1 Corinthians 10:5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
Numbers 14:21-24 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 My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.
In this NT passage Paul distinguishes the multitudes of Israelites who never entered the Promised Land, in that they never apprehended the destiny which God intended for them, but, instead, perished in the wilderness. The only adults that entered the Promised Land were Joshua and Caleb. What distinguished Joshua and Caleb? A "different spirit".
It is astounding to realize that so many failed to apprehend this spirit, and Paul makes it clear that this example has the most serious implications for New Testament believers. The spirit of whole-hearted commitment, apparently rare as the finest rubies, receives the inheritance, the rich rewards of the "Promised Land". What this "Promised Land" may be for those who are as faithful in the present age, we may wonder. But be assured it will flow with "Milk and Honey" just as the Land of Israel did in those ancient days, (and is again experiencing today!) Following God "with all that we had" will qualify us for the greatest eternal rewards.
The great test for Joshua and Caleb involved the godly courage to face massive giants in battle. They had learned and believed in the miraculous power of God to deliver, protect, and provide for His chosen. And Caleb, because of his great faith, was able to maintain his youthfulness even at the age of 85. (Joshua 14:10-12)
So, while these are days of tremendous testing, we have the finest examples to follow: Joshua and Caleb, whose spirit was different, whose hearts were whole, and whose faith was built on the witness of God's repeated demonstration of His miraculous power. They knew they could afford to trust YHVH with all they had, and we can too. The Promised Land is waiting for those who will.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]For centuries in Ethiopia, there have lived a people we now know as the Falashas. They kept all sorts of Biblical traditions and call themselves Beta Yisrael (House of Israel). As experts began to study the matter, it became clear that these were descendants of the Jewish people who came to Africa in ancient times and intermarried. Unbeknownst to many, a percentage of them became believers in Jesus over the years. Jesus (or Yeshua, as they called Him) became a part of their identity as Jewish people. Many Falashan Jews worshipped Jesus as their Messiah and continued to practice Jewish tradition.
So often in our walks with the Lord, we become focused on what we can see, what we can hear and what we can sense in the physical realm. Like that young man, we focus on the enemy’s attacks around and about us. At times we can get so focused on our physical circumstances that we forget that the Lord has already provided for us the victory!
Why is it that some believers seem to go much deeper in their walk with God than others? I believe it has to do with a desire to pursue God and not to stop until they feel His very presence in their lives. These believers decide not to settle for anything less than a growing, vibrant relationship with God, and God honors that desire for those who seek it.
This pivotal passage of scripture, Isaiah 52 and continuing into Isaiah 53, profiles a suffering servant whom the nation of Israel would not recognize. The spiritual leaders of Yeshua’s (Jesus) day were blinded to the messianic passages which pointed to the messiah’s role as a humble servant and bearer of sins.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and University of California Los Angeles wanted to find out, “if you had to choose between more time and more money, what would it be?” While they found most respondents answered, “more money”, they also found that those who preferred “more time” were generally happier! When I read this article, it reminded me of a story, that I’d like to share.
The Lord spoke to Moses, who led the children of Israel out of Egypt to be desperately cornered with the Red sea before them and Pharaoh’s chariots advancing upon them from behind. Overwhelmed with terror they cry out to Moses, “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Having just miraculously escaped from the miserable life of slavery, and only beginning their new life of freedom, the children of Israel were faced with the most dire threat to their existence.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve begun a series of devotions based on the Exodus wanderings of the Children of Israel, and their tragic mistakes which we can learn from and avoid. One powerful influence common to their failures was fear.