Sad but true. It is heart-rending to read God’s irreversible verdict on the whole community of Israelites in Deuteronomy 1:35:
“Not a single one of these people, this whole evil generation, will see the good land I swore to give to your ancestors,” (Deuteronomy 1:35, CJB)
One whole generation never tasted God’s best for them. They were moving along fine until they reached the entrance to the fulfillment of God’s promises. Everything fell apart from there.
The cause? They refused to enter in! It was theirs for the taking but no one wants to rise up in faith to conquer their promised land except Joshua and Caleb. Only these two enjoyed the blessings offered on the other side. (More about them later)
Here was their situation. They reached Kadesh-Barnea - the border of the promised land most likely within the first two years of their journey. (Deut. 1:19) Then they sent 12 spies to secretly survey the land for forty days. (Deut. 1:22-24, Numbers 13:21-25) The spies came back with glowing reports. God’s description of a land flowing with milk and honey was absolutely true. (Deut. 1:25)
But then ten out of the twelve spies effectively demoralized everyone in the community from even trying to get in. They gave up at the last minute. (Deut. 1:26-29)
What went wrong?
I believe this disaster did not develop overnight. It began way back at the beginning of their exodus. It came by stages, one leading to the next.
1. They lacked trust in God (Deut. 1:28)
After hundreds of years of cruel slavery, God sent Moses back to Egypt to set their exodus into motion. At first they believed and even worshipped God fervently for His wonderful promises (Exodus 4:31) But at the first stroke of opposition, they were overcome by a sense of helplessness due to their impossible situation.
It was a breeding ground for God’s miracles. But instead of becoming better, they became bitter.(Exodus 5:20-21) After Moses prayed, God revealed to them His name - YaHVeH (God’s covenant name to assure them that He will never leave them nor forsake them). Furthermore, He gave them powerful promises but they no longer believed in the Lord. (Exodus 6:9) In spite of this, the Lord faithfully carried out their deliverance even though they were unfaithful. (2 Timothy 2:13)
When God gives us a promise, things often turn for the worse before they become better.
Again, in Kadesh-Barnea, they faced the impossible. And yet again, they did not believe the Lord was able or good enough to fulfill His good promises even after much reassurance from God Himself (Deut. 1:29-33). This time, the Lord no longer helped them.
Often times the Lord gives us a second chance to pass our tests by arranging the same situation at another time. Deja vu. God repeated the test but they remained hardened in their hearts.
Their lack of trust in a good and awesome God showed that they failed to develop a personal relationship with Him. After about two years of making Himself known through mighty signs, wonders, miracles and awesome promises, they still did not see God in the midst of their circumstances.
Mind you, their assessment of their 'impossible' situation was accurate. “The people are bigger and taller than we are; the cities are great and fortified up to the sky; and finally, we have seen ‘Anakim (the dreaded giants) there.’” (Deuteronomy 1:28, CJB)
Their mistake was not in correctly assessing their circumstances but in allowing the ‘impossible’ to erode their confidence in God. They focused on the problem and what they cannot do rather than focusing on God and what He can do. They forgot that, “with God nothing is impossible.” (Matthew 19:26, Luke 1:37)
It’s just mind-boggling that the daily manifestations God’s presence did not change them a bit.
How can they disregard the cloud by day and fire by night that supernaturally protected them from the blistering heat during the day and biting cold during the night? What about the manna that miraculously appeared regularly at their doorstep? Their clothes and shoes that did not grow old? The multitude of quails that came to them when they craved for meat? And the ten plagues in Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea? What about God’s awesome power displayed when the whole mountain of Sinai was glowing red hot as He touched down? How easily people forget when they focus on the problem!
The same thing happens to a person who is eaten up by worry. You must never allow worry to consume you. When we face impossible odds, we must bear in mind that God is at work even in those very circumstances. He will display His power that you may know He is God. Never allow problems to overwhelm you.
Signs of lack of trust
- You magnify your problems instead of God who is able.
- You point your finger at others rather than facing problems with an eye of faith.
- You blame others when things turn for the worse rather than believing God is at work.
Problem #1 is reversible.
Lack of trust can be solved by seeing God who sits high and lifted up above all the earth, meditating on God’s words to know Him better, and dwelling on His promises.
2. They gave in to fear. (Deut. 1:29-31)
Their situation was not only unattainable, they also said that the Canaanite residents were fearsome. True? Yes. But God Almighty was far more fearsome than all their enemies combined! They only needed to look up and see the pillar of cloud or the pillar of fire.
When the Israelites marched out of Egypt, they formed companies according to their tribes and poised themselves as a people marching off to war complete with banners identifying each tribe.
Disclaimer: I do not necessarily agree with the contents of the websites where the pictures were taken.
But by the time they arrived on the borders of Canaan, their heart sank at the news of dreadful giants in the land. On the outside, they still look like an impressive army. But inside the camp, their courage was melting away.
What happened? Along the way, they lost their sense of God’s presence. The Lord never left. It’s just that the Israelites forgot that God was with them all the time! They did not develop a personal walk with the Lord. They were wary of Him. Therefore, they asked Moses to do the talking with God in their behalf and let Moses relay to them whatever God said. (Exodus 20:18-21)
Relying on others to present your prayers to God is not a good way to cultivate intimacy with Him.
Hence, when problems hit, they panicked. This was a result of not knowing Him personally. They did not actively involve the Lord in their day to day activities. God was there with them but they acted as if He wasn’t there. They took God’s presence for granted.
Signs of giving in to fear:
- When you lose hope over problems and worry gets the best of you.
- When you grossly undervalue God’s promises. The Israelites said, “What sort of place is it that we’re heading for?” (Deut. 1:28, CJB) They acknowledged that it was a great place to live in but in the next breath say, “What sort of a place is it anyway?”
- When you refuse to acknowledge God’s presence in your circumstances.
Problem #2 is reversible.
Fear gives way to courage when you spend time in prayer and fellowship with God. (Joshua 1:7-9) Joshua’s fellowship with God gave him courage. God became his encourager. David said, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.” (Psalm 23:4, NLT)
3. They nurtured distrust. (Deut. 1:32)
When fear gripped their hearts, they still did not call on the Lord. So, they plunged deeper into a growing distrust in God.
God’s words were very affectionate, “Don’t be fearful, don’t be afraid of them. Adonai your God, who is going ahead of you, will fight on your behalf, just as he accomplished all those things for you in Egypt before your eyes, and likewise in the desert, where you saw how Adonai your God carried you, like a man carries his child, along the entire way you traveled until you arrived at this place.” (Deut. 1:29-31)
What a privilege! No other nation on earth ever experienced this kind of careful attention from the Creator of heaven and earth.
Remember that God made a contract with the whole community. This meant that God bound Himself in a written agreement. Their “contract signing” happened at Mount Sinai when the Lord came down “in Person.” The terms of the contract was the ten commandments and the laws. One of the great benefits of that contract was God’s promise of a good land to enjoy. God also promised to walk with them through the barren wilderness. This should have been enough to trust Him to bring them to the Promised land.
“Yet in this matter you don’t trust Adonai your God, even though He went ahead of you, seeking out places for you to pitch your tents and showing you which way to go, by fire by night and by a cloud during the day.” (Deut. 1:32-33)
Signs of a growing distrust in God
- When you constantly complain (Deut. 1:26).
- When you question (at least in your heart) God’s ability to fulfill His promises.
- When you don’t believe God to act faithfully in your behalf.
Problem #3 is reversible.
Allow the power of God’s word to destroy false assumptions and false beliefs in your mind. Choose to believe in God. Resist the temptation to complain or to question God’s ability to save you.
4. They developed a culture of unbelief. (Deut. 1:34, 27)
Their distrust in God and His promises led them to question God’s motives. They attacked God’s character and integrity. They said:
“It’s because Adonai hated us that he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, only to hand us over to the Emori (Amorites) to destroy us.” (Deut. 1:27) What a way to say!
They were saying that God cannot be trusted. He was not really a loving and caring God that He projects Himself to be, and that God really wanted to punish them and destroy them. They were also saying that God did not mean what He said and therefore they can disregard His words.
Unbelief is not just a lack of faith. That is doubt. Unbelief is an attitude that opposes or rejects whatever God says. It’s a spirit that questions God’s motives. Unbelief puts God to the test by undermining God’s character.
What is sinister about unbelief is that it does not deny God’s power to perform miracles. In fact, unbelief affirms miracles but it says that God displays His power only for His selfish ends. Unbelief attacks God’s integrity.
Worse, unbelief can be heard by God even when you discuss them in the privacy of your own home. “…and in your tents you complained, ‘It’s because Adonai (the Lord) hated us…” (Deuteronomy 1:27, CJB)
Verse 34-35 says, “Adonai heard what you were saying, became angry and swore, ‘Not a single one of these people, this whole generation, will see the good land I swore to your ancestors.’”
Actually, what they were saying was, “We wish we had died in the land of Egypt! Or that we had died here in the desert! Why is Adonai bringing us into this land…?” (Exodus 14:2-3, CJB) God responded, “None of those who treated me with contempt will see it…. “As surely as you have spoken in my ears, I will do this to you.” (Exodus 14:23,28) [Kindly read the whole chapter of Exodus 14 to see the context.]
Signs of developing unbelief
- When you begin to question God’s goodness in your life even though He already showed Himself faithful.
- When you reject God’s words and promises even though the most sensible thing to do is receive and believe them.
- When you are no longer willing to believe God’s promises.
- When you harden your heart and no longer follow God.
Beware of the spirit or attitude of unbelief. It is very dangerous. It is like walking on thin ice. Disaster is waiting to happen at any moment.
Danger! Problem #4 is irreversible.
Consequences are final and executory. No negotiations are accepted. This will cause you to miss out on God's best in your life.
5. They encouraged rebellion in their camp. (Deut. 1:41-43)
They added rebellion to their unbelief. Unbelief ripens into a lifestyle of disobedience. And persistent disobedience is rebellion.
One also needs to note the undercurrents the spawned all these problems. They had a very negative culture. Moses described them as “burdensome, bothersome and quarrelsome” people. (Deut. 1:12, CJB) Burdensome means they were such a difficult people to lead. Bothersome means they were always causing or looking for trouble. Quarrelsome means they love to argue, dispute, fight and war with words. Any nation with this kind of culture is in a self-destruct mode. No wonder they were not ready to claim God’s best for them. They lacked the character to possess the promised land.
Furthermore, there was something else that stole their heart away- idol worship.
Can you imagine? They erected an idol while Moses was receiving God’s signed contract with the Israelites in Mount Sinai. Their unfaithfulness directly under God's nose lasted for forty years. Talking about God's extreme mercy and loving-kindness!
Amos 5:25-26
“Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, Israel? No, you served your pagan gods - Sakkuth your king god and Kaiwan your star god - the images you made for yourselves.” (NLT)
They were married to God but then committed spiritual adultery at the same time!
The only thing that was going for them was God's promise to their ancestors- Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Other than that, they would have been wiped off the face of the earth a long time ago.
Signs of rebellion against God
- When you take matters in your hands. You insist on doing things your way. After God forfeited their entry to the Promised Land, the Israelites decided on their own to go in. God told them they will never win in battle because He was no longer with them. They went ahead anyway! (Deut. 1:41-43)
- When you have misplaced affections. You hate what God loves and enjoy what God hates.
- When you practice and encourage disobedience to God. You think you can mock God and consider it shrewd to live an ungodly life while believing you can enjoy God’s benefits at the same time.
- When you stubbornly refuse to obey God. You presume that what you want is what God wants and delude yourself into thinking that if God doesn’t want it, you will eventually have it anyway.
- When you fight and put God to the test. You provoke God to anger by your corrupt ways.
It is important to point out that the call for obedience is only for a limited time. When you missed it, you missed it forever. God commanded the Israelites, “Go up and conquer the land.” They would not go in. And then after they provoked God to anger enough to send them back to the wilderness, they decided to “obey” the Lord! The offer was good until it lasted. Their call to obedience has already passed.
God commanded them to turn back towards the Red Sea (after all that's what they wanted, Exodus 14:3-4). But they insisted on "obeying" their wishes, strapped their belts and went off to war. Needless to say, the enemy crushed them into powder.
The scripture comments, “You returned and cried before Adonai, but Adonai neither listened to what you said nor paid you any attention.” (Deut. 1:45, CJB)
Double Danger! Problem #5 is irreversible.
This is a point of no return. Whatever flicker of hope remains in problem #4 (unbelief), rebellion completely snuffs it out. Lucifer was guilty of rebellion when he led an uprising against God. (Isaiah 14:12-15) The Pharisees in Jesus’ day were guilty of the same. (Matthew 24:29-36) Lucifer and the Pharisees (in Jesus’ day) were judged. “‘There is no peace,’ says the LORD, ‘for the wicked.’” (Isaiah 48:22, NKJV)
When you cross this line, your very soul is in danger.
"It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31, NLT)
Let none of you who read this ever fall into the diabolical trap of unbelief and rebellion. May the Lord have mercy on us all, amen.
Your “Promised Land” is your God-given destiny. It is all of God’s best for your life. When you pursue your calling, you will walk in God’s fullness of life- a life full of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Endeavor to enter in to your promised land. Moses took the painful but necessary review of their past mistakes to straighten their path toward the promised land.
Let us imitate Christ's attitude, "Oh My dearest Father, not what I want, but what you want." (Matthew 26:39)
May we walk in a straight path, though narrow, may we stay in His righteous ways, amen:)
(Deuteronomy chapter 1, part 3 of 5)
(Re-writing Deuteronomy 005)
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