Sunday’s
sermon was from Numbers 14. As usual my mind wandered as the
pastor’s focus left the actual text. As he had read the entire
chapter in preparation for leaving it I tried to follow along and pay
attention to what it actually said. It was a narrative that I was
familiar with but I find that if I pay attention I will see things
that have escaped me over the years.
I was not
disappointed. The story I have always heard and repeated myself was
that God declared Israel would wander in the wilderness until the
living generation died off. They would not live to see the promised
land, except for Joshua and Caleb. That is not exactly what it says.
Read these two verses and see if you identify the same escape clause
that I see.
Numbers 14:22-23 (KJV) 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:At first quick read it seems like a blanket condemnation, but look at the qualifiers. In verse 22 you have the conditional phrase, “and not hearkened” which leaves the door open for some to want to trust God. In the next verse you see the same pattern when the doom is limited to those the “provoked” Him.
I find hope in that. Often in life we are a small voice in a mighty wave of opinion. No one seems to hear us. We are striving against the tide but make no difference in the flood. Disaster awaits. I wonder how many times in the history of Israel that pattern was repeated. Remember the 7,000 who had not bowed to Baal. Think of the repeated use of the concept of the faithful remnant. My desire is that I would be in that pocket of grace that God seems to provide for the faithful.
So join the minority. Be faithful. God may have wrath ahead for our world if there is not revival but He will provide a way for us.
homo unius libri
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Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.