In the Wilderness: Giants in the Land

Text: Numbers 13:26-14:4; 14:17-23

Theme: God guided Israel to view and take the land, but their fear replaced their faith and smothered their spirit.

Date: 02/23/2020 Title: InTheWilderness-06.wpd No:

Negative thinking will almost always leads to faithless living. Ira (Smith) was a fine Christian man. He had worked hard all of his life, building his own business, and it had paid off. In his retirement he was financially secure. He had one of the nicest homes in town. He was active in his church and well-liked and well respected in his community. One day he noticed a patch of skin and that seemed different from the surrounding skin. He went to the doctor. The doctor took a biopsy, and the result came back that it was skin cancer. However, the doctor told him that it had been discovered very early and with treatment Ira would be absolutely fine.

But Ira would not be fine. Years earlier his wife had died a painful death after a prolonged fight with cancer. Ira associated the word cancer with “death”. You got cancer you died—no matter what kind or how curable the doctors said it was. The doctors assured Ira and the family that his cancer was not serious. But in six months Ira was dead. Was it the cancer that killed him? Medically speaking—yes. But, to this day, I’m convinced that what really killed Ira was the power of negative thinking. The man was convinced that he was going to die, and he did.

Negative thinking is a dangerous attitude to entertain. Why? Let's look at the people of Israel and see the results of negative thinking.

I. NEGATIVE THINKING LEADS TO FAITHLESSNESS

1. show me a Christian who has a soured disposition toward life, and I'll show you a faithless believer

2. let's look at the nation of Israel ... it reveals the journey from fear to faithlessness

A. 1st, FEAR FLUSTERS THE HEBREWS INTO FOCUSING ON GIANTS

1. as the chapter opens, the people of Israel are encamped at a beautiful oasis in the desert called Kadesh Barnea

a. it’s at the southern edge of the Promised Land

1) Canaan Represents Liberty from Oppression

2) Canaan Represents Rest from Wandering

3) Canaan Represents Possession of the Promise

4) Canaan Represents Variety Rather Than Monotony

5) Canaan Represents Abundance Rather Than Poverty

b Canaan represents all of those things, but the people of Israel see none of it

1) all they see are giants in the land, not the glory of the Lord

2. fear, in the bible, is the absence of thinking about God

a. 1st, in their fear Israel treats God as too small

b. 2nd, in their fear Israel forgets how miraculous their salvation was

c. in Numbers 14:22 God reminds Israel that they were eye-witnesses of His miraculous signs in Egypt

1) God is essentially saying, “Look, I got you out of Egypt, but now, suddenly, you don’t believe I can get you into Canaan? What gives?”

3. their fear becomes anxiousness

“ ... They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”” (Numbers 13:32–33, NIV84)

a. notice how the report from eight spies changes

1) in Numbers 13:27 all ten spies give the same report to Moses ... yes the land does flow with milk and honey

2) but when they begin talking to the people they say, The land we explored devours those living in it ... that is its inhabitants tend to die due to the hostile environment

3) OK, which is it? a wonderful land or a wretched land?

b. when you are afraid; when you become anxious, difficulties and problems are magnified

1) your problems or your problem people seem bigger than they really are

c. anxiety begins to permeate the hearts and minds of the people of Israel

B. 2nd, ANXIETY LEADS TO A SPIRIT OF NEGATIVITY

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, NIV84)

ILLUS. On the precipice of entering the Promised Land, the challenge before Israel is to remember four things: 1) God’s promises, 2) God’s faithfulness, 3) God’s generosity, and 4) God’s power. They lose sight of all four, become anxious, and fail to receive what God had promised them.

1. the spies did exactly as they were instructed

a. they were gone for 40 days and explored as much territory as they could in that length of time

2. their report, however, was not entirely positive

a. all ten spies are wonderfully impressed by the abundance of the land, but eight of the spies were also impressed by the size and strength of the land's inhabitants

1) most of the men who scouted the countryside felt inferior to those who lived there exclaiming, “We felt like grasshoppers among them”

2) the strong fortifications and large cities intimidated these men

3) the majority report of the spies sent a shock wave through the camp

b. this is where the Book of Deuteronomy adds some helpful commentary

“Then I [Moses] said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. 21 See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” 22 Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.”” (Deuteronomy 1:20–22, NIV84)

1) Moses is ready to simply take the land ... no reconnoitering ... long before Nike stole it, it was Moses who said “just do it”

2) Moses knows that 1) Israel has a formidable army (600,000 men), but more importantly 2) he knows that God is on their side, reminding Israel, God is giving us this land

ILLUS. Moses understands that greater is He who is with us, than those who are against us.

c. but the people say, Whoa ... we need a reconnaissance mission; we need to know what we’re up against, and so twelve men are chosen and sent in

3. 10 of the 12 men who had spied out the land let it be known that they were less than optimistic about the possibility of a successful military campaign

“But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”” (Numbers 13:31–33, NIV84)

a. bad news traveled fast within the camp

1) vs. 32 says, And they spread among the Israelites a bad report ...

2) what’s the result? (again, Deuteronomy gives some help here)

“But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. 27 You grumbled in your tents and said, “The LORD hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.” (Deuteronomy 1:26–27, NIV84)

3) do you see it? they actually accuse God of duplicity ... God “hates” them, and His REAL reason for delivering them out of Egypt was to deliver them into the hands of the Amorites for destruction and death

b. but then Joshua and Caleb spoke up to give their assessment

1) they tried to counter the negative reporting of their companions, but were unsuccessful

c. where eight others saw only the giants—Caleb and Joshua saw only the Lord

1) in spite of his words of confidence, and faith the majority report frightened the people with tales of giants in the land

4. the result was a spirit of fear and negativity among the people

C. 3rd, A SPIRIT OF NEGATIVITY LEADS TO FAITHLESSNESS

1. the negative thinking of the ten was infectious

a. the people of Israel whined and cried all night long

"Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!" (Numbers 14:1-2, NASB95)

b. they were so distraught that they seriously considered firing Moses, choosing a new leader, and heading back to the land of Egypt

"So they said to one another, "Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt."" (Numbers 14:4, NASB95)

2. Moses and Aaron grieve over Israel's lack of faith

a. Joshua and Caleb did their best to assure the people that God would protect

them and lead them to victory

b. they appealed to the people to put their trust in God, but the people would not

listen

c. in fact, they began to talk about silencing Joshua and Caleb by stoning them to

death

d. ultimately, the Hebrews actually dare to blame God, Himself, for their

predicament

“Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”” (Numbers 14:3, NIV84)

D. 4th, FAITHLESSNESS LEADS TO SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

“The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”” (Numbers 14:11–12, NIV84)

1. although God did not carry out His threat to wipe out the nation of Israel and use

Moses to start a new nation, He did pronounce judgment on those who gave in to doubt and fear

a. all those who had been unwilling to have faith and enter into the Promised Land

were not allowed to enter into it

b. because they were faithless, that generation of Hebrews were doomed to

wander and die in the wilderness

1) their cry, “Oh that we would have died in this wilderness!” proved to be

prophetic!

c. there is a reason the Apostle Paul tells the Christians at Philippi

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, NIV84)

1) Paul understood the lesson from his own people’s history ...

2. when our hearts are fearful, it breeds anxiety which begins to build up in our life

which causes us to develop negative attitudes that result in a downward spiral that ultimately leads to faithlessness, that at the very least, destroys your Christian peace, and may lead to God’s judgment

3. If Negative Thinking Leads to Faithlessness, Then ...

II. FAITHFULNESS ALWAYS LEADS TO POSITIVE THINKING

ILLUS. Let me tell you about another saint who was a fellow worshiper with Ira (Smith). A few years before I became her pastor, Hazel Belle (Watts) went to the doctor because of a sharp pain in her side. He examined her and decided to run some tests. The news was not good. Her abdomen and lower chest were full of cancer. If they operated immediately and followed up with aggressive chemotherapy she might have a chance. They gave her less than a 50/50 chance of coming through the surgery, and not more than two years to live. They removed a good portion of her intestines, stomach, spleen, and a part of her left lung. That was followed by months of intensive chemotherapy. Ten years later—in her mid-seventies—Hazel Belle was still alive and well. She was full of spunk and had a gleam in her eye. Why did she survive when Ira didn't? The difference was what her faith produced. The product of her faith was a positive outlook on life and a profound trust in God that proclaimed to all who knew her, "Life may kill me, but it ain’t going to beat me!"

1. if you are going experience the abundant life Jesus promised, Joshua and Caleb are our examples

A. YOU MUST FOCUS ON THE POWER OF GOD AND NOT THE PESSIMISM OF OTHER PEOPLE

1. the people of Israel repeatedly had witnessed the mighty power of God

a. they knew from their own experience He could accomplish great things

2. however, they allowed the pessimism of eight men to make them hysterical with fear

a. they were overcome by the power of negative thinking

3. all of us will face people who try to hold us back by pointing to all the obstacles before us

a. they will mournfully point to the impossibility of difficult tasks

1) they'll tell you why you can't ...

2) they'll tell you why the church can't ...

3) they may even try to tell you why God can't

b. at times, we may be tempted to give in to the discouragement and doubt sown by such people

c. like the people of Israel, we will start to believe that we are too small, and the problems are too big

4. doubters and critics are not always right

a. we must be willing to forge ahead in faith, even though we may be uncertain of the outcome

b. Joshua and Caleb do not dispute their colleagues’ account of its inhabitants, but they also insist that they are not to be feared

1) God blessed them for their faithfulness

“Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.” (Numbers 14:38, NIV84)

B. YOU MUST REALIZE THAT THE MAJORITY IS OFTEN WRONG

1. following the crowd can be dangerous

a. oft times they are headed in the wrong direction

2. one of the worst excuses for doing something is the claim that everyone else is doing it

ILLUS. Since the 1960's the larger culture has regularly told the Church that “You don’t want to be on the wrong side of history.” Sometimes, sometimes it’s true. For a long time many Evangelical Christians, including Baptists in the South, were on the wrong side of segregation and civil rights. To our credit, we have largely overcome those prejudices by confession and repentance. But in more recent history, the accusation is that Evangelical Christians in general, and Baptists in particular, are on the wrong side of the sexual revolution. To believe in, practice, and preach Biblical morality is, according to those who insist that they’re on the “right side of history” to participate in fear, bigotry, homophobia, and hatred. Two weeks ago, The Church of England released an updated statement to its pastors regarding sex and marriage. It read: “Sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of God’s purposes for human beings. The introduction of same sex marriage, [in England] through the Marriage Act of 2013, has not changed the church’s teaching on marriage or same sex relationships.” Within hours of the statement’s release, British media lit up, an the two top Archbishops of the church publically apologized for the “spiritual harm” the statement inflicted upon members of the LGBTQ community.

In April 2019, an article by Oliver Thomas appeared in the USA Today newspaper declaring, “American churches must reject literalism and admit we got it wrong on gay people.” The article begins with a provocative statement: “Churches will continue hemorrhaging members until we face the truth: Being a faithful Christian does not mean accepting everything the Bible teaches.” Really? So we get to pick and choose which commands we will obey? Which doctrines we can ignore? Well, gosh; Christianity just got a whole lot easier.

The Confessing Church is regularly accused of being on the “wrong side of history” when it comes to the sexual revolution sweeping our nation. We have out-dated morals. We have a worldview that seems embarrassing. The church represents an outmoded vision for human life that would be quaint if it weren’t so dangerous. The culture has given us two choices, 1) Acquiesce. Deny biblical authority, deny 2,000 years of church orthodoxy and join the revolution. The secular worldview of American culture tells the church, “If the Bible does not correspond to our moral and ethical worldview, the Scriptures must be tossed out as erroneous artifacts of a bygone age. Join the revolution or be on the ‘wrong side of history.’ 2) Resist. But if you do, we’ll do everything within our power to marginalize you, to ostracize you, and make sure the culture condemns you as irrelevant. Alas, many churches, many entire denominations, and many believers have acquiesced.

a. when it comes to the sexual revolution the majority is simply wrong, and God help us if we acquiesce

b. God give us more Joshua’s and Caleb’s in the Church today!

3. only Joshua and Caleb kept the faith in the midst of discouragement

a. they had the courage to stand for what was right rather than what was convenient

b. although they almost lost their lives, God eventually rewarded them for their faithfulness

c. while the others never entered the Promised Land, Joshua and Caleb, were allowed to do so

4. if we stand for what is right, no matter what the crowd does, we will face adversity

a. however, God will reward the faithful believer who has the courage to live out their convictions

C. YOU MUST DARE TO REMAIN FAITHFUL TO GOD REGARDLESS

1. for a moment, let’s skip ahead forty years

a. the generation that came out of Egypt have all died

b. Israel, under the leadership of Joshua (Moses’ successor) are on the East side of the Jordan River, poised to enter the Promised Land

c. Caleb—still alive—approaches Joshua and says ...

“Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” 13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.” (Joshua 14:10–14, NIV84)

2. what kept Caleb going?

a. a promise and the vision that the promise gave him

III. SPIRITUAL APPLICATION

1. there is both an evangelistic application and a spiritual application for the Christian in these verses

a. they are provided to us by the author of the Book of Hebrews (Hebrews 3:7–19)

A. FOR THE NON-BELIEVER ... THERE IS AN URGENCY TO COME TO FAITH IN CHRIST

1. Today, if you hear his voice ... this is the voice of God speaking through the pen of the author ... telling you don’t delay because the longer you delay the harder your heart will become and hard hearts eventually lead to rebellion, judgment and death

ILLUS. In his earlier ministry D.L. Moody often would end his sermons with, "Go home and think about what I've said, and come back tomorrow ready to decide for Christ." In October of 1871, Moody was leading an evangelistic crusade in Chicago. Thousands came every night from every corner of the city. After preaching the night of October 7, he told the people to "Go home and think about what I've said, and to come back tomorrow night ready to make a decision. That night "Mrs. O'Leary's cow" kicked over a lantern, and ignited the great Chicago fire. Over 300 people died, a number of who had been in Moody’s congregation the night before. That was the last time he told anyone to “think over” the claims of Christ and “make a decision later.”

a. no one knows if he will have a tomorrow in which to decide

b. today signifies the present time of grace

c. men today, as in the time of Moody, and in the time of Hebrews and in the time of David and in the time of Moses, never know how long that time of grace for them will be

2. Paul knows that human tendency is to procrastinate when it comes to spiritual Matters

a. so often we hear the proclamation of God's Word, feel the conviction of the Spirit, and tell ourselves that we are going to take action

b. but then we do nothing

c. we procrastinate with the most important issue of life—our eternal salvation

3. but the warning that runs through the entire bible is that if you fail to give heed to the urgency of your salvation, you face the danger of hardening your heart and responsiveness

B. FOR THE BELIEVER ... THERE IS AN URGENCY TO MAINTAIN FAITH IN CHRIST

1. the Apostle writes in vs. 13, But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

2. as he evaluates the actions of that generation of Israelites, God says, they always go astray in their heart

ILLUS. The word astray describes a star wandering out of its orbit, not following the right path designed for it.

a. that is the condition an rebellious heart—wandering from the ways of God

3. as a Christian you need to do three things

a. 1st, Guard Your Heart—there is the danger in every one of us in turning away from the Lord

b. 2nd, Encourage the Brethren— he charges the entire church to guard the spiritual condition of one another

c. 3rd, Be Faithful to the End—faith is the root of salvation; endurance to the end is the fruit

ILLUS. Wayne Grudem in the book Bible Doctrine, offers some helpful comments on this passage: "The purpose is never to make those who are presently trusting in Christ worry that sometime in the future they might fall away . . . Rather, the purpose is always to warn those who are thinking of falling away or have fallen away that if they do this it is a strong indication that they were never saved in the first place."