Promise and Obedience

Numbers 13-14: The spies sent to the Promised Land – one from each tribe of Israel. Ten of the twelve came back and gave a bad report of the land, saying even “Vimos também os gigantes, os descendentes de Enaque, diante de quem parecíamos gafanhotos, a nós e a eles.” (13.33 – We saw also the giants, the descendents of Anak, in front of whom we seemed like grasshoppers, to ourselves and them.) The Lord had given the command to spy out the land, and even within the commandment, He reminded them of the promise He had given to Abraham so many years before. Caleb still believed the promise. Joshua still believed the promise. I have to think that their obedience was a symbol of their belief in God’s promise to the Israelites. The ten men believed in the appearance of the people and made their judgment based on that. Caleb & Joshua believed in the promise and command of God, and they were obedient accordingly.
Chapter 14 begins with the Israelites queixando-se – complaining. They were thinking about how good they had things in Egypt (comparatively speaking), and wondering why God had brought them out of Egypt to let them die in the wilderness by the sword. They no longer believed the promise given to Abraham about the promised land. Either that or they had a very selfish view of God’s promise. They must have forgotten (just like me) that God’s fulfillment of promise and answers to prayer are not always done the way we think they ought to be. Joshua pleads with the people “Somente não sejam rebeldes contra o Senhor” – do not rebel against the Lord. He reminds the Israelites that “o Senhor está conosco” – the Lord is with us.
I find it both wonderful and sad that the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites. Since He usually appeared only to Moses, this is something of note. They had rebelled against their leaders and the Lord. How long will the Lord let us complain? How long will He let us be disobedient? The consequences follow – “As the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times – not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers.” Disobedience leads to missing out on promises fulfilled and missing out on blessing that is reserved specifically for us.