INTRO.
When you receive a gift from your parents or friends, you receive it with your hands. You won’t say to your parents, “I am busy right now. Just put it on my desk. I will check later.” This person doesn’t deserve the gift. It is the same when you receive a gift from God, you need to open your hands to accept it. Faith is your hand to receive God’s gift. Faith is your hand to take blessings God promised.
Then, what is to reach out your hands and take God’s gift? We want to learn from a failure of the Israelites. They had God’s promise for the land. But they hesitated to enter and take the land. Therefore, they could not enter the land, even though they knew God’s promise.
God promised to give them the land of Canaan
God promised Abraham to give the land of Canaan to his descendants. And 400 years later after the promise, God sent Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egypt and to lead to Canaan. As you see on this map, they moved out of Egypt, traveled the wilderness, and arrived at the border of the promised land. Now, what is the next step? They needed to enter the land and live there. But, here is the problem. The land was not vacant. There lived 7 Canaanite tribes who had iron chariots, which is of the Iron Age, while the Israelites were still in the Bronze Age. In order to take the land, they need to fight and destroy the Canaanites who had better technology. Is this in God’s plan? Yes, it is.
God promised He would drive the Canaanites out
In Exodus 33 and 34, God confirmed Moses twice that He would drive the Canaanites out.
They were supposed to believe God’s promise.
For this purpose, to strengthen their faith, God showed them many miracles. They saw God’s power from 10 plagues done to Egypt. They walked through the bottom of the Red Sea while the Egyptians were drowned. They saw God’s special care and love: water from the rock, Manna, and quail. Why did God show all these miracles? It was to make them trust in God. It was to equip them as God’s soldiers to fight the war of God.
Now it is time for them to enter the land and capture it. But instead,
They sent spies to the land; but not a smart idea.
Sending of spies is not God’s initial plan. It is by their request according to Moses’ retrospect in Deut 1. They asked Moses to send spies and God allowed it. Why did they send spies?
18 and see what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, few or many,
19 and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or fortified cities, (Numbers 13:18-19)
Moses asked them to check if the land is good or bad, and the people are strong or not. God told them it is the land of milk and honey. It is very good land. They don’t need to check it. Also, God promised to drive the inhabitants out no matter how strong they are. If they have a resolute will to enter the land, they don’t need to know all this information. Therefore, sending spies might not be God’s will.
As we follow Jesus, as we obey God’s will, as long as you are sure that it is God’s will, do not evaluate the pros and cons of following God’s will. If we think too much, you would hesitate and not obey God’s commands. The more you think about it, the more you will focus on what is seen, and the less you will hold on God’s promise.
They sent 12 spies, one from each tribe. What were their reports?
Lack of faith (10 spies): focus on what is seen and fear
They reported two things. It is really good land. And the Canaanites looked strong. Are they right? They are saying the truth. What’s wrong in their report? They totally forgot God’s promise. They only focused on what is seen. Their conclusion is this.
1 Then all the community raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night.
2 And all the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perished in this wilderness!
3 Why has the LORD brought us into this land only to be killed by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?"
4 So they said to one another, "Let's appoint a leader and return to Egypt."
(Num 14:1-4)
They say, “We are dead.“ “The Lord brought us here to die by the swords of the Canaanites.”
They doubt God’s good intentions. And they say, “Let’s return to Egypt.”
Never say this way when you encounter difficulties in your life as you follow Jesus. “it was better when I didn’t believe in Jesus. As I started to believe in Jesus, my life got more problems. I want to return to the old patterns of life.” This is to say, “Jesus, what you have done is no value to me”
Now what is the report of faith?
Strong faith(Caleb and Joshua): focus on God’s promise
7 They said to the whole community of the Israelites, "The land we passed through to investigate is an exceedingly good land.
8 If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us– a land that is flowing with milk and honey.
9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection has turned aside from them, but the LORD is with us. Do not fear them!" (Num 14:7-9)
Their report about the land is the same with 10 other unfaithful spies. The land was good. The Canaanites looked strong. But these two men of faith focus on God’s promise. They said, “if the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us” They believed in God’s promise.
In spite of the faithful encouragement of Caleb and Joshua, the whole community threatened to stone them. At this moment, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites.
God’s punishment
God said, “All will die in the desert as you complained. You should turn to the desert and wonder 40 years until all in this generation die. Your children will enter the land. And only Caleb and Joshua from your generation will enter the land because they believed in me”
This is why they wandered 40 years in the wilderness.
How does this story relate to our life?
You need to reach out your hands of faith and take the gift
What is God’s gift? (ask kids) What is the greatest gift of God? Jesus!
In Jesus, God gave us eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, and all blessings from heaven.
You should take Jesus into your heart. You should walk with Him every day. This is how we receive the gift from God. Read bible and spend time with Jesus. Follow Jesus’ words.
I said, sending spies was not a good idea. As you follow Jesus,
Don’t search for other information, focus on God’s words
We often spend too much time to search what college or what job we pursue. But we should spend more time to know God’s will in your life. Otherwise, you will follow your own decision. You will be misled by what is seen.
Do not fear failures, if you follow God’s will, He will take care of even your failures.
The reason they hesitate to enter the land was fear of dying in the battle. If they had believed God’s deliverance from their enemies, you would not fear.
However, God promised them victory, some of them died in the battle. This is faith, “even though I might die in the battle, I march forward because it is God’s will. My death will glorify God and He will surely reward me with eternal life”
Don’t worry about your failures in following Jesus. He will take care of even your failures. What is failure? Failure is not failing to achieve the goal, failure is failing to follow God’s command.
Example) Prayer for a sick person. Don’t worry about what if God doesn’t heal the sick after you pray. Just pray if it is God’s will. God will take His glory even through your “failure.” you think.
Now, what is the goal to achieve? Their goal was the land of Canaan. Our goal is victory over sin and death.
You need to conquer sin and death. This is what God promised in Jesus.
To have victory over death, you need to start a war against sin. Proclaim a war against sin and death. If you resist the devil, it will run away. The reason you stay in sin, as a believer, you chose to stay in the old patterns of life of sin. Please do not compromise with sins. You cannot live with sins. Obey God’s words. Don’t value too much about your flesh.
Because of time short, I can’t elaborate more on this. Just remember. Our goal is to achieve victory over sin and death. We need to go and conquer them.
CLOSING
What is the greatest gift from God? Jesus. All good things and blessings are given to us in Jesus Christ. See the price tag of the gift. God paid His Son’s life to prepare this. Why don’t you have more interest in God’s gift? Did you start today with Jesus? Are you walking with Jesus every day? Yes! Please do so!
War against sin and death. Jesus died to give us eternal life, not a blessed life in this world. If don’t fight the war against sin and death, you are not willing to take the gift of eternal life. You are not eligible for it. Do not fear about your failures or defeat in the battle. If you follow God’s command as God’s soldier, you will take care of you. Final victory is ours in Jesus!