The Real Promise
The Real Promise
Words of Faith 8-7-2020
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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Numbers 27
[12] Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go up this mountain in the Abarim range and see the land I have given the Israelites. [13] After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, [14] for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes." (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)
[15] Moses said to the Lord, [16] "May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community [17] to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord's people will not be like sheep without a shepherd."
[18] So the Lord said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him. [19] Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. [20] Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. [21] He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in."
[22] Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. [23] Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.
The time was coming near for Israelites to finally enter into the land of Promise. The Lord saw fit to make a special provision for daughters regarding inheritance. But there was no provision for Moses to walk into Canaan!
But God did make a provision that Moses shall look into the land. That is all. (You can take a peek at what you are missing.) The sin of Moses at the waters of Meribah at Kadesh was always before him. Aaron had already died, and Moses was soon to die. He would be allowed a glimpse of the land from a distant mountain, but he would not be allowed to set foot into the land itself.
Even more fascinating is the response of Moses. He does not petition or appeal this decision. He does not whine, complain, or entreat the Lord for reconsideration. Instead, Moses had his mind and heart upon the people. Who would be their leader when they came into the land? His concern was for the community.
The request was to appoint a leader so that they will not be a sheep without a shepherd. In response, the Lord provided for Joshua's succession to be the new leader during the conquest of the land of Promise.
Frankly, this is one of the most difficult turning points in the story of the Exodus. It seems so unfair! It is painful to think that the Prophet who brought the Israelites all this way, put up with them for 40 years, and sat with God on the mountain, will not get to enter into the land!
One way to look at this is that the Lord is very unforgiving. Or we could reflect upon the fact that some decisions have consequences that simply cannot be reversed. Or there is another possibility.
Is it possible that living in the “Promise of God” is not just about a geographical location? Perhaps finding and living in God's Promise is more about the relationship with Him than it is with the actual physical location achieved.
At one point in this journey, Moses had been so angry and frustrated with the people that he struck the rock in angry disobedience to God. Now, we see that his total concern is to care for the people and trust wholly in the Lord. That would seem to be the place of Promise even if on a different level.
The people of Israel wandered for 40 years in a sort of “school of faith.” God was trying to develop in this foundational community the relationship of trust that would be needed in the future. God was in no rush. Relationship was the vital thing.
The truth is that geography is never as important as the relationship. We may think that if we get to a certain "place," everything will be fine. We often think that if we can only achieve a certain status or place of blessing that we will have all that is right and good. There is always something more important.
We observe in the Israelites' journey that the things God wanted most from them were relationship and community. God wanted them to trust Him wholly and to be a community walking with Him. God wanted His people to be a community living in right relationship with Him and with one another. God wanted this to carry them to a geographical location called Canaan, but the relationship was primary.
In the text, it appears that Moses finally “got it.” He realized that it was not nearly so important that he actually step into Canaan's geography as it was that he step into the walk of faith with God. His biggest concern was way beyond himself.
Are you overly concerned with the geography of this life? Are you worried over where you will get to? It is much more important that You discover the truth of God and learn to walk with Him. Moses discovered this, and so can we.
Lord God of all mankind, teach me how to walk with You in total trust. Show me the relationship with You that can trust no matter the terrain. Teach me the joy of community. Teach me how to care for others who are also on the journey. Teach me selfless living that focuses on You. In Jesus’ name.
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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2004, 2020
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.
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