Trust and Obey

From the song, “Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Swindoll says, “Numbers tells the story of a tragic pilgrimage where people who knew better didn’t do better and suffered the consequences.”  An 11 day journey stretched into 38 years because the Israelites failed to obey God when he told them to go in and occupy the land of Canaan.  They did not trust God to give them what He had promised. God was very angry with his people. Again, Moses interceded for them and again, God answered Moses’ prayer and spared them.  But He told them that all the people who were 20 years old or older would die before the Israelites could enter Canaan, all except Joshua and Caleb who had trusted God and urged the people to obey Him.

The people mourned because of God’s words.  The next morning they got up and decided to enter Canaan after all. Moses warned them not to go.  It was too late for them to obey God and go in.  They went anyway, but the Amalekites and Canaanites defeated them because they took matters into their own hands rather than obeying God.  

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron.  They were jealous of Moses’ authority and leadership position, and they accused Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves.  Moses and Aaron appealed to God.  The next day God caused an earthquake to swallow up the rebels and their families and fire to consume some of the rebels’ followers.  God takes sin very seriously.

The Israelites came to Kadesh in the desert of Zin and there was no water for them to drink. They complained to Moses and Aaron as usual.  Moses and Aaron took the problem to God, and God pointed out a rock.  He told Moses and Aaron to speak to the rock in front of the people.  Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, but they disobeyed God’s instructions.  Moses didn’t speak to the rock; he hit it twice with his staff instead.  And Moses said to the gathered crowd, “Listen, you rebels, must WE bring you water out of this rock?”  Moses was planning to take credit for what God was going to do.  God was very displeased.  Many acts of obedience do not make up for any act of disobedience.  God did not allow Moses and Aaron to enter the promised land as punishment.  Leaders are held to a stricter standard because they are role models, and their punishment serves as an example for others.  It doesn’t matter who we are or what we have done for God or what excuses we have; God always expects obedience.  No one is exempt!

Father, may we always trust and obey You.  Amen.

A Majority Report and a Minority Report

“They gave Moses this account…”, Number 13:27a

As the Israelites drew near to the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, God instructed Moses to send 12 men, one from each tribe, to spy out the land and bring back a report.  The men were chosen, and they spent 40 days traveling throughout Canaan. When they returned, they brought a cluster of grapes so large two men carried it on a pole between them. All twelve men agreed that it was a very fertile land. Numbers 13:27, “They gave Moses this account:  ‘We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey [as God had promised them].  Here is its fruit.”  So far, so good.

Ten of the spies reported that there were many people there and that the cities were fortified.  They said that the men of Canaan were so large that they felt like grasshoppers beside them.  The majority report concluded that the Israelites would be unable to take over the land they had seen.  These men operated out of fear, and this fear spread to all the Israelites.  They had left their all powerful God out of the equation.

Joshua and Caleb took God into consideration and gave a minority report.  Numbers 13:30, “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land for we can certainly do it.’”

What can we do when we are faced with what appears to be an overwhelming challenge?  Does it help to turn away in fear?  Fear limits our lives, putting constraints on our actions and preventing us from expanding our lives.  2 Timothy 1:7 in the NASB tells us, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power and love and discipline.”  Who do you suppose wants us to cower with fear?

Probably you have heard the saying, “God and I are a majority.”  It is true.  With God on your side, you can venture forth with courage--which is doing whatever even though you are afraid--and become victorious over the giants of challenge in your life.  We can either quake with fear and draw back or trust God and march forward.  Which will you choose?

Elizabeth Cheney wrote,

Said the robin to the sparrow,

"I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

rush about and worry so."

Said the sparrow to the robin,

"Friend, I think that it must be

That they have no Heavenly Father

such as cares for you and me."

Dear God, thank You that you are a Heavenly Father Who cares for each of Your creatures including me.  Amen.

The Strong Should Help the Weak

"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves."  Romans 15:1

     My pastor Mat wrote me,  "Once when I was dealing with a difficult person, my father-in-law encouraged me with these words,  "It's the job of the strong to take care of the weak."  His words made Mat feel that his father-in-law understood his situation and that, in that case, Mat was the stronger party.  As such, this behooved him to be patient and caring toward the other person.  God has given us strength and wisdom and other resources to use in helping others.  What a joy to have this perspective on what otherwise might be tedious, trying situations.
     There is a great example of the stronger helping the weaker in Numbers 12.  Moses' brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, began to criticize Moses.  They talked against him because of his Cushite wife and his position of leadership among the Israelites.  Number 12:2 tells us that they said,  "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses....Hasn't he also spoken through us?"  They were jealous of Moses.  Numbers 12:2 also tells us that the Lord heard what they said.  We can hide nothing from God.  He hears every word we speak, sees every action we take, and knows even our every thoughts.
     God was not pleased with Aaron and Miriam.  He came down and visited them in a pillar of cloud and defended His servant Moses.  When God left, Miriam's skin had become leprous.  Aaron quickly apologized to Moses for what they had said and begged him to help his sister.  If you had been Moses, what would you have done?  Moses could certainly have said,  "That will hush you two up.  She's getting just what she deserves."  But Moses had great strength of character.  He cried out to God on Miriam's behalf, asking Him to heal her, and God did.  When we are the stronger party in a situation, God wants us to help the weaker person as Moses did.
     We all like to be the strong one, able to give needed assistance.  But the truth of the matter is we are sometimes the weaker one, needing assistance and understanding.  How deeply we should appreciate the strength, patience, help, and encouragement of those who have come along side us and lifted us up and spurred us on!  May we be grateful for those helpers when we are the weaker, needy one, and may we pass along that helping attitude toward others when we are the stronger one.

Father, how we thank You for helping us so many times in our weaknesses.  We thank You for all those people who were Your channels to give us assistance and encouragement.  May we seek to help others, kindly and patiently, in their times of weakness.  Amen.

Offerings

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

In Leviticus God gave the Israelites laws including the ten commandments and instructions about various feast days and offerings which were to be made.  The whole Jewish sacrificial system pointed to Jesus and the sacrifice He made for the sins of everyone in the world when He died on the cross.  “Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people.  He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. “  Hebrews 7:27

Many of the instructions God gave the Israelites in Leviticus applied to them at that time.  The ten commandments are still valid guidelines for us today, but the sacrifice Christ made on the cross has an eternal application for all people.  He gave himself so that those who choose to do so may take Him as Savior and become God’s children.  Because of what Jesus has done for us, we have forgiveness of sins, peace and power in this life, and a future home in heaven.  

Jesus has given Himself for us and to us.  Our appropriate response is for us to, in turn, give ourselves wholly to Him, placing everything we have and everything we are completely in His hands.  Christina Georgina Rossetti wrote:

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Have you given Him your heart?

Father, you gave your only Son for me.  Lord Jesus, Savior, you died a torturous, humiliating death for me.  Precious Holy Spirit, constant companion, you live in my heart and guide and empower and comfort me.  For all you, my God, have given me, I give you my heart.  Amen.