When there are difficulties in your marriage and you feel bitter or discouraged what promises aren’t you trusting?
  • When your career isn’t going as you wanted it to or you get passed up for a promotion you feel you deserve, what promises do you need to run to?
  • When you are single and you can’t seem to find contentment as you wait on a spouse, what promises aren’t you trusting?

The Bible says God is sovereign and has declared the end from the beginning. So stop and consider before the Lord what promises you are not believing

You are not in control of your circumstances. But in your circumstances, you can choose to trust the Lord and His word.

Always remember: unbelief in God is a sin. It is not a neutral issue. Personally as I have studied this text, I have found myself praying more “Lord I believe, help my unbelief!” May we all grow in faith in God’s promises.

You can listen to my whole sermon on Numbers 14 here. You can find a tools I used to meditate on the application of this text here and here. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to make sure you never miss a post or a new tool.
What Does It Mean to Take Refuge in God?

What Does It Mean to Take Refuge in God?

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What is “taking refuge in God?” It is a phrase used throughout the Bible, particularly in the Psalms. Psalm 34 gives us several answers. These answers are crucial for knowing how to have happiness in an uncertain world.

Psalm 32 showed us the fundamental path to happiness is through God’s forgiveness.

Psalm 33 revealed that true, lasting happiness comes from being a part of God’s people.

Incredibly, Psalm 34 also discusses happiness. If you have time, read the whole Psalm. Otherwise, the key verse to zoom in on is verse 8:

Taste and see that the Lord is good! How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Psalm 34:8 HCSB

Psalm 34 is a favorite for many people, and for good reasons: the whole Psalm brims with both worshipful adoration and practical instruction.

The New Testament authors also seemed to love Psalm 34. 1 Peter references Psalm 34 twice, and some verses from the Psalm are alluded to in the gospels as well. But in this famous and amazing Psalm, verse 8 stands out.

The Psalmist lays it out pretty simply: if you take refuge in the Lord, you will find happiness. So, if you and I are to find happiness, we must first understand what “refuge in God” means.

The question we must answer in this Psalm is what does it mean to take refuge in God?

The Psalm itself gives many answers.

Answer 1: Don’t merely know about the goodness of God. Experience it deeply in your life.

The analogy the Psalmist uses in verse 8 is “taste and see”. Obviously one cannot do either of these literally with God. What is the point then?

If I told you I was a good cook, you could agree or disagree. But if I prepared you a five star meal and you tasted my cooking, then you would “see” that I was a good cook.

That is the analogy here. Reading about the goodness of God, hearing about his goodness from others is great. But the Psalmist is calling us to something more.

Something personal. Experiential.

The Psalmist is praising the Lord for His deliverance and then turns and invites his readers to join both the praise and the joyful dependence on the Lord.

Then the Psalmist goes further. In Verse 10, he declares that those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing. Does that mean those who seek the Lord won’t suffer? Of course not. The Psalms are full of prayers to God to deliver from suffering.

The point the Psalmist makes here is those who seek the Lord will experience God’s goodness. Not just know about it. Not just have a head-knowledge that the Lord is good. But truly experience that “every good and perfect gift is from above.”

The greatest good you get from seeking God is simply God Himself.

Psalm 16 makes that point beautifully. It opens up with the request “preserve me O God for in you I take refuge.” What is that refuge like? “I have no good apart from you…The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup…”

Those who seek and fear the Lord will lack nothing because they have the goodness of God to satisfy them.

When you experience the Lord’s goodness, it increases your trust and reliance on Him. God isn’t calling us to a blind faith. An empty faith. A faith of well-wishes. The bible declares that there is a God who is sovereignly working all things together for those who are called according to His purpose.

Do you see that in your life? Have you tasted God’s goodness? Can you truly say you have no good apart from God?

Those who take refuge in God are happy because God demonstrates His goodness to them. Even in difficulties, even in suffering, you can rest on God’s goodness.

Application 1: Reflect back on your life. Do you see God’s faithfulness? What specific ways has He shown His goodness to you? Let your heart be stirred to joy and thank Him for those ways He has provided for you. 

Answer 2: Fear the Lord

Go through Psalm 34 and circle every time it mentions the fear of the Lord. It shows up several times throughout the Psalm. The first time fear shows up is in verse 4 where the Psalmist says the Lord delivered him from all his fears. I have elsewhere discussed there is a type of fear that is sinful, a faithless fear of man. God saves the Psalmist from that fear, but then verse 7 says the Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear the Lord.

Then again in verse 9: those who fear the Lord lack nothing. In verse 11 the Psalmist calls upon children to come and learn the fear of the Lord so they can enjoy life and what is good.

The principle is this: taking refuge in the Lord means you fear the Lord more than your circumstances or other people. The question you must ask yourself is “what does my heart fear the most? Other people? Finding myself in a less-than-ideal circumstance? Or does my heart fear displeasing the Lord more than all that?”

The reality is what you fear most will drive your behavior. You might think fearing the Lord sounds incompatible with knowing God’s love. But it isn’t. The Psalmist here is praising God’s goodness, calling others to experience God’s favor while at the same time calling us readers to also fear God.

Fearing the Lord isn’t contrary to experiencing God’s goodness. Fear of the Lord is foundational to it.

The question of verse 12 hits everyone who reads this Psalm: Do you delight in life? Do you want to live long? Enjoy the good things of life? Then you must behave in a way consistent with God’s word.

We saw this truth in Psalm 1. Happiness doesn’t come from living in rebellion to God and His word. It comes from submitting your whole life to His standard. That is when you experience true happiness.

And submitting to God’s standards and Word starts with a fear of the Lord. An awe of who He is. A recognition that He is God, and you are not. When you see yourself as a dependent creature rather than your own god, all of a sudden your life changes. You stop worrying about what you think about yourself or what others think about you. Instead, your mind is preoccupied with what God thinks of you and your life.

How can you know if you are fearing the Lord? Verse 13-14 give some ways to reflect on your normal behavior.

Application 2: Examine your normal day to day behavior. What kind of words come out of your mouth? Do you pursue conflict or peace? Do you do what God says is evil? Or do you delight in what God calls good?

Your normal behavior is a barometer for whether you truly fear the Lord.

You will never be happy in your life without fearing the Lord. That truth is taught consistently from cover to cover of the Bible.

Answer 3: Depend on the Lord

Your prayer life will reveal whether you are taking refuge in the Lord or not. Verse 17 says “The righteous cry out and the Lord hears and delivers them from all their troubles.” When circumstances get difficult, that is when your heart’s true refuge is revealed.

And Psalm 34 calls on its readers to cry out to God. In verse 15, its says God’s eyes and ears are set on the righteous. God is ready to hear their calls for help. What is more practical and comforting?

The difficulties of life often suck away your happiness. But this Psalm says there is a God who is there willing to hear your cries. Taking refuge in God means you aren’t self dependent. You aren’t indifferent to your circumstances. You simply take everything to the Lord in prayer.

How can you be sure God will care about your pain? Verse 18 says God is near the brokenhearted. The crushed in spirit. If you asked Christians in your local Church about their experiences of suffering, many of the older saints will tell how those sufferings brought them closer to God. Those sufferings gave them a deeper experience of God’s goodness and love.

Often times, it is in suffering that you taste and see that the Lord is good.

There is an excellent application of all this.

Application 3: Where do you go when life gets difficult? Your refuge isn’t the place you just go when times are good; your refuges in the one you depend on when your life falls apart.

The dependent person will be a praying person.

Finally, Psalm 34 describes the type of person who takes refuge in God

Taking refuge in the Lord means experiencing God’s goodness, fearing Him, and depending on Him. But there is one more point the Psalmist makes in the last verse. In a profound conclusion to an incredible Psalm, verse 22 says all those who take refuge in God will not be punished.

This connects back to Psalm 2. There it said all who take refuge in God’s anointed King are happy. This happiness in Psalm 2 is linked to not facing God’s judgment on the nations.

It is the same point here in Psalm 34. Verse 21 says evil brings death to the wicked and punishment comes to those who hate the righteous. But in verse 22, God will not punish those who take refuge in Him. God will redeem the life of His servants.

The point here is simple: refuge from God doesn’t just affect your happiness. It is the only way to avoid just punishment for your sin. The reality is “there is none righteous, no not one.” You and I have all fallen short.

You don’t keep God’s law perfectly. Your self-love is often greater than your love for God and others. The only one who can deliver you and I from punishment for these things is God Himself. Refuge in God means relying on God for grace and mercy. Both of these are ultimately found in Jesus Christ.

Application 4: Have your sins been covered? Are you a part of God’s people? If not, you don’t just need God to be a refuge from external problems. You need God to redeem you from your own rebellion.

God is a refuge to the righteous. But the only refuge that makes you righteous is the Lord Jesus Christ.

So, in conclusion, Psalm 34 has a number of truths about taking refuge in God. It brings happiness, it is linked to fear of God and dependence on God, and God is the only refuge which keeps you from punishment. I pray you will taste God’s goodness today and every day as you seek to take refuge in Him, not any lesser thing.

Want to better apply Bible passages like Psalm 34 to your life? I created this tool to help you ask good questions of yourself and the text you are studying.

Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to get updated whenever I publish a new post or tool.
Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: Sinful Fear

Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: Sinful Fear

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What does sinful fear look like? What can sinful fear do to your life? Numbers 14 gives a clear picture of what happens when your fear is misplaced. It stands as a warning for all of us.

In a previous post, I detailed why Numbers 14 is an integral passage within the Pentateuch. Israel is at the edge of the promised land, but they do not enter because of unbelief. (Click here to listen to my whole sermon on this passage).

But how does this unbelief manifest itself? Fear. Fear of circumstances and the nations who already inhabit the land.

Unbelief in God and His promises will often show itself in sinful fear of man.

In this post, I want to show you the different aspects of Israel’s fear and how it instructs you and I today.

14 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

Numbers 14:1-4 ESV

Emotive aspect of sinful fear

This passage comes right after Israel hears from the spies who entered the promised land. Numbers 13:36-33 gives their report. What is Israel’s reaction to the report?

They break down.

Fearful emotion is everywhere in the first couple verses of this passage. The text says Israel is crying loudly and weeping into the night.

This word used for weeping can also be translated lamenting. These aren’t just a few fearful tears. It is a bitter, despairing weeping.

Notice also this is not a minority of the people. The text says the whole community, the entire congregation is lifting up their voices and crying.

All this emotion comes simply from hearing the spies’ report. Israel has traveled all the way from Egypt to this land, and the spies’ essentially report back “Forget about it! No way are you entering the land!”

The spies said the people living in the land are stronger than Israel. Their cities are fortified. They spies even use some pretty colorful metaphors to get across to Israel just how scare the people in the land.

The spies compare Israel to grasshoppers. They say the land devours its inhabitants.

Basically, the spies tell Israel: if you try to enter the promised land, you are going to be eaten for breakfast! Squashed like bugs!

So Israel hears all this and what is their reaction? Crying. Not crying because of sadness. Crying because of their fear.

Israel is now afraid to enter the promised land.

Sinful fear leads to questioning the Lord

Forgetting God’s Promises

But in verse 2 and following, Israel doesn’t just stop at fear. Their fear makes them start to question God.

It says in verse 2 Israel started complaining and murmuring.

If you have been reading the Pentateuch, this word is like a warning sign for the reader: rebellion is coming! Sin is coming!

Three times in Exodus this word “murmuring” shows up in the context of Israel disliking their current situation. This is not the first time Israel has let their sinful fear lead to outright rebellion.

Israel then asks a “why” question in verse 3: “Why did God bring us into this land to die by the sword?”

So, Israel has now let their fear lead them to accuse God. In three short verses, Israel goes from crying to doubting the very God who brought them out of slavery.

Israel says essentially: “God, you brought us all this way just to kill us! You had this secret plan all along to harm us!”

Now remember, Israel had been in slavery in Egypt for years. They were not free, they were oppressed and mistreated. Then God through His own mighty power rescued them.

But in their fear, Israel does not remember this. It is an instructive point for us.

When you are afraid and let that fear take over, you forget reality. You don’t think clearly.

Israel should not be questioning God’s faithfulness or God’s plan for Israel. God multiple times up to this point has told them why He is bringing them to the land.

God from the beginning made it clear what His plans were with Israel:

2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’”

Exodus 6:2-8 ESV, Emphasis added

Notice: God in this passage is covenanting with Israel. God is promising to give them the land of Canaan as a possession. Why? Because God already promised the land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

So, the problem in Numbers 14 is not with God. At no point did God promise anything but redemption and blessing for the Israel. More than that, God explicitly stated multiple times He would give Israel this land they are so afraid of entering.

But as is so often the case, the external circumstances blind Israel to the promises of God.

Misplaced Fear

Israel’s fear not only blinded them to God’s promises: it also blinded Israel to who they should have feared. God.

The God who is a consuming fire yet who is dwelling in their midst.

The God who single-handedly freed them from Egypt.

The God who parted the Red Sea.

The God who struck down Nadab and Abihu.

God alone should have been the object of Israel’s fear.

There are a lot of things in the world to be afraid of. And in Israel’s case, at a human level, their fear makes sense. Israel seemed to be facing certain defeat and death if the spies’ report was correct.

That is why who or what you fear is so important. Fear affects our behavior. It drives a lot of our actions. Fear can blind us to reality.

And often times you and I fear the wrong things.

If your house was burning down, you wouldn’t worry if your dishes were dirty. By comparison, the dishes would not be a big deal.

In the same way, if God is the one you fear most, if you fear displeasing Him, if you are in awe of his power, then you don’t have time for lesser fears.

Israel’s problem is the people inhabiting the land are bigger in Israel’s eyes, then God.

And you see in our text all the sinful places this misplaced fear leads Israel:

  • It causes overwhelming emotion
  • It causes Israel to forget God’s redemption
  • It causes Israel to harden their hearts to the truth

What you fear will drive your behavior. This is why the Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Israel feared the wrong things. Make sure you are fearing the right things.

Don’t just ask yourself “What do I believe?” also ask “What do I fear?” Whether you fear the Lord or fear man will be seen in your behavior.

Sinful fear leads to rebellion

As if accusing God wasn’t enough, Israel goes a step further. Israel says they would rather be slaves again than continue forward.

At this point you might be thinking, “Israel is massively over reacting!” And they are. But that is how fear works. Fear takes you to the extreme.

Israel is so afraid that they want to be anywhere but here. They are ready to run. And you see this attitude many times in the Pentateuch: when circumstances get tough, Israel cries out “We wish we were still slaves in Egypt!”

And in Numbers 14, in addition to accusing God, Israel gets ready to act. they want to appoint a leader and get out of there.

This is a complete and total rebellion at this point. Israel is rejecting God, God’s appointed leader (Moses), and going right back to where they came from.

Back to Egypt. Back to bondage. Back to slavery.

How does this apply to Christians today? I think it serves as a sobering warning.

The other morning when I was praying, the Lord brought to mind a parable in Mark 4 that illustrates the same danger Israel fell into. It is the well known Parable of the Sower.

It is one of the few parables Jesus explained:

14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Mark 4:14-20 ESV, Emphasis added

In the two cases I highlighted, circumstances choke the word. In the first case, negative circumstances like tribulation or persecution keep the word from bearing fruit. In the second case, it is prosperity and desires for material gain that keep the word from bearing fruit.

Our circumstances can affect you and I. Just like Israel, often times when circumstances get scary or difficult or even when they are prosperous, we forget God, forget Jesus, and forget the redemption offered in the Gospel.

Oftentimes, responding to circumstances with fear drives you back to those sins which Christ redeemed you from.

Just like Israel wanted to run back into bondage because of their fear, fear of man can cause Christians to spiral into unbelief and sin.

Numbers 14:1-4 gives a stark warning to us all: fear of circumstances or of man leads to sin. Fear of God leads to obedience, trust, and wisdom.

So, in your quiet time, in your prayer life, in your personal reflection as yourself:

Who and what do I fear more than God? Why do I fear that person/thing/circumstance more than God?

For a study on the blessings of belonging to God, check out this post from my ongoing series “Happy?” Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to get updates whenever a new post is published.
3 Awesome Blessings of Belonging to God

3 Awesome Blessings of Belonging to God

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Happiness is attainable. Although there are many false paths which promise to lead to happiness, God’s word lays out the true path to happiness.

Psalm 32 showed us the fundamental path to happiness is through God’s forgiveness.

Psalm 33 also presents a truth that once you understand, your happiness will become more rooted and constant in this ever changing world.

Psalm 33 reveals that true, lasting happiness comes from belonging to God. From being a part of God’s people.

Take a few moments to read through Psalm 33. There are a few things I want you to notice from the Psalm.

Observe how great a God this Psalm describes

This Psalm focuses intensely on the greatness of the Lord.

The first verses call the reader to praise God. Why? Because the Lord is righteous and just and loving.

There are many attributes of God on display in this Psalm. But the two most prominent are God as creator and God as sovereign.

God as creator

Verses 6-9 are a reflection on the creation account in Genesis. The emphasis here is the same emphasis in Genesis 1: God merely spoke and all things were created. 

The God of the Bible is not a weak God. He intentionally created the world for His own glory.

You see that in verse 8. The proper response to God’s power is to stand in awe of the Lord.

The world was not an accident.

The result of chance.

The result of randomness.

The earth was created by God, for God. 

Understanding this changes your view of yourself. God created you for a purpose. Your life belongs to God.

Belonging to God gives you confidence that your life has purpose and meaning.

And that purpose is not decided by you. It is decided by the powerful God who created you and all of creation.

God as sovereign

God didn’t just create the world and abandon it. Verses 10-11 display the sovereignty of God. God is presently ruling over the world and what happens to it.

The Psalm presents God’s sovereign rule in the form of a contrast.

You would think that the plans of the people and countries of the world would determine what happens. Think of the world’s most powerful countries. The United Nations.

The decisions people make when they are President or King seem to determine so much of what happens in the world.

This Psalm turns that belief on its head. Read verses 10 and 11.

God frustrates and thwarts the plans of the world’s leaders. They don’t ultimately determine the course of the world.

Who does? The Lord.

God’s plan for the world is what will come to pass. It cannot be stopped. It is as certain as the sun rising every day.

You and I live in a world that focuses on power. What political party has power. Getting more power at work, more followers on social media, more money so you can buy what you want.

When you read Psalm 33, however, you are reminded all the earthly powers are nothing compared with God. This reality is one Psalm 2 makes clear as well.

Belonging to God frees you from self-rule

And so Psalm 33 calls us to praise and stand amazed at this God who created everything and rules everything.

The question to ask yourself at this point is:

What do you think of God? Are you indifferent to the truths of this Psalm? Or is your heart moved when you realize there is a God who is ordering all things for His will?

You and I live in a culture full of self-rule and self-focus.

We are told from every media outlet that the only thing keeping you from achieving your dreams is you.

Work harder. Be better. You determine your fate.

And we think following these lies will lead us to happiness.

But so much of the Bible is perspective-shifting. This Psalm doesn’t leave you thinking about your plans and goals for your life.

It changes your gaze from yourself to a God so much bigger than you. To His plans. To His glory and power. 

If your view of God is small or secondary to your own desires, don’t be surprised if you never achieve the happiness you crave.

God did not create the world so you could think highly of yourself. He created you and all the earth to reflect how great He is.

Observe the blessing of belonging to that great and sovereign God

Once you have meditated on how amazing God is, verse 12 of this Psalm makes perfect sense.

If God is exceedingly great and created all things and rules all things, then it makes sense that happiness comes from belonging to that God.

“Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen to be His own possession”

And here we have an incredibly important point: 

The people who belong to God are the people God has chosen to belong to Him.

This makes sense when you think of the original audience of this Psalm: the nation of Israel. God redeemed them from slavery in Egypt. 

Why? So they could be His people, a people who would stand out from all the other countries around them.

Why? So nations would look to Israel and be drawn to the Lord through them. Deuteronomy 4:5-7 lays this purpose out clearly:

“Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?”

Now, the vital question is: why was Israel the nation God chose to belong to Him? Were they better than the other countries around them? Did God foresee that they would serve Him particularly well? 

No. In Deuteronomy 7:6 God declares that He chose Israel and then immediately in the next verse (7:7) He clarifies

“The Lord was devoted to you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all the peoples. For you were the fewest of all the peoples.”

And in Deuteronomy 9:6 when God is leading Israel into the promised land He says:

“Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people.”

Finally, when you read the rest of the Old Testament, you see Israel was extremely disobedient and unfaithful to the God who chose them. To read more about that, go study Nehemiah 9.

The principle to extract from all this is:

God does not choose people based on their past works, on the power/resources they possess, nor based on their future faithfulness. God chooses out of His love.

It is an undeserved, redeeming love.

We saw it on display in Psalm 32 where God forgives sinners.

It is in Deuteronomy 7:8 where God declares He chose Israel based on His redeeming love. 

No one has ever deserved to be a part of God’s people. You cannot force your way into His people through your good works or your abilities. God must sovereignly choose you.

Observe how you come to belong to that God

Now, if God sovereignly chooses who belongs to His people and in the Old Testament the people of God is explicitly Israel, how can you and I have any hope of happiness?

The answer the Psalm gives is your happiness is determined by your hope.

Hope and happiness are interrelated.

In the Bible, hope is not a wish for something you may or may not get. It is related to faith.

Trust in God. Hoping in God’s promises.

Verses 13-17 talk about false hope.

It isn’t having power or resources that leads to happiness.

This is shocking to read. After all, life is uncertain, wouldn’t it make sense to get a larger bank account? Get more insurance? Protect your assets? 

If you are trusting in money, power, or ability to give you security and happiness in this uncertain world, you have mis-invested your hope.

The alternative to this false hope is given in verses 18-22. 

It is the fear of the Lord and dependence on His faithful love that gives hope.

How is this better than power or money or resources? It is because of God’s covenant.

That word translated “faithful love” is the Hebrew word which signifies God’s covenant love. It is God’s undeserved commitment to loving and showing mercy.

Belonging to God means you have His unfixed, unchanging love.

Think about that for a minute.

The great, all-powerful Creator who upholds everything keeps His eye on those who fear Him.

If you actually believe this, the implications are amazing.

If you have God’s covenant love, then…

  • Why would you ever be anxious or fearful?
  • Why would circumstances destroy your happiness?
  • Why would you despair then things don’t go your way?

How do you come to experience this faithful love? For us who have the whole of Scripture, we know it comes from believing in Christ.

1 Peter 1:3 says

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

Your hope determines your happiness. And the best hope you can have is God’ love for you in Christ.

Psalm 33 gives us a big view of God. But in the end of the Psalm, the faithful love of God is emphasized.

As the Heidelberg Catechism says:

What is thy only comfort in life and death?

That I with body and soul, both in life and death am not my own, but belong unto my faithful saviour Jesus Christ…

Belonging to God gives you hope and happiness in life and in death. May we say with the Psalmist

May your faithful love rest on us Lord, for we put our hope in you

Interested in seeing more posts in this series? Check them out here.
Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: Israel’s Journey to the Land

Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: Israel’s Journey to the Land

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I’ve been reading through the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible) lately in my personal study time. It is amazing to see God bring Israel out of slavery and then guide them on this journey to the land He promised Abraham.

I was so gripped by my time in Numbers, that when my Pastor asked me to preach, I decided to do a sermon from Numbers. Numbers 14 specifically.

Numbers 14 answers some crucial questions:

  1. What does fear of man vs. fear of the Lord look like?
  2. Why is fear of man so deadly? What sins can it lead to?
  3. What does belief in God’s promises actually look like?
  4. What is the fundamental sin underneath all other sins?
  5. Why is God so faithful when we are so disobedient?
  6. What does “mediation” mean and what does it look like in Scripture?
  7. What is the difference between true repentance and false repentance?

And more. In future posts, I will expound the chapter and show it helps answer all these questions. But first, why even go to Numbers 14 to begin with? Why is this text important for you and I to study?

Why is Numbers 14 important?

Numbers 14 is a turning point in the Pentateuch. A turning point in Israel’s journey to the promised land. To fully grasp its significance, you need to follow the flow of the Bible up to this point.

Background: Journey to the Land

Genesis 12

The Pentateuch is all related, like one continuous story. And the story of Israel’s journey to the Land really begins in Genesis 12. Verses 1-3 say this:

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Emphasis added.)

This is where God first makes a promise to Abram (later Abraham). There are several components to this promise. But note first God promises Abram a land.

This is where the “promised land” comes from. It is simply the land God promised to give to Abram, and later Israel.

The other parts of the promise are God will make Abram into a great nation and through Abram all nations will be blessed.

This text is crucial for your understanding of the Bible. God’s purpose with blessing Abram and Israel is to bless the entire world. God has a global purpose.

As you approach Numbers 14, it seems Israel has all that God promised Abram back here. They are a great nation. Egypt and slavery to Egypt are behind them. They even have a leader, Moses, who talks to God as one person does to another.

The last promise Israel is waiting on in Numbers 14 is to get the land God promised.

Exodus & Leviticus

Backing up a bit, Exodus is crucial for understanding Numbers 14. In Exodus, God reveals Himself to the people of Israel.

Exodus opens with Israel in enslavement in Egypt. They are oppressed and without hope. The people of the promise are subservient to a more powerful nation.

Then, God remembers His promise to Abram.

And within a few chapters, God calls Moses to confront Pharaoh. What follows afterwards is a battle of sovereignty.

The question of the first half of Exodus is “Is God or Pharaoh more powerful?”

Throughout the narrative, God showed Himself as the victor over Pharaoh. He did this first by sending the 10 plagues. Each one confronts an Egyptian God.

And then God shows Himself as sovereign by redeeming Israel out of slavery. Pharaoh relents and lets Israel go free.

God saved Israel from bondage with absolutely no help from Israel. It was all of God.

Then, God further revealed Himself to Israel by entering a Covenant with them. The latter chapters of Exodus show this. God also gives Israel instructions on how to build a tabernacle so He can dwell among them.

You have that amazing scene in Exodus 40 where God’s glory fills the tabernacle. The eternal creator of the universe is dwelling among a people.

And that is where Leviticus comes in: God gives instructions on how Israel is to live and worship in the presence of a holy, holy, holy God.

All the while, God is LEADING the nation to the promised land. It is astounding how clearly God’s glory and power are on display in Exodus and Leviticus.

It is an absolute shame Exodus and Leviticus are not studied, read, or preached on very often. Each one is a masterclass in the glory, power, sovereignty and holiness of God.

Numbers 1-13

This leads us to the book of Numbers. Numbers 1-10 reads like a victory march.

You read the first 10 chapters of Numbers, and you are confident Israel is going to march right into the promised land. God is going to give it to them in a snap, and they will live “happily ever after,” if you will.

One of the most crucial observations in the first 10 chapters is a single repeated phrase. It occurs very often in one form of another: “Israel did as the Lord instructed Moses”

Israel is obedient, being led by the Lord, and trusting the leaders God put over them.

But Numbers goes from obedience, to grumbling. The descent begins in Chapter 11 .

Israel starts grumbling about circumstances.

They start grumbling about food.

Miriam and Aaron even try to undermine Moses’ authority.

But all of these seeds of rebellion come to full bloom in Numbers 14.

Israel is literally at the edge of the promised land. They are so close. Their long journey to the land is about complete.

Moses sends out scouts for 40 days, and their report is “the land is great but the people living in the land are stronger than us.”

And Numbers 13:32 says these scouts (besides Caleb and Joshua) spread a negative report to the Israel.

That leads us up Numbers 14. It is a major turning point in the Pentateuch.

Israel is at the edge of the promised land, but instead of completing their journey, they are going to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. And Numbers 14 explains how this could happen.

Importance in the Rest of Scripture

The Psalms, the prophets, and even the New Testament in places look back to Numbers 14. Biblical authors see a warning about rebellion and an illustration of God’s faithfulness in this text.

Numbers 14 is retold in the prophets (Isaiah 63, Ezekiel 20, Jeremiah 7).

Numbers 14 is reflected on in the Psalms (Psalm 78, 95, 106).

New Testament authors meditate on Numbers 14 (1 Corinthians 10, Hebrews 3-4).

A text this important to the rest of scripture is worthy of your time and reflection.

Preliminary Takeaways

Paul says in Romans 12

Whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures. (Emphasis added.)

And Numbers 14 does indeed instruct us on one of the most essential parts of Christianity: belief. Faith. Trust in the Lord.

Why is belief so important? What are the consequences for unbelief? How does unbelief relate to God’s faithfulness?

These are all questions that are important to ask ourselves. And they are questions Numbers 14 answers.

Israel did not enter the promised land because of their unbelief in God.

Think about that for a minute.

Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, an entire generation died, all because of unbelief.

All of this serves to illustrate a sobering reality:

You can be as close to God as to see his miracles, and yet still perish because of your lack of faith and rebellion and false repentance.

I will argue in later posts that a lot of your problems and a lot of my problems come down to not actually believing in God and His promises.

We say we believe. But then our actions, our fear, our disobedience show areas of unbelief in our lives.

And I think the text before us encourages us to deal with this root problem in our lives.

Oftentimes you and I get so caught up in our circumstances and trying control them, that we act a lot like Israel does in Numbers 14.

So, with that in mind, in future posts I will expound Numbers 14. I hope it will be a blessing to you as it has been for me.

Interested in listening to my sermon preached on Numbers 14? Watch it here. For insight into how I structured my sermon, read this post on my tips for preaching narrative texts.
The Foundation of All Happiness

The Foundation of All Happiness

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What is the foundation of happiness?

The world has its various ways. I detailed some in a previous post. Some say happiness is found in money. Fame. Power.

But when you look at the Psalms, God reveals a different path to happiness.

In Psalm 1, we saw that happiness comes from listening to God’s word.

In Psalm 2, we saw that happiness comes from submitting to God’s King.

The next Psalm we should take a look at is Psalm 32. It opens with this amazing couple verses:

“How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered.

How joyful is the man the Lord does not charge with sin

And in whose spirit is no deceit.”

Twice the word joyful or happy appears in these verses. Read through the rest of the Psalm.

There are three things I want to point out in this Psalm. This Psalm contains the foundation of happiness. All happiness.

You will never truly experience lasting happiness without understanding the truth of Psalm 32.

Psalm 2 revealed humanity’s fundamental problem: rebellion against God.

Psalm 32 reveals humanity’s only hope: free forgiveness from that same God.

Point 1: Happiness comes when forgiveness comes

This point is clear from the very first verse of the Psalm. Instead of connecting happiness to circumstances, possessions, or status, the Psalmist connects happiness to forgiveness.

This forgiveness is not another human forgiving you. It is God not charging you with sin.

How can the Psalmist say this? Why is God forgiving, covering, and not charging someone with sin so important?

Your fundamental barrier to happiness is not your circumstances. It isn’t your lack of money or power. It is your state before a Holy God.

Once you grasp this point, it will completely change your life. A lot of times you miss out on happiness because you are constantly aiming for happiness. You seek after happiness and never attain it.

This first verse declares happiness is an effect, a result of a proper relationship with God.

You can pursue happiness your whole life but until you deal with your sin, it will escape you. The reality is, each and every human born on this earth is in rebellion against God.

You cannot find lasting happiness in this state. If you want to be happy, God must first forgive you for your sins. For your rebellion. For exchanging the glory of God for lesser things.

Pursuing happiness apart from God is nothing but idolatry masquerading as wisdom.

This Psalm starts where everyone’s happiness starts. God’s forgiveness.

How can this be? Because Romans 1 says God’s wrath is revealed against our sin. Against our rebellion.

Until that wrath is dealt with, how can you hope for happiness in this life and in eternity?

Thankfully, amazingly, the Bible presents Psalm 32 as a hope for you and I.

We can have happiness. Not because of anything we do ourselves. But because somehow, in the eternal wisdom of God, the Lord has chosen to provide a way for our sins to be covered.

Point 2: Forgiveness comes after confession

But this covering of sin doesn’t just happen automatically. When Jesus was on the earth, He declared “The kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.”

In Psalm 32:3-6, the Psalmist starts by keeping silent. By not confessing or repenting. What was the result of keeping silent?

Verse 3 and 4 says it wasn’t a pleasant experience. The Psalmist bones were brittle and he groaned all day long. He languished. God’s hand was pressing down on him.

The guilt of unconfessed sin will always quench your happiness.

And that is a good thing. It shows your conscience is working. You and I were not meant to live in rebellion against the Lord and feel nothing.

But once the Psalmist realizes this, he confesses his sin to God. And in Verse 5, the amazing result is God took away the guilt of his sin.

Oftentimes you want to get rid your guilt, but you go about it in the wrong way.

Note that forgiveness only came after the Psalmist acknowledged his sin, took it before the Lord, and stopped trying to conceal his guilt.

Repentance, turning from disobedience to obedience, is crucial to your happiness. Repentance is simply agreeing with God’s assessment of you and/or your behavior.

You acknowledge you are a sinner. That you rebelled against God. You recognize your sin deserves punishment because God is just.

A truly happy person does not hide their sins from God. Instead, they acknowledge their guilt and plead God’s mercy in Christ.

I’m sure it was a humbling thing for the Psalmist to openly confess the worst about himself to God. But there was no other way.

Point 3: Experiencing the forgiveness of God

And the Psalmist does experience God’s forgiveness after confessing. It isn’t merited. It isn’t deserved. But once God grants it to him, the Psalmist has the foundation of true happiness.

Then, in verse 6, the Psalmist turns and addresses the reader. Everyone who is faithful should cry out to the Lord!

In an amazing passage in Romans 4, Paul calls this forgiveness as God blessing you apart from your works.

Don’t try to earn God’s forgiveness by doing good things. It is only repentance and believing in God’s promises that leads to right standing before Him.

This Psalmist experienced amazing, free forgiveness. You can to.

However, because you have the full revelation of God in the New Testament, you have an even clearer picture of God’s forgiveness than the Psalmist had.

It is through Jesus Christ that you can have the happiness of God’s forgiveness.

Unlike you and I, Jesus lived a perfect life and kept God’s law perfectly. But still, when on the cross, Jesus cried out “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Was God forsaking Jesus for His own sins? No, Jesus was perfect.

God was pouring out His wrath on Jesus for the sins of all who would believe the gospel.

Romans 3 explains it like this:

“God presented him (Jesus) as a propitiation through faith in his blood to demonstrate His righteousness…”

To experience the forgiveness of God, you must run to Jesus and the Cross.

Psalm 32 celebrates the truth of God freely forgiving sins. You only fully understand how God can forgive by looking at the cross.

As Jesus said, repent and believe in the gospel. That is how you are forgiven. That is your foundation of happiness.

How is God’s forgiveness the foundation of happiness?

Here are two effects God’s forgiveness has on your life.

Effect 1: “There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus”

Jesus bore God’s wrath against the sin of all who would believe the gospel.

What that means is if you put your faith in Jesus, there is no longer any wrath against your sin. God promises you forgiveness.

Romans 5 puts it this way:

“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Peace. Not the peace the world talks about. But real, objective peace with a Holy, all-powerful God.

That is good news. Life-changing news.

There is nothing like the happiness of knowing God will not condemn you or remove His love from you.

Peace with God is the sweetest daily experience you can have. As one who has faith in Christ, you can cry out to God in repentance when you sin and know God forgives you.

Peace with God is a happiness too inexpressible for words. But it is the blessing of Psalm 32 and the Christian life.

Effect 2: Your happiness is no longer dependent on circumstances

Perspective is integral to your happiness. If you make your happiness dependent on other people, on your own goals, on your life circumstances, you are headed for disappointment.

The Bible completely shifts your perspective on what you need. It isn’t more stuff or people to like you or your dreams to come true.

Your personal happiness is dependent on your status, dependence, and obedience to God.

This might not seem like good news at first, but think about what that means.

You can still be happy in awful circumstances. That is what Paul says in Philippians 4. Why? Because you know God is still with you in those circumstances.

You can still be happy during disappointment. Why? Because ultimately, you know God has given you everything you need for life and godliness (see 2 Peter 1).

When you taste the forgiveness of God, you tie your happiness to what He already has done, not what you may or may not do.

Life is still uncertain. You still suffer. You still have disappointments.

But Psalm 32-happiness is built on the foundation of an eternally faithful and unchanging God.

And He is a foundation you can build your life on.

Want to meditate more on how belief and repentance affect your life? Listen to this sermon I recently preached.
Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: Numbers 14 Sermon

Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: Numbers 14 Sermon

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I recently preached a sermon on Numbers 14. My Pastor was out of town, and he asked me to cover for him. I have decided to make this sermon available on this blog.

In a previous post, I discussed some of the challenges with preaching narrative. Numbers 14 was a difficult text to preach in one sermon. But it contains a lot of rich theology.

I think in particular, Numbers 14 reveals how sin flows out of unbelief. Unbelief in God’s promises. In His power.

It took me a while to get the sermon written. I would work on the sermon every morning for a couple hours before heading to work.

But in my opinion, take every opportunity you get to preach God’s word. It is an amazing privilege.

I personally love the sermon writing process. You start out digging deep into God’s word on your own. Then you think how you best can present your insight to the congregation.

You write an outline. You check your conclusions with commentaries. Then, you meditate on the text until you develop useful applications.

Finally, after much prayer and wrestling and rewriting, you present it to the congregation.

I think Piper says it best in this excellent book on preaching: “Preaching aids worship and is worship.”

How true that is. I hope this sermon on Numbers 14 is a blessing to you. I have attached the video below, followed by the audio file.

Audio file here.

Any comments or thoughts? Feel free to reach out! If you want my thoughts on illustrations in preaching, see this previous post.
3 Crucial Insights About the World

3 Crucial Insights About the World

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Are you happy? Is happiness possible in this world?

The world promises dozens of paths to happiness. Some are easy. Some require a whole life’s investment.

The question is: which path will actually lead to happiness?

In my last post, we found in Psalm 1 that your happiness is highly dependent on who you spend your time with and who you listen to. 

God has declared happiness is possible, just not in the ways you would expect.

Today, I will walk you through what Psalm 2 has to say about your happiness. Psalm 1 opened with “how happy is the man…” and Psalm 2 ends with “All who take refuge in Him are happy.”

Read Psalm 2. There is a lot here. When I was asked to preach my first sermon at my Church, I chose this Psalm to preach. It is that important.

Psalm 2 is not only central to understanding the book of Psalms, but is central to understand God’s plan for the world.

If God has a plan for the world, knowing that plan and living in light of it will help your happiness. Rebelling against that plan will lead you to misery. 

Base your expectations for your life on what God has revealed about the world in the Bible.

There are three crucial insights about the world Psalm 2 makes. Understanding each one is crucial for your happiness

Insight 1: The world is in rebellion against the Lord

The Psalm starts with a picture of the world. It is a relevant picture. A contemporary picture. Verses 1 to 3 lay it out clear as crystal.

Rebellion.

Plotting.

Conspiring against the Lord.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible lays out that sin is rebellion against God.

Instead of submitting, obeying, joyfully living under God’s loving care and direction, humans do what they want. Decide for themselves what is right. Do what is right in their own eyes.

Verse 3 in particular helps you see what rebellion against God is like.

Humans view God’s rule as chains, as restraining, as limiting.

And so, you and I do what is expected: we try to break free. Free from God, free from His standard, free from His truth. And we substitute our own wisdom. “Man is the measure of all things.” “There is no absolute truth.” “God is dead.” 

This is the world you live in.

A world created by a loving, good, perfect God. But a world who hates that God.

Until you see this fundamental truth about the world, you will look for happiness in all the wrong places.

That self help book you read, that social media influencer who has 7 proven tips for success, that movie you watched as a kid that told you to follow your dreams…

…all of these were made by a culture hatefully rebelling against the God who made them. 

Once you understand what this world is like, you start to be wary about quick fixes. “Proven” paths to success.

The reason why is found in the next insight the Psalm gives us.

Insight 2: The world’s rebellion is doomed to fail

God’s thoughts on humanity’s rebellion are given in verses 4 to 6.

God finds it laughable. Ridiculous.

You may think you are the master of your own fate, that you can ignore God’s rule, that God’s plan for the world has no bearing on your life. But that doesn’t matter to God.

An all powerful God. A sovereign God.

Our rebellion is worthy of nothing but God’s anger and amusement.

In the face of our rebellion, God declares His plan for the world. Verses 6 through 9 lays it out.

You want to live without God’s rule? God will establish His king anyway.

You want to be free of God? God will give the nations to His king.

You want to break the commands God has given you? God’s King will have the power to break you. Like a pot.

Your plans and goals and dreams are not ultimate in the world. God’s plans are.

And God’s plans involve establishing an eternal rule. Humanity’s rebellion won’t get the final say.

In the face of our culture’s rejection of God, God simply responds with a laugh and a declaration of what will certainly happen. 

Which brings us to the central decision which will determine your eternal happiness.

Insight 3: Your happiness depends on what side you take

Amazingly the Psalm doesn’t end there. Rather than crushing rebellious humanity immediately, God ends with an offer.

A life changing offer.

A merciful offer.

An offer which will determine your happiness now and forever.

You either submit to God’s anointed king. Or you will be destroyed with those who rebel.

The Psalm tells you what the wise choice is. Serve the Lord, not yourself. Fear the Lord instead of ignoring Him. Join the kingdom of the Son.

You will only find happiness in the safety of the Lord’s loving rule.

The only other option is just punishment.

Look at those who break the law in your country. Does it go well for them? When they are caught and punished, are they happy? Are their lives happy?

How much more will you be unhappy if you are breaking the laws of the God of the entire universe?

God is and has been exceedingly merciful and loving towards His creation. This Psalm gives you an opportunity to leave the rebellion and join in relationship with the God who created you.

Here are two questions to ask yourself in light of this passage:

Do you see the danger you are in?

If your house was on fire and you didn’t realize it, the fire would do more damage than if you noticed it early.

God has graciously warned you in this Psalm about the trajectory of the world. About the rebellion of our culture. The world tells you to follow its paths to happiness. But God tells you that path is based in rebellion.

Are you buying the lies of the world? That money or sex or power or fame can bring you happiness? 

Do you live as if you were ruler of your life? Have you forgotten God?

If you have been, stop! Stop your rebellion! Stop listening to the world! As we learned in Psalm 1, start reading God’s word and aligning yourself to His plan!

The Psalm offers you a place to flee. A safe refuge that also contains the happiness you seek.

Have you submitted to Jesus?

Psalm 2 doesn’t identify who the anointed King is. The King who God calls a Son. The King who will rule the nations. But the rest of scripture reveals who this King is: Jesus.

In Acts 4:23-30, the early Church identified Jesus as the one who God anointed, as the promised Messiah and King of the Old Testament.

And in Revelation 2:26-27, Jesus declares God the Father gave Him the authority to rule the nations. The same authority promised here in Psalm 2. 

If you are interested in how Psalm 2 relates to God’s plan in Jesus, this book has several helpful chapters.

But for today, recognize Jesus is the King God has raised up.

Jesus is the King you must submit to. You must run to. The King who has the happiness you seek.

Why?

Jesus didn’t crush the nations. He was crushed for the happiness of the nations.

When Jesus first came, He didn’t come to punish the humans who rebelled. Jesus came to bear the punishment for everyone who would believe in Him. 

He didn’t just die as an example. As an illustration of God’s love.

He died to bear God’s wrath. The wrath the rebellious nations deserve.

The wrath you and I deserve.

The reality laid out in this Psalm is if you don’t kiss the son, you yourself will bear that wrath.

So, the most important question for your happiness is simply

Have you submitted to Jesus? Or are you still living in rebellion against God?

There is a reason the book of Psalms opens with this Psalm. It is the single most important thing related to your happiness.

Kiss the Son.

Want a more in depth look at Psalm 2? Listen to the sermon I preached.