"Grasshopper Faith?" Numbers 13,14
Names are really interesting. Parents often spend countless hours deciding what to name their children. We know names are important. In some countries and cultures, names carry significant meanings intended to shape the character of the child. In some cultures, a first or middle name is handed down for generations. In almost any culture, there are some names that become very popular for a time. There are some names that people remember right away because of what they did in history. John F. Kennedy. Martin Luther King. Charles Manson. Adolph Hitler.
Here are some names you might remember. Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Geul, Gaddiel, Ammiel, Suthur, Nahbi. Don’t sound familiar? Never heard of anyone named after these guys?
How about these . . . Joshua, Caleb? My own son is named Caleb, and my neighbor’s son is named Joshua. People have named their sons these two names for thousands of years. Why? You see, the first names I read were the names of the ten spies who went by God’s order to search out the Promised Land after the people of Israel had been delivered from slavery in Egypt. They were the ten who came back with a negative report of the land, scaring God’s people and influencing them to disobey God’s command to enter and possess the land.
Joshua and Caleb, on the other hand, were the two spies who came back with a favorable report, encouraging the people to obey God and enter the land God had promised them - TO LIVE BY FAITH. Let’s look back at that story for a moment. We find it in Numbers 13:25-33 and 14:6-9.
Notice what it was that God sent the twelve men to do. They were to "explore" the land. It was the land God said He was "giving to the Israelites." He wasn’t sending them on a missions to decide whether or not to actually possess the land. They were just supposed to go explore the area that was now to be their home, the land God had promised to give to them since the days of Abraham.
I. The report of the ten spies.
A. They affirmed that God was faithful. It was good land - desirable.
- "It certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit." - vs. 27
B. They were concerned about the obstacles.
- Nevertheless, the people are strong. - vs. 28
- the cities are fortified and the descendants of Anak are there. (Giants)
C. We are not able to go up against the people." - vs. 31
1. They are too strong for us.
2. The land devours its inhabitants.
3. All the men are of great size.
4. We became like grasshoppers in our own sight and theirs.
- The problem: they focused on themselves and their own inadequate resources and abilities and power to possess the land. If only they can continues their report by concluding, "But God has certainly promised to give us this land, and He has always been faithful. Remember the plagues He sent to make Pharaoh let us leave? Remember the parting of the Red Sea. Remember how God provided water for us and food for us in the desert? He’s gotten us out of impossible situations before and will do it again. Let’s go."
- God had promised, and He was able.
- Mtt. 19:26
- Lk. 1:37
- To think it could not be done was to limit God’s power or to doubt His faithfulness.
- But then it’s always easier to be pessimistic and negative when facing difficult circumstances. It seems safer. That way you don’t set yourself up for possible disappointment or failure.
- illus: optimist farmer vs. pessimist farmer.
- Have you ever known someone who was this way? Have you ever been this way? Are there areas of your life where you have not yet lived by faith because you fear what seems difficult or impossible by your own abilities or resources? Before we answer that, let’s look at the other report - the one given by Joshua and Caleb.
II. Joshua and Caleb’s report.
A.They desired to obey God.
- "We should by all means go up and take possession of it." - vs. 30
- by all means - I think Joshua and Caleb were truly surprised by the pessimism of the other ten men. After all, that wasn’t one of the options God left them. Haven’t we learned our lesson seeing God deliver us several times recently?
B They focused on God’s power and resources.
- "He will bring us into this land and give it to us." - 14:8
C. Their confidence was in doing God’s will..
- "Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them." - 14:9
- Joshua and Caleb tell them the people in the land are the ones who should be afraid, not us.
But the sad ending to this chapter in the history of Israel is that they chose to listen to the ten spies with grasshopper faith. And they suffered the consequences for it. They had to wander in the desert for 40 years, only wondering what it could have been like to have obeyed God and enjoy the land He promised them. Those who were over 20 years of age at the time would not live to enter the promised land 40 years later. Only Joshua and Caleb were exceptions to this punishment.
Conclusions and Applications for us:
1. Both groups of spies saw the same things but drew different conclusions. They both saw that what God said was true about the land. It was awesome.
- the ten measured the difficulties against themselves.
- the two measured the difficulties against God. They put the obstacles into proper perspective. - conquerable with God.
Question: Will we live by faith or calculation? Will we see God’s calling and commands and wait until we can do it by our own power and with our own resources? Or will we, as the old hymn says, "Trust and obey," knowing that the power and resources will be provided by God? 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us to walk by faith not by sight. Do we?
2. Why does God make things He calls us to do so difficult or scary sometimes? If He wants it done, and wants us to do it, why does He make it tough by human standards?
- If it’s easy, we are too likely to claim the credit. It would not build our faith - it wouldn’t even take faith.
- If it’s difficult and gets done anyway, God gets the glory and our faith grows.
- God teaches us that faith never grows in comfortable surroundings.
- When God is going to do something wonderful, He begins with a difficulty. When He is going to do something really wonderful, He begins with an impossibility. And when we live by faith in God, life gets exciting.
3. Now, if we live by this kind of faith in God, what could we do in the year 2000 and beyond here in Estes Park and beyond? What has God called us to accomplish here? What needs are already present and around us all the time that God would want us to meet? Here are a few ideas, but certainly not exhaustive:
- helping those struggling to afford housing
- helping those who have been hurt in a relationship
- helping those who have been hurt in a church in the past.
- Sharing with people who have never really heard the real message of Jesus - the one about grace. Seeing people come to new faith in Jesus.
- Help for single parents.
- Loving kids who have a tough home life.
- helping people learn how to handle their finances - being good stewards of what God has given them.
- helping alcoholics, drug addicts.
The possibilities are really endless. And when we wonder about how this church could live by greater faith in doing the things that please God, what we are really talking about is seeing individuals step up to the plate to live by faith rather than calculation. So what is it that God has placed on your heart to do to help people, to love people, to share your faith? Will you live by faith or calculation. Do you see those challenges in light of your own abilities or God’s in light of your own resources or God’s?
- Do you find yourself backing away from challenges by saying,
- I’ve never done that before."
- "I don’t know how."
- "I’m afraid."
- "I don’t have the time."
- "Someone else will do it."
- "We don’t have the money to do that."
- "People might not like it."
- Or will you say, "Yeah, cool, let’s trust God and do it." The Bible tells us that the stories of the Old Testament are given to us to be an example, an encouragement - so that we will not make the same mistakes, so that we will live by greater faith. Will we? We have the resources. We have Jesus. We have the Holy Spirit. What more can you ask for?
Do you have those resources? Doyou belong to Jesus? Do you have the Holy Spirit living in you? You can? You can by faith. That is the gift God wants to give you.
