A New Year
Last Lord's Day, January 1st, I had the privilege of worshiping with Charlie and his family in Spokane, WA. It is always a special blessing to have the opportunity to sit next to such a friend on Sunday morning. I want to share with you a scripture meditation that was delivered during the service just before confession, in light of the new year from Numbers 13:17-19, 23-30:
"Then Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, 'Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified?' . . . When they reached the Valley of Eschol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. That place was called the Valley of Eschol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.
They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account: 'We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.'
Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, 'We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
At the beginning of chapter 13, Moses sends 12 men, leaders and representatives from each tribe of Israel, to go and explore the land of Canaan. This was a command that God gave to Moses so that the people might see and know whether or not God's promises about the promised land where true. When the men return they all agree on the report that is given of the land, but they either interpret it through faith or through unbelief. The men all see the richness of the fruit of the land: " . . . it does flow with milk and honey!" Surprise, Surprise. And they see the great nations living throughout the land; they even see giants living there! The men of unbelief see the size of the men, the number of people living in the fortified cities, and they shrink back, content to stay in the desert at the foot of God's bounty. Then there are men like Caleb, who see with the eyes of faith, and they remember the land flowing with milk and honey, they remember a single grape cluster so fat and dense that it took two men to carry it! They remember the promises of God, and Caleb silences the people and announces with confidence, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
We were then asked with what eyes we would see with in the upcoming year, and again persuaded and exhorted to see with the eyes of Caleb, see with the eyes of Joshua, and to know that our God has led us out of our bondage by the work of Christ, and that he has promised us a land flowing with milk and honey; will we sit at the foot of so great a bounty and tremble in fear and unbelief, or will we step forward into the land to fight the giants and take the land for our possession; knowing that our Lord, our Warrior has gone ahead to fight, indeed, He has already claimed victory!
"The enemy boasted,
'I will pursue, I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;
I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand will destroy them.'
But you blew with your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.
'Who among the gods is like you, O lord?
Who is like you --
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
You stretched out your right hand
and the earth swallowed them.
'In your unfailing love you lead them
the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling."
~ Exodus 15:9-13
"Then Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, 'Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified?' . . . When they reached the Valley of Eschol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. That place was called the Valley of Eschol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.
They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account: 'We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.'
Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, 'We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
At the beginning of chapter 13, Moses sends 12 men, leaders and representatives from each tribe of Israel, to go and explore the land of Canaan. This was a command that God gave to Moses so that the people might see and know whether or not God's promises about the promised land where true. When the men return they all agree on the report that is given of the land, but they either interpret it through faith or through unbelief. The men all see the richness of the fruit of the land: " . . . it does flow with milk and honey!" Surprise, Surprise. And they see the great nations living throughout the land; they even see giants living there! The men of unbelief see the size of the men, the number of people living in the fortified cities, and they shrink back, content to stay in the desert at the foot of God's bounty. Then there are men like Caleb, who see with the eyes of faith, and they remember the land flowing with milk and honey, they remember a single grape cluster so fat and dense that it took two men to carry it! They remember the promises of God, and Caleb silences the people and announces with confidence, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
We were then asked with what eyes we would see with in the upcoming year, and again persuaded and exhorted to see with the eyes of Caleb, see with the eyes of Joshua, and to know that our God has led us out of our bondage by the work of Christ, and that he has promised us a land flowing with milk and honey; will we sit at the foot of so great a bounty and tremble in fear and unbelief, or will we step forward into the land to fight the giants and take the land for our possession; knowing that our Lord, our Warrior has gone ahead to fight, indeed, He has already claimed victory!
"The enemy boasted,
'I will pursue, I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;
I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand will destroy them.'
But you blew with your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.
'Who among the gods is like you, O lord?
Who is like you --
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
You stretched out your right hand
and the earth swallowed them.
'In your unfailing love you lead them
the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling."
~ Exodus 15:9-13
posted by Brian | 11:08 AM
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