When Faith IS Not enough or The Peril of Presumption
Numbers 14
Theme: Overcoming the Grasshopper Complex; faith; God’s discipline
INTRODUCTION
A middle-aged farmer wanted to be a preacher for years but wasn’t sure if it was God’s will. One day, while he was working in the field, he decided to rest under a tree. As he looked up into the sky he saw that the clouds seemed to form into the letters P and C. As he thought about it, he realized that PC stood for Preach Christ! Immediately, he jumped up, sold his farm and went out to preach Christ. He was convinced that this was what God was leading him to do. Unfortunately, he turned out to be a horrible preacher. After one of his sermons a neighbor turned to his wife and whispered in her ear, “I’m not so sure that God wasn’t just trying to tell him to Plant Corn!” ( Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Chuck Swindoll)
Let me ask you a question, Is it possible to fail while relying on God?
Now before you answer that, let’s take a look again at Israel.
When we last saw the Israelites, they were standing on the edge of Promise. God had instructed Moses to select 12 leaders from among the tribes of Israel to scout out the land.
We learned that these men were called, commissioned and commanded by God to survey the people, and bring back a sample of the produce. They had everything they needed to be encouraged to take hold of the promise of God.
They had the irrefutable promise of God’s word to guide them; The faithful provision of God to strengthen them; and the everlasting Presence of God to encourage them. You could say ‘they had it made in the shade!’ How could anyone possibly fail with all that going for them?
But at the beginning of chapter 14, the Israelites are standing at the door of the promised land afraid to go in. In fact a riot is about to begin. The Israelites are now standing at the shores of the Jordan, paralysed with the fear of the giants they would face. Fear does peculiar things to a persons rational. ( read V.1-4) They even said it would be better to return to Egypt, than to face the challenges of the promised Land. You can almost hear their cries as they receive God’s pronouncement through Moses,
As I live, says the Lord, just as you have spoken in my hearing, so I will do to you; The carcasses of you who have complained against me shall fall in the wilderness all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.(v.28-29)
It must have seemed like the longest night of their lives. It is heart wrenching to hear one family mourn at the loss of a loved one. But imagine the wail of 2.5 million people crying and screaming at the loss of their promised home. The Lord’s judgment was swift and firm, “FORTY YEARS would be added to their wandering before a new generation would be given the privilege to possess God’s Promise. What a waste of resources, and faith.
Upon hearing the pronouncement, the leaders decide to take action. Now, all of a sudden they felt they had the faith to go into the land . Now they saw how mistaken they had been. Now they were determined to prove to Moses and God, that they were the giants after all, and the Canaanite were the grasshoppers. They sounded brave, stalwart, and strong.
In fact if the story began here, it would appear as if the Israelites truly believed that God would be with them as He promised. However, the story continues,
And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, ‘Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we can certainly do it.’
Refusing Moses’ warning that the ‘Lord was not among them’, the people forged ahead into battle anyway. The result was disastrous. The Amalekites and the Canaanite came down and attacked them and drove them as far as Hormah. Hormah is not a place as much as a physical state of being. It means “Utter destruction”. The Israelites were pushed to the brink of anhiliation. Years latter, Moses would recount this sad episode, and add this vivid picture of what happened,
And the Amoroties who dwelt in the mountains came out against you and chased you as bees do...’(Deut.1:44)
Anyone ever been chased by angry bees? They then returned to Moses whipped, beaten and flogged. Crushed like, GRASSHOPPERS!
But isn’t God a God of grace, who forgives those who ask? Even Moses prayed,
‘Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your Mercy, just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt until now” ( 19)
However, the people refused to listen to God’s response to Moses intercessory prayer,
Then the Lord said, I have pardoned, according to your word; but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord…because all these men who have seen my glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded to my voice, they certainly will not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected me see it.” ( v.20-23)
Wait a minute. Is this fair? Why did God forsake Israel in their hour of need? Why did He allow His people to be humiliated in the presence of their enemies? Moses wrote that,
They presumed to go up to the mountain. Nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp.( v.44)
We do not here a lot about the sin of presumption today. The results can be both tragic and humorous;
A young man goes into a drug store to buy 3 boxes of chocolate. The pharmacist says what size small medium or large "Well," he said, "I’ve been seeing this girl for a while and she’s really Beautiful. I want the chocolate because I think tonight’s "the" night. We’re having dinner with her parents, and then we’re going out. If she lets me hold her hand I’m going to give her the small box if she let’s me kiss her on the cheek I’m going to giver her the medium box and if she lets me kiss her on the lips I’m going to give her the big box. The young man makes his purchase and leaves. Later that evening, he sits down to dinner with his girlfriend and her parents. He asks if he might give the blessing, and they agree. He begins the prayer, but continues praying for several minutes. The girl leans over and says, "You never told me that you were such a religious person." He leans over to her and says, "You never told me that your father is a pharmacist."
ILLUSTRATION: ( From Sermoncentral/illustrations/Paul Fritz
For the ISrealites, their presumptuous faith had tragic results. They went ahead with their plans, without the presence of God leading them nor with the leadership of Moses to guide them.
Like the Isrealites we have a tendency to rush into situations thinking we know in advance exactly what God wants us to do. We may even pray, asking Him to bless OUR plans. We may even claim a passage of scripture and expect God to do as we think we should. Yet in the end we are beaten, trampled by the enemy. The battle isn’t even close. Where have we gone wrong? ( Lutzer, p.24)
There are several different types of presumption. One refers to the sin of deliberately defying the Almighty. This refers to the person who deliberately and defiantly rebels against God’s commands with full knowledge.
The second kind of presumption is a careless application of the promises and will of God.
Presumption is taking for granted that something is true regardless of the information we are given. We forge ahead thinking we are in God’s will, when all the evidence says we should stop and wait.
Erwin Lutzer warns that, we can easily do what seems good to us without consulting God in prayer and His word.
I feel I need to stop right here and make a distinction between promises that have to do with our salvation and those that speak about Christian living and victory.
The Bible is very clear when it says that when a person, ‘Believes on the Lord Jesus Christ they shall be saved…When a person repents of their sin and turns and asks God to forgive them, God takes their sin and “throws it into the sea of His forgetfulness. When we humbly accept God’s free gift of grace God immediately sets us free and proclaims us justified and forgiven. There is but one condition to receive the promise: FAITH
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”(Ephesians 2:8,9)
When it comes to God’s promises concerning Christian living and victory, the requirements are the same. We receive and act upon them by FAITH. We can surely trust God’s word to guide us,.
But though we also receive them by faith, their application may take time, prayer and spiritual conflict. And our faith may sometimes be sorely tested when we try to experience their power.
What is more, it is possible to use these promises presumptuously, that is, without considering the interpretations and conditions that are attached to them ( Lutzer p.25)
We take our liberties and move ahead with over confidence, that can have tragic results.
That is what happened to the Israelites. They thought they had a promise in their hands but they could not get God to act on it.
What are some of the lessons we learn from Israel’s presumption?
1. To begin with, they had a WRONG INTERPRETATION of the promise.
We do this when we apply the promise to a wrong time period. Or when we go beyond the promises in the Bible and put words in Gods mouth. This most often occurs when a person prays for healing of a financial miracle or Gods will for a job. Impatience sets in when the answer does not come readily. The temptation then is to take matters into our own hands and try to ;help God move’. When He doesn’t people mistakenly conclude that god has been unfaithful.
One faith writer has gone on record to say,
“When you confess Jesus as the best business man in the world, it is amazing how much money He will make for you. Just think of it! A God who will make us money if we have the right attitude of heart and make the right confession...The author continues, “If you believe that God won’t get you out of a wheel chair or that God might not choose to heal you, your thinking id goofed up. You need to have your mind blasted.(Norval Hayes, How to Live and Not Die)
Will God perform miracles? Absolutely! But it is presumptuous to insist that we Command God to do whatever we think He should when we feel He ought to. Yes, God will meet your financial needs. But He expects proper stewardship on our parts as well. Yes He will respond to prayers of faith for healing. But if we constantly abuse our bodies then we will suffer natural consequences. Yes, he will save your children, but if you do not spend time with your family, dad then how will they hear the words you speak, if they are contradicted by the words you live.
God does answer prayer. . But He is not obligated to answer upon our time table.
The first lesson in applying the promises of God is that we be sure to claim a promise that is clearly intended for us. Remember, requests that go beyond what God has said may or may not be answered by the Almighty. ( Lutzer, p.28)
The second lesson for applying the promises is that we be wholly devoted to God in every aspect of our lives
Look at verse 40 again and ask if the Israelites were in complete submission to God?
“Here we are, we have sinned, but we will go up to the place the Lord has promised.’
Notice how they admit their sin. But it seemed rather trivial since God had forgiven them. So they responded, We have sinned BUT...
How many times have I heard people make confessions like that.
I have sinned but everyone is doing it
I have sinned but no one else knows
I have sinned but I was tempted beyond I could bear.
I have sinned but look at what he did to me?’
The Israelites casual remark about their sin showed they were unwilling to accept the consequences of their disobedience. This is all too often the attitude of many Canadian Christians. Since God is a forgiving God and full of mercy and grace, then I can admit my sin and continue on my merry way.
I thank God that today we live in the AGE OF GRACE. However, as I look about and hear stories I am concerned that some in the church, especially those in ministry may be taking God’s grace for granted.
When a Christian leader falls it is a sad and tragic affair. The fallout not only affects his soul, but his family, ministry and the greater body of Christ as well.
Does God forgive a Christian leader when they fall? Thank God YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Will God use that person again? Yes, however, we must be cautious in expecting that person to be restored to the exact same place they held previous to their fall.
History testifies, and I believe God’s word confirms that while a person may be restored to a ministry, it will never amount to the same power or effectiveness they previously held.
I believe it is wise to heed Paul’s reminder,
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live in it any longer?...If we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more…likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
However, we have forgotten in our self indulgent culture, that
Actions Brings Consequences
Does God forgive sin? Of course He does. Is His grace limited? Thank the Lord no. But we cannot presume that God’s blessing will go with us when we have not submitted to His authority and Lordship.
In James 4:7, we read the promise, “Resist the devil and He will flee,’... But we all too often overlook the attending verse, Submit yourselves to God, resist the Devil and he will flee from you.
The reason many Christians do not have the victory they think they should have, is directly related to their attitude. They have a wrong attitude to sin and their relationship with God.
The extent of our submission to God will determine the extent of our ability to resist the devil(Erwin Lutzer)
Lesson number three is our motives must be pure.: What was the Israelites motive for changing their minds, and wanting to try to take the land?
The answer is not expressly said. They apparently thought that if they did, then God might change His mind and reverse the judgment, they had brought on themselves. There logic may have mean something like this,
Well, I told them they could not enter the land, but they appear so determined that I will change my mind and help them conquer after all.(Lutzer)
How often do we pray with the unspoken motive of simply wanting to escape discomfort. How often when praying for relief from suffering, do we ask ourselves, what God may want to teach us in the trials? On the contrary, like children in a candy store, we point to any one of a number of enticing options, hoping that we will get what we want right now.
ILLUSTRATION: No one in history agonized more over God’s will than Jesus. The night he prayed in Gethsemane, he prayed three times that God would take the cup away from Him. Imagine, Jesus praying for some other way. So agonizing was his pray, that the Bible says he sweat drops of blood. The mark of total submission is our willingness to endure hardship. Just ask Jesus if it is always god’s will that we avoid hardship. “Not my will but yours be done’ is our model to follow.
I believe one reason we avoid the Lords discipline is simply because we fail to realize the good plan that He has for us. The writer to the Hebrews reminds us of the Gods motive in our discipline
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as sons; for what son is there to whom a father does not chasten? But of you are without chastening, of which all become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His Holiness. Now no chastening seems too joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.(Heb.12:7-11)
If we wish to see the promises of God applied to our lives, then we must seek God’s glory alone.
‘The eye of faith looks beyond the promise to God’s purpose.’
CONCLUSION:
Like it or not, the Israelites had made their choice. They chose the route of cowardice and had to pay the consequences. They could never return to yesterday.
All that could have been would never be. That generation had lost the opportunity to enjoy Gods best, because they wanted second best.
Did this mean that they could not have a future? Did this mean there was no more hope? NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!
Look carefully as the story unfolds,
The Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in the mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back to Hormah.
And in Chapter 15, the story continues,
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you have come into the Land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you…”
The day would come, when the time was right, when their attitude was humble, and when their motives were purified, then an new generation full of faith, and humbled confidence in God would move in and take the Land.
Some of you may have made wrong choices that are impossible to rectify. A wrong career decision, child born out of wedlock, a broken marriage. You may have taken the wrong road and cannot change the past. But that does not mean that your life is finished.
You do not have to see yourself as a grasshopper the rest of your life. There are still oasis waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. For the Christian, we are not barred from the spiritual promised land. Our promised land can be enjoyed despite the wrong choices and mistakes of the past.
God is still wanting to show Himself strong on behalf of those who love and fear Him. God’s word assures us that,
His Divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and Godliness, through the true knowledge of him who called us by His own glory and excellence (2 Peter 1:3)
God is as able to help us face wrong choices as much as HE was willing to help Israel with theirs.
How do we tap into these resources? We link our arms with God when we accept what Peter calls “His precious and Magnificent promises.’(v.4)
Resources: Overcoming the Grasshoper Complex
Sermoncentral.com/illustrations
Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Chuck Swindoll
