No murmuring or complaining escapes the ear of the Lord. Perhaps when the children of Israel were grumbling in their tent, they did not expect the Lord to hear their murmuring. And perhaps even if they knew God could hear what they were saying, they couldn’t be bothered. Deuteronomy 1:34 is explicit. It says that “the Lord heard the sound” of their words. He saw their spirit of discontent, heard every word of their careless grumbling, and was angry. Now we understand why Jesus tells us to be careful with our speech. He tells us that we will have to render an account for every careless word we have spoken.
Immediately the Lord swore that none of that evil unbelieving generation would enter the promised land. Their mindless complaint was costly. The hope of a great future for them was dashed. They were told they would not enter the good and rich land before them and would not enjoy a moment of it. The only two persons from this generation that had the privilege to go in were Caleb who had followed the Lord wholeheartedly, and Joshua who would lead the next generation into the promised land.
However, God would not allow their unbelief to affect His plan for the future of Israel. His promises made to them remained true. But it was not for that evil murmuring generation. So in verse 39, we see His reaffirmation that the promised land would be for the future generation. So he told them that their little ones who they reckoned would become prey, and who till then had no knowledge of good or evil, they would inherit the promised land. He said, “…I will give it to them, and they shall possess it.” See the grace of God! So that grumbling generation was told to “turn around and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”
Notice in these verses, Moses described his own outcome. He had allowed the rebellious spirit to affect him. Regarding the incidence at the water of Meribah recorded in Numbers 20:12, Moses did not “treat the Lord as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel.” For this falter, he would be barred from leading the people into the promised land.
Why did Moses refer to his own failing? It was a warning to the present generation that he was speaking to. If they thought that they could disobey, they should consider carefully. If they chose to disobey, they should not expect to enter the promised land either. Yes, God’s promises will always come true, but only for those who will obey Him. We see that one’s disobedience doesn’t just affect the person making the mistake per se, it also affects one’s family as well. Let us not make our children or family the victims of our bad decision and disobedience. Be sure to obey God!
No comments:
Post a Comment