Title Mismatched Faith / Numbers 14:39-45
Contents
Sunday, September 13, 2009 Sermon
Sermon Title: Faith
Word: Numbers 14:39-45
39 And Moses made these words known to all the children of Israel, and the people were greatly grieved. 40 They got up early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, Behold, here we are; we will go up to the place the LORD has promised, for we have sinned. / 41 Moses said, "Why are you now transgressing the command of the Lord? This will not prosper. 42 Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, lest you be defeated before your enemies. 43 The Amalekites and the Canaanites You are before the sword, and you will perish by the sword. Because you have rebelled against the Lord, the Lord will not be with you. 44 Yet they went up to the top of the mountain, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord and Moses did not leave the camp. 45 The Amalekites and the mountains And the Canaanites who dwelt in the land came down and defeated them as far as Hormah.
0. Introduction
The swine flu is driving the whole world into a crucible of fear. In the economically difficult reality, health and safety are threatened to make matters worse. I hope that it will be a life of victory through faith in God, who is the ruler of life, rather than a life that is crippled by the difficulties of reality. The background of today's message is that the Israelites who had crossed the Red Sea after being freed from slavery in Egypt built a camp at Kadesh-Barnea, where they could finally enter the land of Canaan in three days after passing through the wilderness. Moses sent 12 men, the chiefs of the tribes of Israel, from Kadesh-Barnea to the land of Canaan as spies. After 40 days of spying, ten spies except Joshua and Caleb reported that the conquest of the land of Canaan was impossible. The reason is that he cannot overcome the mighty descendants of Anak, who dwell in the strong city of Canaan. The Israelites sympathized with the negative report, complained greatly against Moses and Aaron, and asked to return to Egypt. Seeing the resentment and disbelief of the people of Israel, God punished them for wandering in the wilderness for 40 years by counting the 40 days of Canaanite spies per year (verse 33).
Kadesh Barnea is a place that demands a decision between reality and faith. It is a place where you choose whether to step back from the reality of Anak's grand descendants or to move forward in faith. When we face the difficult and difficult reality, like ten spies, we are bound to always fall and get frustrated. However, like Joshua and Caleb, we can live a victorious life when we hold on to God's promises and move forward with faith. Through today's message, we would like to examine the subsequent reactions of the people of Israel who chose reality rather than faith in Kadesh-Barnea. I sincerely hope that it will be a precious time to receive grace by realizing the meaning of why they cannot accept God's discipline of wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.
1. It is important to be in time with God.
Today's sermon begins with the fact that God was greatly saddened when he chastised the Israelites for 40 years of wandering in the wilderness (verse 39). And the Israelites refused God's discipline and, instead, decided to go up to the land of Canaan, which the Lord had given them (verse 40). The sad reason for the Israelites' reaction is that the timing is not right with God. The Israelites are showing the appearance of a tree frog. When I tell them to go up to the land of Canaan, the descendants of Anak say they will return to Egypt because they are afraid. Now, after receiving the punishment of wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, they say they will go up to the land of Canaan. That's what a cross-beat belief is. They do not keep up with God's timing and are moving according to their emotions. True obedience is being in time for God.
All were found dead after six innocent people went missing last week in North Korea's unauthorized discharge of the Imjin River. Not long after all the lives of the crew of the Yeonanho detained in the North were spared and returned, six lives were killed through unauthorized release, so it is difficult to keep up with their mismatched behavior. It is really difficult to predict whether you want a reconciliation mood or a tense relationship. It is so pitiful for an 8-year-old child who has not yet bloomed, who came to camp on the Imjin River and fell asleep with his father. In addition, the father's infidelity, who saved his 12-year-old son to life by putting it in an icebox, and himself floated away in a rushing current, also breaks our hearts. Even though God is trying to save our lives, it will be heartbreaking if we act out of synch. If we believe in God the way we think, it is easy to get confused like the people of Israel. True faith is fitting ourselves in God's time.
2. The purpose should not be altered.
The Israelites are going up to the land of Canaan, saying that they have sinned (verse 40). If the Israelites truly repented, they should accept Jehovah's discipline. Saying that a sin has been committed and not accepting punishment is another form of contradiction. If the Israelites truly repented, they should humbly accept the Lord's discipline. The Israelites were expedient to do what they wanted. Like the Israelites, after repenting, we too often do not obey the Lord, but simply avoid crises and do expedient repentance in order to follow our own plans. You cannot win a spiritual battle by blindfolding your eyes.
Why did they suddenly want to enter the land of Canaan, who complained that they could not enter the land of Canaan because they were afraid of the descendants of Anak? This is because they thought that entering the land of Canaan was relatively less difficult than the discipline of wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. They do not act according to God's promises or visions, but rather choose a comparative advantage over the discipline they receive. If you want to enter the land of Canaan because you do not want to be disciplined in the wilderness, you are changing God's purpose. There are many cases in which our faith in God is not an absolute value, but rather a comparative advantage. Although we have a hope for heaven, not all of us have chosen it as an absolute value. Among the people gathered here, there will be those who want to go to heaven with a comparative advantage that it is better than going to hell. Also, there will be people who look to heaven with the feeling of buying insurance after death. The hope for heaven must become an absolute value that is associated with Jesus and the bond of love.
The reason Samson initially wanted to marry a Philistine woman who was occupying Israel was to use the pretext to defeat them. When Samson's purpose was clear, God was with him and helped him. However, Samson's purpose changed and he fell in love with a Philistine woman with the lust of the flesh. When Samson's purpose was corrupted, God departed and his head, the source of his strength, was cut off. After all, he was taken captive by the Philistines, and after being blind, he is forced to turn a millstone. Like Samson, when God's purpose is changed, God leaves him and he becomes spiritually blind and leads a life of being a prisoner of the world. When God's purpose is corrupted and it is not the next best solution, but is always the top priority, we can live a victorious life because the Lord is with us.
3. Wilderness Complex
The Israelites must put away the wilderness complex, believe that God is with them, and wear the clothes of the wilderness. We need to take time to repent, put on the clothes of the wilderness and forsake the old man who worshiped idols in Egypt. Put on the clothes of the wilderness and have time to look and trust only God above anything else in the world. We must wear the clothes of the wilderness and live the life of a pilgrim who matures through refinement and training. If you wear the clothes of the wilderness and do not live a life with God, even if you enter the land of Canaan, you will be eaten by idols.
Just as the Israelites had to go through the wilderness to enter Canaan, so we must enter the kingdom of God. In order to enter the kingdom of God, we must live a life of obedience in time for God. The purpose of entering the kingdom of God should never be changed. Even if you live in this world and wear unacceptable clothes, you have to believe that God is with you and have faith you can handle.