The Book of Numbers – When Unbelief Blinds

At the end of chapter 13 we saw that out of the 12 spies who went to explore the promised land, only two, Caleb and Joshua came back with confidence that God would carry out His promise to give them the land. The rest of the ten, doubted and spread fear among the people.

A wildfire of Unbelief

The result of that bad report led the people to grumble. That small spark of fear and doubt created a forest fire of unbelief.

Num 14:1-4 “That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

Luke 6:45 cautions us that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. It did not take long for them to doubt God, that very night they complained. At the root of their grumbling was unbelief. 

For us: We might think, how can they doubt so easily, Israel had experienced the ten plagues, the parting of the red sea, provision of manna, and yet each time the circumstances feel difficult, they grumble.

But what about you and I? It is easy to see the fault in the Israelites, but where are we falling short when it comes to trusting God and how often do we slip into grumbling? 

Fear can erode our faith. It is commonly said that Faith is the antidote to fear. An antidote is used to counteract something poisonous or unpleasant. And the antidote has to be powerful enough to counteract whatever poison is consumed.

Do not let fear diminish your faith. The strength in our faith does not come from us, but in who our faith rests on. But we do play a part in strengthening our Faith. Faith comes from hearing the word of God. Meditating and hiding the word in our heart helps us trust God to tackle the giants in front of us and stay focused on him, reminding ourselves that God is bigger and more powerful than anything.

A Disillusioned perception

The people said, it would be better if they could go back to Egypt. Their lack of trust in God disillusioned them into thinking that their life of enslavement was better that stepping into God’s promise for them.

For us: Fear and doubt can hold us back in so many ways. What is God calling you to trust Him with, it might feel scary but do not let the enemy fool you into thinking that you are better off not following where God wants to lead you.

The people wanted to choose a new leader to go back to Egypt. They probably knew Moses would in no way go against God and therefore he was not meeting their wants.

2 Timothy 4:3 says “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears and they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.”

For us: God’s word is not to be sifted according to our desires and wants. Following God in obedience may not always be easy, but if we are being challenged then we also know that we are being transformed.

Source of Caleb and Joshua’s Courage

Hearing the people, Moses and Aaron fall to the ground and Caleb and Joshua tear their clothes and share words of encouragement.

Num 14: 8-10 “If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them. But the whole assembly talked about stoning them.”

Caleb and Joshua reveal their faith and the source of their courage and strength to believe. It was their words ‘the Lord is with us’ that made all the difference for them.

For us: And I hope that truth does the same for you too. Whatever you may be facing now, may the knowledge that the Lord is with you bolster your faith to walk through it with strength and courage that comes from His presence and power with you.

A Forty-year Sentence

The words of Caleb and Joshua do not change the people’s attitude, instead they talk about stoning them.

God’s glory appears over the tent of meeting, and He is angry. He speaks with Moses and says in verses 11-12, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them.”

Moses prays. He understood that the people deserve God’s wrath, but he appeals to God’s nature and His name.

Num 14:18 “The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.”

God listens and forgives but he will not be mocked by the people.  ^“Not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.” (Verse 23).  Except for Caleb and Joshua, none would enter the promised land.

In Num 14: 34 God says, “For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.”

The two years of disciplining in the desert becomes 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

This lesson is a sobering one. We might think, the Israelites after witnessing mighty miracles would believe. The Pharisees did not believe in Jesus even though they witnessed his works, but scripture also tells that many did believe when Jesus performed miracles.

We might think that God’s presence with them, manifesting in the cloud and fire at night would be compelling enough to trust. Judas Iscariot walked closely with Jesus as one of his disciples, but his heart was not changed but we also read of the rest of the disciples who gave their lives sharing and serving Jesus.

Lord, open our spiritual eyes and hearts to your word and works. May your presence in our life not be without effect. May we not be quick to lack trust in you God when things get difficult, or disregard what it means to have you with us. May our faith be bolstered by your faithful presence with us. May our hearts, desire to be obedient to you, trusting who you are, faithful and all powerful.

God Bless.