Wrong Perspective

‘WHY?’ QUESTIONS No.10

Num 14:3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?

The trouble with this series, is that it’s all about trouble, about when life doesn’t seem to be working out as we feel it should. By necessity some of the studies will have distinct similarities, the biggest of which is that things aren’t going right. Now perhaps we ought to be honest and say that sometimes things are not going right as far as we can see. Very often it is how we perceive things. The classic of this is found in James. Things go wrong and we get severely stressed but James says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (Jas 1:2). Now if the first part wasn’t bad enough, the Consider it pure joy, the thought of trials of many kinds makes it even worse. We’d much rather have a nice easy, smooth life, but life is filled with trials of many kinds! Yet James is suggesting a complete change of mind set when things go wrong. See it, he is saying, as a testing which will produce perseverance in you, and perseverance works to make you mature. Thus, be blessed when things don’t work out easily, because that will be bringing you become to mature person. Right!

Perception is all important. Do you remember in the New Testament, the classic example of this is the blind man of John 9? The disciples saw him as a butt for theological discussion; Jesus saw him as an opportunity to glorify God, do His work and bless the man. Yes, it’s all about perception and perception, in the kingdom of God, is so often about belief. It certainly is in the circumstances surrounding our verse today. There is a sequence of events leading up to this verse. The people of Israel are supposed to take the land of Canaan. It is their Promised Land. Before they actually enter it, they send in twelve spies. Two of them, Joshua and Caleb, bring back positive reports. The other ten are faint hearted and faint heartedness conveys itself to others. If you want people to step out in some new initiative that requires faith, don’t choose the faint hearted!

Listen to the report of these ten: “But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 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. 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.” (Num 13:31-33). What were they saying about the land? There are people already living there, they are stronger than we are, and they are bigger than we are, so we can’t deal with them.

Well the first three parts were correct but the conclusion was a conclusion of the faint hearted who lack faith. Before we see any more of this, consider the situation. The people in the land may be big, but they are likely to be disorganized, self-centred and with no objective other than survival. Israel on the other hand, are well over a million people, well organized, God-centred and very purposeful. More than that, they are being led by The Almighty God who has shown His power by delivering them out of Egypt and providing for them in the wilderness. It’s a ‘no contest’! But these ten, and then the people at large, forget all about God! “That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.” (Num 14:1). These people have lost perspective.

How could they do that? It is only about a month since they left Sinai with all the incredible revelations of God there. How could they forget the Lord so easily. Perhaps a natural, human answer to that is to consider what took place in that period. They journeyed by foot for about a month. That is a long time to walk with your family, your tents and your sheep and all your worldly possessions. Those who have flown any distance know the experience of jet lag, which is a tiredness that leaves you feeling very other-worldish. Being fair to the Israelites, I suspect there was something of this feeling when they arrived at the Promised Land. The only problem with excusing them like that is that they had a forty day rest period (Num 13:25) while they waited for the spies to return. They are, surely, refreshed and should, surely, be full of expectancy. After all, it is the Lord who has told them to take the Land and He goes with them, so whatever report comes back, this really shouldn’t matter. But it does! They allow themselves to lose perspective and so they fear and they wonder and they think negatively.

When a difficulty occurs, how will you view it? I once came across a little poem (which I’ve lost now) which talked about finding a fallen tree across your path. Now will you see it as an obstacle to encumber you, or will you see it as an opportunity to climb up and get a better view as you go forward? This cry – Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? – is an inaccurate conclusion when faith has slipped. Yes, there are difficulties in the Land, but God is big enough to deal with them. Has He brought you to this point to kill you off? Of course not! He’s brought you here to bless you as you overcome with His enabling. This is a place of blessing!