Tag: Old Testament

soveriegn election
The Hope of God’s Sovereign Election: Exposition

The Hope of God’s Sovereign Election: Exposition

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Much has been written lately about how the world around us is getting darker. Sin is accepted and celebrated. Our culture is sowing rebellion against Scripture and is reaping the effects of rejecting God. This post, however, is focused on a different danger: the Church falling into hopelessness. Despair. A sense of cynicism or of being defeated. And the only antidote to these is reminding yourself of God’s sovereign election.

To understand this topic of hope in a dark culture, I want to go back to the Old Testament to a prophet who fell into hopelessness: Elijah. God’s answer to Elijah when he felt alone and hopeless in a godless culture is exactly the reminder the Church needs today. The main verses I want to focus on are 1 Kings 19:14 & 18.

He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

1 Kings 19:12-18, ESV emphasis added

Initial Analysis

Context of 1 & 2 Kings: The Destruction Sin Brings

The goal of 1 & 2 Kings is to present a causal relationship between Israel and their Kings failure to obey God’s covenant and the exile. Their rebellion leads to exile, in fulfillment of God’s word in Deuteronomy 28. So 1 & 2 Kings are books that focus on sin and it’s consequences. You can see this in the structure of 1 & 2 Kings:

  • 1 Kings starts with Solomon building the Temple and other rulers coming to see Solomon’s great wealth and wisdom
  • 2 Kings ends with the destruction of Jerusalem (including Solomons’ temple) and Judah’s King eating from the table of Babylon’s Ling

1 & 2 Kings highlights the sinfulness of sin and the destruction it brought upon the nation of Israel. In fact, each King listed in these books is evaluated by whether he broke the covenant and led Israel into sin or whether they brought about repentance in the land. But also integral to 1 & 2 Kings are “prophets”: messengers of God who pronounce judgment on Israel because of their behavior and who call for repentance. Elijah is one of those prophets and is the main prophet in 1 Kings.

Context Proceeding 1 Kings 19: From Victory to Despair

1 Kings 19 is a low point in the prophet Elijah’s life and ministry, and it comes right after one of his most memorable victories. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal and God demonstrated His power over the false idols Israel was worshiping. Additionally, the false prophets of Baal are killed in judgment because God exposes them as frauds.

What happens after this amazing victory? Queen Jezebel promises to kill Elijah just like he had killed her prophets. Elijah’s reaction? 1 Kings 19:3 says Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life. Some manuscripts are translated Elijah “saw” and ran for his life. In other words, the most powerful woman in the land is promising to kill Elijah and his life is in immanent danger.

This sends Elijah into despair and depression. In fact, he actually prays to the Lord that he would die.

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

1 Kings 19:4, ESV

But, God answers Elijah’s request by providing food and water for him until he makes it to mount Horeb. So now Elijah is physically safe, but Jezebel has essential driven this prophet of God out of Israel and he is in complete despair. This sad state is where we find Elijah: alone, in cave, seemingly defeated

And this is when God comes to Him and asks “what are you doing here?”

Exposition

Point 1: Observe the Darkness of the God-hating Culture

In his answer, Elijah gives three summary sins that characterized Israel at that time.

Israel had broken God’s covenant

This is no small thing. You know from reading through the Pentateuch that God called Israel out of bondage and slavery to enter into a covenant with them. In this covenant, God promises Israel blessing if they obey but promises judgement and curses if they disobey.

Now if you (Israel) faithfully and obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all His commands I am giving you today, the Lord your God will put you far above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come and overtake you, because you obey the Lord your God

Notice this promise of blessing is build on an “if-then” statement: if Israel keeps their end of the covenant, then God will bless them. This begs the question of what will happen if Israel does not keep God’s covenant:

But if you do not obey the Lord your God by carefully following all His commands and statues I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overtake you…

So, when Elijah says Israel has forsaken God’s covenant, he is putting Israel in the latter category. Israel in Elijah’s time was not obeying the commandments of the Lord. They were being unfaithful to the God who had covenanted with them and living in active, unrepentant sin. And remember: Israel was doing all this even though they had access to the truth of God’s word.

Idolatry was rampant amongst Israel at the time

Elijah describes this sin in terms of Israel throwing down God’s alters. Israel was forsaking the true worship of God and instead going to worship idols, specifically in the context of Ahab’s rule, Baal. By saying Israel was engaged in idolatry, Elijah wasn’t just listing a particular sin. He was accusing Israel of the most fundamental violation of their relationship with God.

Why is idolatry such an heinous sin in scripture? The answer lies in the attributes of God Himself. Exodus 20 says:

Do not have other gods besides me. Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me”

God is a jealous God, therefore Israel was not to worship or serve idols. This prohibition is repeated in Exodus 34 where God actually says his name is jealous.

God, as revealed in Scripture, by His very nature demands exclusive worship and glory and honor.

Therefore, idolatry is not just “a” sin: it is a rejection of God. Rather than loving and serving the true God, you create something in His place.

God’s messengers were being killed

In the Old Testament, Prophets brought the word of God to the people. They would begin their messages with “thus saith the Lord.” So, killing the prophets of God does not merely represent the sin of murder. Rather, it shows that the nation of Israel was rejecting the word of the Lord.

Jeremiah is a great example of this. Jeremiah brought convicting words to Israel, but the nation preferred to listen to false prophets who said “Peace peace” when there was no peace. And what did Israel do with Jeremiah the true prophet? They silenced him and when Jeremiah’s scroll was read to the king, the king tore it up piece by piece.

The same thing is happening here: the Israelite culture in Elijah’s time hated hearing the word of God convicting their behavior, so they silenced God’s prophets by killing them.

From a human perspective, the situation in Israel could not be more hopeless. And that is exactly what you see with Elijah’s answer to God’s question “What are you doing here?”

Point 2: Notice Elijah’s wrong perspective

Elijah is hiding on the mount of God afraid for his life

Even thought he had just seen God grant him a decisive victory against the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18, Elijah now is in a state of utter fear and despair. In the face of the sins of Israel and the active animosity towards the prophets of God, Elijah has withdrawn himself from the situation.

He left. Retreated. He is done with it all.

Elijah is faced with a culture that has completely rejected God and is actively killing those who would worship the true God. But God doesn’t just leave Elijah hanging out afraid in a cave. He comes to Elijah and asks “what are you doing here?” And here we get to hear more fully Elijah’s perspective and see the nature of his hopelessness.

Elijah is questioning the effect of his zeal for the Lord

Elijah tells God that He has been exceedingly zealous for the Lord of host and then contrasts this zeal with the culture around him. By saying “I have been zealous, but look at how bad Israel is” Elijah is expressing an attitude of “What is the point? I have been faithfully serving the Lord but what effect has it had on those around me?”

You could summarize Elijah’s attitude as ”what is the point of being exceedingly zealous for the Lord in a culture that is so adamantly against God?” This shows the depth of Elijah’s hopelessness. Every day he is suffering in a sinful culture even though he has been zealous for God.

Is this not a natural human reaction? Beneath this attitude is the assumption that if you are zealous enough, you really can make a difference in the culture and help bring it back to God. In other words, it is the assumption that God will necessarily reward your zeal with the results you want to see

But Elijah is seeing no “results” so to speak. And that leads us to the final aspect of his attitude:

Elijah views himself as completely alone

Elijah says “I alone am left”. That word means “left over.” Elijah thinks he is the one leftover prophet of God and, since Jezebel has a death sentence on his head, Elijah is sure his own life will be over soon.

I think Elijah is implying here that because he alone is left and he has a death sentence on his head, that soon all those who are faithful to God will be wiped out. If Elijah is the last true follower of God and he thinks he is going to die, then it makes sense for Elijah to think that there is about to be no one left who truly worships God.

Elijah sees himself as the last. It is him against all the forces of wickedness in Israel at the time.

So stepping back, Elijah has a completely understandable perspective from a human point of view. In light of the sinful culture around him, he has withdrawn himself, he is questioning the effectiveness of his ministry, and he is sure that there is no one left like him.

It is a very human perspective and a completely wrong perspective. How does God correct Elijah’s perspective?

Point 3: Meditate on God’s response

God does not spend any time joining in Elijah’s depression or self pity. He hears Elijah’s complaint and issues a command: Elijah is to go anoint two kings and also anoint Elisha, his successor. What is going on here? Why is God responding to Elijah’s depression and discouragement in this way?

God is promising Elijah that he will have victory in the end

God will use those Elijah is called to anoint to bring judgment on those disobedient in Israel. What I find most interesting is if you read through Kings, the promise God gives is fulfilled, but after Elijah is taken up to heaven. In the beginning chapters of 2 Kings, Elijah passes the prophetic baton to Elisha and then goes up to heaven. The in chapter 9, Jehu is anointed king and almost immediately starts destroying Ahab and Ahab’s household.

At the end of Chapter 9, Jezebel is killed and the text makes a point to call out that her death is in direct fulfillment with a prophecy Elijah made. In 2 Kings 10, Jehu kills the house of Ahab and then kills the Baal worshipers in Israel. So in the end, God is going to judge all the wickedness that we see in Elijah’s day, even if Elijah never gets to see it.

Elijah is called to labor in faith that God will fulfill His promises.

God answers Elijah’s complaints by saying He will preserve a remnant of Israel who will not fall into idolatry

“Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

What a powerful verse! God has just announced that He will judge Israel but now God announces that there is a sub-section of Israel who will not be judged. Why? Because they will be true worshipers. God uses the same root word that Elijah used when he said “I alone am left!” God says “No, I have left 7000 who have not fallen into the sins of the nation!”

By saying He has preserved 7000 as a remnant in Israel, God is not saying He has preserved everyone. God isn’t even saying He has preserved the majority of the nation. But He also hasn’t preserved a small number: 7000 is not everyone, but it also isn’t just Elijah and one or two other people.

Additionally, implicit in the text is that these 7000 are known by God even if they are not known by Elijah or anyone else. Elijah’s depression was based off of simply observing the situation around him. But God is saying to Elijah in effect “you don’t have all the information because you don’t have all the knowledge.”

God in His omniscience knows who are His and He knows that there will be a remnant of true worshipers. God graciously reveals this to Elijah to encourage him, but whether Elijah knew about these 7000 or not, God knew and preserved this remnant.

The final thing to notice here is God describes the 7000 to Elijah in teams of what they do not do. They do not bow their knee to Baal and they have not kissed Baal. Both of these are signs of allegiance and worship. God is saying that these 7000 have not allied themself with the rest of idolatrous Israel. 

This remnant has not compromised. They have not rejected the Lord. They are not joining in the sins of the nation.

Is this enough to get Elijah out of his depression and fear? The answer is given in the next verse: “Elijah left there and found Elisha…” After being reminded of God’s promises and sovereign election, Elijah leaves his place of hiding and goes to obey the Lord in faith.

What a glorious response to God’s promises! And remember: from an earthly perspective nothing has changed. Jezebel still wants Elijah dead, Israel is still deep in Baal worship, and Elijah still does not have many allies around him that he knows of. So what has changed? Elijah’s mind has been renewed by the Lord and he has faith in what God has just told him.

Elijah was not told who the 7000 true worshipers were, or where they were. But was enough for Elijah to know that God was preserving a remnant.

The reminder of God’s sovereign election within the sinful culture turned Elijah’s discouragement into confident obedience. The culture didn’t change, but Elijah’s perspective changed.

In the next post in this series, I will give you some implications of this text for your life and the life of your Church.

This mini-series is based on sermon I recently preached. To read other expositions, go to the Teachings page. If you found this post helpful, share on social media and subscribe below.
The Joy of Living in the Lord’s Presence

The Joy of Living in the Lord’s Presence

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In this ongoing series, the Psalms have shown us numerous vital truths about our happiness. Your happiness starts with the forgiveness God provides in Jesus. You daily receive joy from meditating on God’s word instead of listening to those who do not love the Lord. Living in obedience to God’s word by practically loving and serving others also is a source of lasting happiness.

Of course, there are always the false paths to happiness which tempt us daily: money, power, fame, success. All these false paths to happiness are centered around you. The Psalms, on the other hand, attach your happiness completely and entirely first and foremost to God and your relationship with Him.

It is not enough to merely seek for your own happiness: you must seek the God of happiness first.

And today, I want to emphasize this point by looking at Psalm 65, focusing on verses 3-4 in particular:

When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.

Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts!

We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

Psalm 65:3-4, ESV emphasis added

It is living in the Lord’s presence that brings lasting blessing and happiness. There are three points I want to emphasize.

Point 1: God chooses who lives in His presence

The blessing of being near to God

The first reality I want to draw your attention to is God chooses who lives in His presence. Now, in the Psalms, God’s presence and dwelling place are referred to as places of blessing:

  • Psalm 16:11 “In your presence there is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore“
  • Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”
  • Psalm 140:14 “Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence.”

There are other passages, but the point to see living in the Lord’s presence is something the Psalmist desires. Certainly God is “omnipresent” as Psalm 139 describes, but there is a special blessing of intimate closeness with God. Indeed, Psalm 65 verses 5-13 describes God’s care for all of His creation. But here in Psalm 65:3-4 the focus is on “God’s courts”.

This is referring to the temple, the dwelling place of God, where His presence rested. Although God is always present, the Psalmist here and in the other Psalms above are making the point that closeness to God is where joy is found. So, if there is a special joy in knowing God, in closeness with God, in worshiping the Lord in His presence, the question follows “how do I get close to the Lord?”

Psalm 65:4 answers us: it is the one God chooses and brings near that experiences the blessing of His goodness. I have written before about the blessing of belonging to God. It is a similar point here: the one God chooses has a special privilege and happiness. It is not enough to merely “know God exists.” James says the demons know that much about God. To experience the blessing of living in the Lord’s presence you must first be admitted by the Lord himself.

Ephesians 2:13 makes the exact same point:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:13, ESV emphasis added

Because God is holy, no one can force their way into God’s presence. It is in Christ and His blood that anyone is brought near to the Lord’s presence. Therefore, it is only those who the Lord has saved that experience that happiness Psalm 65 presents.

God must choose you and bring you near to Himself in order for you to experience true happiness

Application: You cannot force or earn your way into God’s presence

If Psalm 65:3-4 is true, your happiness starts with your humility: humility in recognizing you cannot achieve joy by your own effort or will. God alone holds the happiness you desire. You cannot approach Him by your own efforts or just because you want to be happy. God must choose you, God must act if you are to be truly happy.

The rest of Scripture, especially Revelation, reveals that those who ultimately will live in the Lord’s presence forever are those who are saved by Jesus’ sacrifice. It is not those who work the hardest, who do the most good works, who want it the most. The humbled person who recognizes they have no claim on the Lord’s presence, who knows they cannot approach God by their own efforts are those who end up eternally happy. Why? Because they see Jesus is the only way God provided for them to approach God’s presence.

Point 2: God satisfies with His goodness and holiness

God’s presence and the temple

The second important truth to see in Psalm 65:3-4 is God’s goodness and holiness satisfies. The joy of living in the Lord’s presence is not tied to what God gives us. It is tied to who God is. God’s temple was the place where God dwelt in Old Testament Israel. Everything in the temple was centered around the worship of God: singing, sacrifices, and everything else prescribed in the Old Testament law. The Psalms don’t see this activity as mere “obedience for its own sake”. Worship of the Lord in His temple is seen as the highest privilege a person could have.

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

Psalm 84:10, ESV

By comparison, no other place on earth is better than where the Lord dwells. Why is this the case? Psalm 65 answers: God’s goodness and holiness satisfies. You didn’t go to the temple to get “stuff”; you went to the temple to get God Himself. Now, one of the greatest truths of the New Testament is God now dwells in His people, not in a building built by human hands. But God Himself has not changed, nor has the reality Psalm 65:4 gives us:

It is God who satisfies, not material things God gives us

Application: Satisfaction cannot be found in anything apart from God

You will never be satisfied if you only ever want God to give you more things, solve more of your problems, or make your life easier. Non-Christians want these things same things, they just seek them without attaching “God” to it. The amazing thing about the Biblical worldview is everything in the universe centers on God. Including your happiness, your satisfaction, your lasting peace.

For the Christian, every happiness starts and ends with who God is. The Christian enjoys all the good gifts God gives because it is an avenue to thank and praise God for who He is.

  • Enjoying a walk outside? Christians see God’s power in creation and worship God for it.
  • Eating a good meal? Christians thank God for His provision and for the ability to taste.
  • Love your family? Christians are humbled that God would provide them with the warmth of the love of others, knowing it is a small picture of His love for them.

I could go on. Living in the Lord’s presence means seeing Him and enjoying Him above all things. That means you connect all things back to Him and His glory. Nothing you have or hope to have will bring you any joy unless you connect it to God.

Point 3: God alone atones for rebellion

What atonement means

The final point I want to emphasize is found in Psalm 65:3. God alone atones for His people’s transgressions. Why is this important in the context of living in the Lord’s presence? Psalm 15 gives a hint.

 Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
    and speaks truth in his heart;

Psalm 15:1b-2, ESV

It is only those who are holy that can approach a holy God. But no one walks blamelessly, no one always does what is right or always speaks truth in his heart. Humans transgress the law of God every day. So how can God forgive? How can sinful humans approach the Lord if He is just?

The answer is “atonement”. This word means “to cover” or “to reconcile”. God must deal with our transgressions against Him. As we saw in the first point, it is God who chooses and brings people into His court. How God does this is by providing atonement. In the Old Testament, this atonement was through the blood of rams and goats as prescribed in the sacrificial system.

However, the blood of rams and goats could not actually take away sin. The sacrificial system was a picture of the ultimate reconciliation Christ would bring. This reconciliation is explained most clearly in 2 Corinthians.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God

2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV

Christ bears our transgression, we receive Christ’s righteousness. The result? Reconciliation with God.

Application: God has provided all you need for your happiness now and forever

The logic of Psalm 65:3-4 could be summarized as follows:

  1. Satisfaction and happiness is found living in the Lord’s presence.
  2. No human can enter the Lord’s presence because of their rebellion.
  3. God alone can atone for a person’s rebellion and choose to bring them close to Him.
  4. Therefore, God alone provides what you need for your happiness and you cannot get happiness by your own effort.

What good news! You need not wear yourself out to be happy. Long hours at work, more money, fancy vacations, comfort and health all won’t provide you with happiness. But God can. And God has. God has, at infinite cost to Himself, made a way for you to enter His presence.

Jesus said to him “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.”

John 14:6, ESV

Living in the Lord’s presence is impossible by our own effort. But all things are possible for God. And God has chosen to provide us with a way to lasting joy, a joy not based in circumstances and not dependent on our effort. It is a joy bought by the blood of Christ.

Any path to happiness that does not go through Jesus and the cross will disappoint.

This post is part of an ongoing series called “Happy?” Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to get more content. Subscribe and share below.
Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: Caleb’s Courageous Faith

Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: Caleb’s Courageous Faith

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What is “courageous faith?” How does bold belief in God and His promises manifest itself? So far in Numbers 14, I have shown you how faith of any kind was completely absent from the nation of Israel. They were afraid of the people of the land. Israel wanted to turn back and return to Egypt. Even when confronted with God’s just judgment, Israel chooses to continue in unbelief rather than respond in true repentance.

Israel’s behavior in Numbers 14 is a stark warning of the consequences of unbelief. But thankfully, Numbers 14 doesn’t just give us a negative example of what not to do. Instead, the Holy Spirit has included in this account an example of courageous faith, even in the midst of widespread unbelief. This faith is exemplified by Caleb. If you don’t have an Old Testament “hero” yet, I would strongly suggest you consider Caleb. He is easily one of my favorite Biblical individuals.

In this post, I want to look at Caleb’s courageous faith, its source, and finally Caleb’s legacy. By studying Caleb’s role in Numbers 14, you can live out what Paul says in Romans 15:4.

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 15:4 ESV

The call to courageous faith

At one level, Numbers 14 focuses on contrasting the unbelief of Israel as a whole with the faith demonstrated by Caleb (and Joshua). If you remember, Israel was terrified when they heard the spies’ report on the promised land. They had not even directly seen the land firsthand, but their reaction was immediate weeping and unbelief.

Joshua and Caleb actually saw the land. They entered it. And their reaction is completely different to Israel’s reaction.

And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”

Numbers 14:6-9 ESV, emphasis added

Of all the spies who saw the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained faithful. They both knew that the strength of God’s promises were greater than the strength of the people in the land. And so, in the middle of Israel’s weeping and wailing and rebellion, Caleb and Joshua pleaded courage.

Several times in these verses they repeat “Don’t be afraid!” Why? Because God is fighting for Israel. Notice: Caleb and Joshua had the exact same information as the nation of Israel had. They were in the same exact circumstances. But rather than let external circumstances challenge their belief, Caleb and Joshua examined their circumstances in light of their belief.

Courageous faith means holding on to and acting on God’s promises even in frightening circumstances. It means trusting the Lord even if no one else around you is.

The basis of courageous faith

How could Caleb and Joshua have this confidence? Their courage isn’t a reckless foolishness or some abstract thing. The basis of courageous faith is the Lord and His promises. Joshua and Caleb hold fast to the belief that God will bring them into the land and God will enable them to defeat the nations.

Unlike the rest of Israel who was quick to forget God’s promises and His purpose for bringing them out of Egypt, Joshua and Caleb actually apply the promises, believe them, and live them out. To put it another way, Caleb and Joshua’s theology actually changes their response to this situation.

Want to test your theology? Watch how you respond to trying circumstances, discouragement, and difficulty.

Caleb and Joshua’s theology is practical and logical: God promised them this land. Therefore, if God wants to give it to Israel, the strength of the nations is irrelevant. Why? Because God is sovereign not only over Israel, but also the nations. Notice in Numbers 16:9, Caleb and Joshua point out that the nations’ “protection has been removed from them”.

The courage Caleb and Joshua are calling Israel to is not wishy-washy, abstract, or foolish confidence. It isn’t self confidence. It is courageous faith. Faith-fueled courage. Israel was looking at their circumstances purely in human terms. But Caleb and Joshua knew that God would keep His promises.

But courageous faith can be costly as well. Caleb and Joshua call out Israel’s sin in verse 9: do not rebel against the Lord. Joshua and Caleb label Israel’s fear and lack of trust in the Lord as rebellion. And Israel’s response is to try to stone them both.

Not trusting the Lord and His promises is a form of rebellion.

Caleb’s reward and legacy

But how does God respond to Caleb and Joshua? In the midst of this decisive judgement, God rewards their courageous faith. God not only punishes unfaithfulness; He rewards faithfulness. Those who believed His original promise received further promises.

But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

…not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

Numbers 14:24, 30 ESV

Joshua and Caleb pleased the Lord through their faith and lived to enter the promised land. The rest of Israel died because of their unbelief. If you fast-forward to when Israel actually enters the land, Caleb still has as much faith and boldness as he did in Numbers 14.

Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.” Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel.

Joshua 14:6-14 ESV, emphasis added

40 years after Numbers 14 and Caleb is still talking about God’s promises. I find it interesting three times Joshua 14 talks about Caleb being loyal to the Lord. Five times it mentions God’s promise to him. After 40 years wandering, Caleb is still ready for battle and to claim what God promised him. And in the end, Caleb receives the promised inheritance. It took years and years but Caleb’s faith was not disappointed.

Faith means loyalty to the Lord just as unbelief is a form of rebellion.

Conclusion

Numbers 14 sets Caleb and Israel in stark contrast. Israel through their fear forfeited entering the land for 40 years, but Caleb through faith was promised a special portion of the land and lived to possess it. What a legacy! Caleb was loyal to the Lord even when in the minority. He knew God would fulfill His promises.

Matthew Henry in his commentary on Numbers 14, leaves us with the perfect application:

“Those that would follow God must have another Spirit from that of the world. The Spirit of faith of Caleb.”

Matthew Henry

When you see the courageous faith of Caleb in the promises of God, may you “go and do likewise.”

Click here to read any posts in this series you might have missed. If you want to listen to my sermon on Numbers 14, click here. Check out my other ongoing series “Happy?” where I expound on what the Psalms have to say about happiness in the world.
Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: An Enduring Warning

Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: An Enduring Warning

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What is the difference between true repentance and false repentance? It is an important question. Jesus declared when He started His ministry “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel!” In 2 Corinthians, Paul talks about a “godly sorrow that leads to repentance.” But Paul also warns there is a “worldly sorrow which leads to death.”

The question is: are their any indicators that you are truly repenting? How can you discern whether your repentance is true or merely a worldly sorrow? Thankfully, Numbers 14 gives us a clear, memorable example of what false repentance looks like. We have already seen Israel’s fear and how it kept them from exercising faith in God’s promises. In the last post in this series, we saw God’s merciful yet just response to Israel’s lack of belief.

Today, I want to look at what Israel did after hearing God’s judgment. Israel’s response in Numbers 14 helps clarify what true repentance is and what it is not. Even though Israel was in a different circumstance than you would find yourself in today, this passage is instructive and vital to understand for Christians of all times.

Israel’s false repentance

Israel sorrowful again

When Moses reported these words to all the Israelites, the people were overcome with grief. They got up early the next morning and went up the ridge of the hill country, saying, “Let’s go to the place the Lord promised, for we were wrong.”

Numbers 14:39-40, HCSB

Moses reports God’s judgement on Israel’s sin. Israel had chosen to fear the people who lived in the land rather than believe in the God who freed them from Egypt. God declares His judgement and what happens? Israel is overcome with grief again! It is understandable reaction. God has just pronounced judgement for their sinful actions and it is pretty bad.

Israel would wander for 40 years in the wilderness and a whole generation would die because of their unbelief. Additionally, God had just struck down the spies who spread a false report about the land. Israel sees at once their error, and they respond emotionally as they did at the top of the chapter. Only this time, Israel is grieving not in response to a perceived threat of the nations, but grieving before the reality of God’s judgement.

Fear of man can be consuming until you come in contact with a God who is a “consuming fire.”

Israel even acknowledges they were wrong. They tell Moses they should enter the Land as God had promised. So Israel has sorrow, and Israel has an acknowledgement that what they did the day before was wrong. As a reader, you might think Israel is on the right track. After all, feeling sorry and admitting you were wrong would definitely pass as repentance in today’s culture.

If Israel felt sorrow for their sin and admitted they were wrong, does that mean they are truly repentant? What more could God want from them?

Israel try’s to fix things on their own

But look at verse 40 again. Israel feels sorry and admits they were wrong, but what do they do next? What is their plan? Go into that place that the Lord promised! To Israel it makes sense: they were wrong, they feel bad about it, but they are still right on the edge of the land!  Why not forget about yesterday and go take the land? God won’t mind right? They feel sorry after all!

The question you and I have to ask as readers is this: is this true repentance? Or does Israel have merely a superficial view of their sin? Thankfully, the text answers the question, because Moses responds to Israel’s plan. And it is Moses’ response that reveals what true repentance would look like for Israel in this situation.

Moses responds to Israel

Entering promised land without God is disobedience

But Moses responded, “Why are you going against the Lord’s command? It won’t succeed. Don’t go, because the Lord is not among you and you will be defeated by your enemies. The Amalekites and Canaanites are right in front of you, and you will fall by the sword. The Lord won’t be with you, since you have turned from following Him.”

Numbers 14:41-43, HCSB

Moses clarifies the problem with Israel’s plan: it is simply further disobedience. Rather than accepting the punishment and discipline of the Lord, Israel is trying a “quick fix.” Why? Because Israel does not like the consequences of their actions.

Notice: at no point in the passage does Israel cry out to the Lord. All we have in the text is that Israel is sad and doesn’t like the punishment God has declared. But Israel is missing the whole point. God wants their hearts to turn to obedience and by wanting to enter the land, Moses says they are not obeying the Lord!

Real repentance means accepting the Lord’s discipline and turning to Him in obedience. False repentance focuses on trying to fix consequences you don’t like

Entering promised land without God is doomed

Moses gives a further problem with Israel’s plan: if they try to enter the promised land against the will of the God that promised the land to them, Israel will be defeated. Why? Moses says “The Lord is not among you.”

Israel thinking they had the power in themselves to claim the promised land misses the point. It was never about Israel’s strength. God was going to enable Israel to defeat their enemies despite the nations weakness. Trying to take the land without God would be a disaster. Twice Moses repeats in verses 41-43 that God is not with Israel.

Moses then gives the reason God isn’t with Israel: since you have turned from following Him. Israel in all their weeping and confession of wrongdoing forgot the biggest piece of all: they had turned from following the Lord. They were disobedient and rebellious.

True repentance does not simply say “whoops God! Mistakes were made! Let’s get back on track.” Repentance means realizing dishonoring God was the fundamental problem.

Israel is in such a rush to get out of the consequences they forget to stop and think “is God with us still? Does He approve of this plan?” As a reader, you wish Israel would just stop here. That they would listen to Moses and seek God first. God had just declared Israel would not enter the land, yet Israel immediately says “Let’s enter the land!” Obedience and repentance in this passage would mean heeding Moses’ warning. But Israel still doesn’t get it.

The result of false repentance

Israel tries to claim God’s promise without God‘s presence

But they dared to go up the ridge of the hill country, even though the ark of the Lord’s covenant and Moses did not leave the camp. Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them as far as Hormah.

Numbers 14:44-45, HCSB

You wish the story ended here with Israel listening to Moses, their mediator. That Israel would turn back, TRULY repent before the Lord.But that doesn’t happen. Instead, the text said they dared to go up on the ridge of the hill country. And Israel did this without the ark of the Lord or without Moses. This is not just a throwaway line. If you go back to Numbers 10, you will see that the ark of the covenant is related to God’s presence

They set out from the mountain of the Lord on a three-day journey with the ark of the Lord’s covenant traveling ahead of them for those three days to seek a resting place for them. 34 Meanwhile, the cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp. Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say: Arise, Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and those who hate You flee from Your presence.

Numbers 10:33-35, HCSB emphasis added

Leaving the ark behind is equivalent to leaving the Lord behind. It is as if Israel said “alright, if God doesn’t want to help us out here, we are doing it ourselves.” Israel fails to remember the only claim they have on the promised land, is that their God promised it to them. That is it. But instead of seeking God, Israel continues their pattern of disobedience. They focus on what they want, rather than what God wants.

Israel is defeated soundly

What is the result? The text makes it clear Israel didn’t make it far at all: they were routed. What an illustration of what Paul ways in 2 Corinthians!

“For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death”

In Numbers 14, the death is physical. Israel’s grief that they had in verse 39 did not produce repentance. It produced death. Therefore, Numbers 14 reveals Israel never truly repented but had merely a worldly grief.

To put it another way, this ending narrative shows the reverse side of Israel’s unbelief. At the beginning of Numbers 14, Israel didn’t trust God to give them the land. Then in desperation they attempt to take it on their own. At both the beginning and end of the chapter, you do not see Israel truly believing and seeking the Lord. Israel tried to gain God’s blessings apart from God. There is no true repentance because unbelief is still there. It has simply changed form.

Unbelief is like water: it can change forms and manifest itself in different ways, but at its most basic level, it is the same.

Application: false repentance vs true repentance

I will close this post with a helpful quote from Matthew Henry’s commentary:

It is folly to promise ourselves success in that which we undertake contrary to the mind of God

Matthew Henry, “Commentary on the Whole Bible”

Numbers 14 is an unparalleled picture of false repentance. Often times, you feel sorry for what you did, you might feel pained by the consequences and you want to quickly make it right as fast as possible. But don’t be deceived like Israel was:

Sorrow without obedience is not true repentance

The fundamental problem with your rebellion and unbelief is not what it does to you, but what it does to God. Therefore, if you want to truly repent, do not get merely upset with the consequences of your actions. See the ultimate issue: disobeying the Lord. Let that reality grieve you.

If you only focus on what your sin does to you, you won’t turn and change your fundamental behavior. You will just try to change your circumstances. True repentance means accepting Lord’s discipline and obeying rather than trying to fix the consequences of your sin.

Repentance is about turning from disobedience to obedience, not from consequences to no consequences

We live in a culture that thinks feeling sorry means repentance. Don’t be fooled. Heed the warning from Numbers 14. See how your sin grieves and dishonors God. Turn to the Lord in humility, accepting any consequences He gives. Commit to correcting the behaviors, thoughts, and/or heart attitudes that dishonor the Lord.

And most important of all: don’t try to correct yourself using your own strength. Don’t be like Israel leaving behind the Lord’s ark and leaving behind the Lord’s mediator (Moses) to try to take the land. Ask the Lord to empower you to correct your sinful behavior. Run to Christ, the better mediator, for “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate.”

May God empower you to flee false repentance and truly repent when you sin and “by the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the flesh.”

To read other posts in this ongoing series, visit this page. If you like this series, check out my other ongoing series “Happy?” where I show you what the Psalms have to say about finding true happiness.
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.
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.