CONSEQUENCES OF REJECTING LIGHT
Numbers 14:1-45
What would Greek-educated, worldly-wise and carnal Corinthians have to do with an ancient mass of ex-slaves in erratic peregrinations, coated with the dust of the wilderness in which they were living? Seemingly, no greater contrast could be imagined between these cosmopolitan Greeks who had Olympic games rivaled only by Rome, the modern accouterments of first century Greek city life, the amenities of the Pax Romana, as opposed to these disheveled fugitives from Egypt who were engaged in 1400 BC wilderness camping, with all its privations.
Paul declared, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). In other words, the temptations faced by the Israelites in 1400 BC are related in principle to those faced by Corinthians in 55 AD; different in details, differing personalities, different milieu, but equal in responsibility each faced to appropriate the light given them, and respond with faith and obedience.
Whereas the twelve spies returned with a confirmation of God’s description of a land flowing with milk and honey, for ten of them, their observations also fueled a timidity that gave rise to a fearful hyperbole: cities walled up to Heaven, men so large, we seemed as grasshoppers. Fear fed on itself as these rash words bred reckless resolutions to return to Egypt!
Amazingly, Israel accepted the opinions of ten men as fact. Joshua and Caleb, who gave the noble minority report, found to their chagrin that cowardice and terror is much more contagious than courage and other noble motives of faith and obedience to God. Unbelief never gets beyond the difficulties: city walls and giants, it always exaggerates the challenges and minimizes faith.
Despite the righteous pleadings of Caleb and Joshua to trust God for overcoming victory as he had already abundantly demonstrated, Israel demonstrated a capricious and unthankful memory. In fact, there is nothing more hateful for a rebel to hear than advice which is calmly reasoned and undeniably correct.
Self-absorbed mourning led to murmuring, which in turn, led to open rebellion and God’s consequent chastening hand. A critic may observe, Israel was too weak for this challenge. However, their trembling was not humility, but wicked unbelief of the first order. Although faith is a slow growing plant, external, supernatural evidences had been given them in abundance, but Israel failed to nurture her faith. They squandered their opportunities to grow in faith and built a habit of distrust. In other words, miracles alone are not a guaranteed remedy for a heart of unbelief.
Thanks to the intercessory pleadings of Moses, the nation was spared instant death. But though judgment was mitigated, those who rejected would experience his chastening. God’s judgment came in the form they feared most: dying in the wilderness. Now, they wished they could face the giants! Failing to trust God often brings greater challenges than we originally faced. Now Israel was experiencing a New Testament warning: “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48).
They had said, “Would God we had died in this wilderness” (Numbers 14:2). Now, they heard the ominous words, “Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness” (Numbers 14:29). They were sentenced to wander forty years in the wilderness to answer the number of days the spies searched the land. They had waited forty days for man’s testimony because they would not trust God’s Word. Now they must wait forty years waiting for the performance of God’s promise: there was a correspondence between sin and punishment.
As if to emphasize the seriousness of causing others to stumble, the Lord smote the authors of the “majority report” among the twelve spies. Whereas those aged twenty and over would perish over a forty year period, these ten men would immediately die because they directly discouraged the wavering Israelites, and caused the entire nation to stumble.
Following God’s immediate judgment on the ten spies, and His prophetic judgment on those twenty and over, there was a stunned reaction of sorrow from Israel. However, this was not repentance, it was a worldly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10). They presumptuously decided they would now take up arms against the Canaanites and go into Palestine as the Lord had wanted them to do. They foolishly thought their energetic efforts would mitigate or even prevent God’s chastening. However, they would find that no one can force the gate of God’s judgment, and that it is for better to meekly submit to God’s chastening hand.
Their abortive attempts to atone for their unbelief and disobedience was a presumptuous reliance on their own strength of character and will for the future. Their defeat at the hand of the Canaanites was a type of trying to achieve holiness and heaven without divine assistance; this will always be disastrous. Instead, another generation would conquer Canaan that would not have Egypt in their hearts. Those twenty and over had showed themselves unworthy of God’s blessings, and He had to choose other instruments. They had excluded themselves from their inheritance by their own faithless fears.
Please note some truths we can glean from this dramatic turn of events:
When God’s judgment is pronounced, His greater plan moves on; Israel as a nation ultimately moved on to the Promised Land. I am not personally needed by the Lord for His purposes to be accomplished. If I fail to exercise faith and obedience, which is my personal responsibility, God will judge me, and use others to accomplish His will. Because judgment does not begin immediately, I may be tempted to believe God has forgotten. However, at the end of forty years, all those twenty and over had died in the wilderness.
Spectacular, supernatural miracles will not change a stubborn, unbelieving human heart. These Israelites had seen and reacted to miracles most of us will only read about, and despite their faith-building character and design, these miracles left the Israelites with hearts of self-will and unbelief. Certain of the Scribes and Pharisees asked a supernatural sign from Jesus. “He answered and said unto them, an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign...” (Matthew 12:39). No matter what pyrotechnic display the Lord may provide of a supernatural character, a faithless heart of unbelief will still not believe.
As God’s judgment was pronounced, he drew a line between life and death at age twenty. This is the physical, chronological age established by God for when a person will have full, adult responsibility. This is the age of complete accountability. It is not likely that a self-absorbed, irresponsible child or young person will suddenly be responsible on their twentieth birthday if they have not been restrained and rigorously trained. “It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth” (Lamentations 3:27).
God expects us to live in the valley of temptation, trial and privation according to the light He has given us on the mountaintop of miracles, supernatural provision and unique deliverance. God believes in, and practices disinheritance. The earthly inheritance for these Israelites was the land of Canaan. Their stubborn, refractory and unbelieving hearts so grieved and offended the Father, He took away their earthly inheritance. Those in the nation who had trusted in the blood of the Passover Lamb would still receive their heavenly inheritance, albeit sooner than they expected because their earthly life was cut short.
God singles out for special retribution those who encourage unbelief and rebellion in others. The ten spies (excluding Joshua and Caleb) who disparaged God’s promises and exaggerated the hazards of Canaan were singled out for immediate death. The Lord Jesus promises woes and curses for those who cause others to stumble. “Woe unto the world because of offenses! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” (Matthew 18:7)
More often than not, in moral issues it is the minority that is right. Truth is not determined by numbers or polls. God’s Word is infallible, not men’s. Solitary eagles see more from lofty heights than ten thousands of cattle on numerous hills. Israel chose to listen to the “majority report” from the ten spies rather than the “minority report” from Joshua and Caleb. God’s true believers have always been a despised remnant, but are right on moral issues.
Israel was on the very brink of realizing God’s promises vis-a-vis the Promised Land when they disobeyed God. How poignant, sad, and tragic to lose such blessing because of unbelief. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). None of us dare go on “spiritual vacation,” no matter how long we have served the Lord: Moses lost his inheritance after 120 years of faithful service because of one moment of rebellion.
God’s mercy, patience and longsuffering does have an end. For the seven heathen Canaanite nations, it was 430 years. For Pharaoh, it was after the sign-judgments. For Sodom, Gomorrah, Adma and Zeboim, it was until the fire and brimstone fell. For the entire Antediluvian world, it was until the catastrophic, world-wide flood. For Samson, it was after the violation of Nazarite vows, immoral living and consorting with a heathen Delilah. For Annanias and Sapphira, it was after their lie to the Holy Spirit. For the Israelites over 20, it was after ten incidents of unbelief toward the Lord, and their continued stubborn rejection of God’s will. For Korah, Dathan and Abiram, it was until they rose up against Moses. For certain Christians, it is until the “sin unto death.”
The time for obeying God’s will is when He reveals it, not after His judgment has been pronounced. We must sail with the tide, or end up immobile in the shallows.
Paul said these Israelites and this occasion are examples for us (1 Corinthians 10:6). Lusting after wrong things, not giving the Lord proper place in our life, immorality and putting God to the test can be done at Kadesh Barnea, First Century Corinth, or in 21st Century Western Culture.
As the Israelites and some carnal Corinthians discovered, we are not indispensable. God does not need us to carry out His program. He condescends to use us so long as we exercise faith and obey Him. Those who believe they can play fast and loose with God and His Law had best read what happened to those who had similar sentiments at Kadesh Barnea, and 1400 years later in Corinth (1 Corinthians 10).