Belief vs. Unbelief

Intro

Tonight we break down the characteristics of a decision made in belief in God’s leading and a decision based in unbelief of God’s leading…

Here we enter into a moment in the Children of Israel’s lives where they were not sitting there trying to discern God’s will…

They were not waiting on God’s leading to know where they are supposed to go and what they are supposed to do…

They already have that information.

God declared it to Abraham in Genesis 15

God declared it to Isaac in Genesis 26

God declared it to Jacob in Genesis 28

God declared it to Moses and Israel in Exodus 6:7-8

Exodus 6:7–8 (KJV 1900)

7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.

God declared it again to Moses at the brink of the promised land in Numbers 13:2

Numbers 13:2 (KJV 1900)

2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.

God declared it to Joshua after the death of Moses and after the 40 years of wilderness wanderings because they did not enter in the first time in belief

Joshua 1:2–3 (KJV 1900)

2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

God plainly said, “I have a land waiting for you. Take the people, go to the land and possess what I have reserved for you.”

It was a specific land and there really was no question as to what God was talking about…

Israel provides us with two very distinct examples of what it looks like to:

Have God’s leading and direction and not follow it

Have God’s leading and direction and follow it

Not only do we get to see everything that led up to each of these decisions, but we get to see the final result or consequence of their choice…

When they chose to NOT follow God into the land as He promised them, their judgement was wandering in a wilderness for 40 years… the adult generation of this people never got to see the land that God promised them…

When they chose TO follow God into the land as He promised them, their reward was God following through with His Word… They drank and fed off the goodness of the land… they won battles they had no business ever winning… they had peace once the inhabitants were driven from their land… if they followed the rules God gave them, they stayed in the land in victory…

I want to examine what led up to the two decisions of obedience vs. disobedience…

1. Failing to Follow God’s Direction (Num. 13, 14; Deut. 1)

Numbers 13

God said send 12 spies, one from every tribe and Moses did (2)

They examined the land (17-20)

They found fruit in the land (grapes, pomegranates and figs) (23)

Verse 25 tells us they searched the land for 40 days

They brought word back to Moses, Aaron and all the congregation and shewed them the fruit of the land (26)

a.) It was never a matter of God’s unfulfilled promise

They confirmed what God promised in verse 27

Numbers 13:27 (KJV 1900)

27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

God gave them the land… God told them to spy out the land…they confirmed everything God said was true…

They even confirmed that there were people in the land… God told them this already… It’s like they came back surprised that the land was inhabited…

God told this to Abraham in Genesis 15

God told this to Moses in Exodus 3

- God reminded Moses of this in Exodus 23 when they were on Mount Sinai while God was giving Moses instruction…

It was never a matter of God’s unfulfilled promise…

b.) God’s leading was superseded by fear with a “nevertheless”

Numbers 13:28 (KJV 1900)

28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

Something similar happened to Peter:

Matthew 14:30 (KJV 1900)

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Just a verse earlier it records that Jesus’ singular word to Peter was, “COME”…

There cannot be an understanding and leading of God’s direction followed by a “nevertheless”…

c.) The theme of the evening was “God Can’t”

Numbers 13:30–33 (KJV 1900)

30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

d.) Their unbelief turned into fear, their fear into complaining and their complaining into panic, their panic into disobedience, their disobedience into judgement

Complaining

Numbers 14:2 (KJV 1900)

2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

Panic

Numbers 14:4 (KJV 1900)

4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

Unbelief says “Let’s go back to what we know” but faith says “Let’s go where God is working.”

Disobedience (after Caleb & Joshua tried convincing them to go)

Numbers 14:10 (KJV 1900)

10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

Judgement

Numbers 14:22–23 (KJV 1900)

22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:

Numbers 14:25 (KJV 1900)

25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

2.) Following God’s Direction (Joshua 1; 2 and 3)

God told Joshua to go

Joshua 1:2–5 (KJV 1900)

2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

(Same command, same direction, same promise as before)

a.) They had assurance of God’s presence

Joshua 1:6–9 (KJV 1900)

6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

b.) They had a leader who instilled confidence

Joshua 1:10–11 (KJV 1900)

10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.

c.) It was an “All of us, all the way” mentality

Joshua 1:12–15 (KJV 1900)

12 And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, 13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; 15 Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.

They were prepared to go by Joshua…

They were prepared to work by Joshua…

d.) The people followed and ensured all were moving in the same direction

Joshua 1:16–18 (KJV 1900)

16 And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. 17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses. 18 Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

Conclusion:

First time of disobedience:

Unbelief

Fear

Complaining

Panic

Disobedience

Judgement

Second time of obedience:

Belief

Courage

Teamwork

Confidence

Obedience

Blessing

Have you noticed that the second time it seemed harder to move across that river into God’s will?

The second time the river was overflowing with high waters, instead of the spies bringing back fruit of the land, they were pursued and barely escaped with their lives)

40 years earlier, Caleb and Joshua said, “Let’s go!” but the people said, “We can’t!”

They needed God because this was a way in which they had not gone before:

Joshua 3:4 (KJV 1900)

4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.

Abraham packed up and went from Ur to Canaan because he believed God…

Moses went back tot he place where he was being hunted because he believed God…

Gideon led a small group of warriors against a great army because he believed God…

Israel never gets to the Promised Land without belief in God…

Once God gives His direction, will you follow in belief? Or turn away in unbelief?