Day 20: The damage of unbelief - Deuteronomy 1 vs 26 -36
25 They (i.e. the spies who had been sent out) picked some of the fruit and brought it back to us. And they reported, ‘The land the Lord our God has given us is indeed a good land.’
26 “But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God and refused to go in. 27 You complained in your tents and said, ‘The Lord must hate us. That’s why he has brought us here from Egypt—to hand us over to the Amorites to be slaughtered. 28 Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralised us with their report. They tell us, “The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there—the descendants of Anak!”’
29 “But I said to you, ‘Don’t be shocked or afraid of them! 30 The Lord your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt. 31 And you saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you travelled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.’ 32 “But even after all he did, you refused to trust the Lord your God, 33 who goes before you looking for the best places to camp, guiding you with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.
34 “When the Lord heard your complaining, he became very angry. So he solemnly swore, 35 ‘Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land I swore to give your ancestors, 36 except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see this land because he has followed the Lord completely. I will give to him and his descendants some of the very land he explored during his scouting mission.’ Deuteronomy 1:25-36 New Living Translation.
What a sad thing unbelief is. How great the damage it does to our lives.
What had the returning spies said in vs 26 about the land God that wanted to bring the people to?
The land sounded great. But what else had they reported in vs 28?
Yes, there were some BIG obstacles ahead. Cities with strong high walls and people that looked like giants. What was the reaction of the people when they heard these things? vs 26-27.
Notice, they did not only refuse to listen to God, but they also slandered His character. They said; “God must hate us!” Sadly, that’s what unbelief can do to people. Many people who reject the gospel message don’t just refuse to follow Jesus, they also speak with great hostility against God, use Jesus Christ as a swear word, and accuse Christians of all sorts of things. The sad thing however is that their unbelief keeps them from ever entering the good things God has in store for those who trust in Him. vs 34-35.
How did Moses try to encourage them to trust God instead of doubting His goodness? vs 29-32.
It was by reminding them of how God had brought them safely to the day when they were now being called to follow Him completely. That’s true of our lives too. Our being alive at this very moment is a reminder that God has spared us. Look again at vs 31 to see what God’s character is really like.
Following Christ into a world that is often hostile to God is not an easy task. Becoming a Christian is like setting off on a journey that we’ve not travelled before, and in which we may face some strong enemies and even life threatening situations. But Jesus has promised to be with us always. When it comes to believing God’s message may we be like Caleb who is so warmly praised by God in verse 36.