Is your life in turmoil at this moment? Is everything falling apart around you? Does it seem God is a million miles away or perhaps you are questioning whether He even exists? What about the world around you? Natural disasters, terrorists, threats of war, identity thefts and a darkening global economy stare us in the face every night in the news.
Does it sound like the only reports you hear are bad? Well, maybe you are listening to the wrong reports. What is a Child of God supposed to do in times of peril or bad news? Parashats Shelach, (Numbers 13:1-15), and Korach, (Numbers 16:1-18), both have a great deal to say in regard to this matter. Remember the scripture must be read with a Hebraic eye, not a western one!
Shelach recounts the report brought back by the 12 spies. These men were not only leaders, but the sages know them as Princes of each of the tribes. They were royalty, well known by their own tribe, each of which numbered into the tens of thousands, if not more. Last week I told you how the people after witnessing miracle after miracle and yet still in the midst of a miracle began to not only seek out, but join in with the Rabble as they grumbled and complained against God. We thought God taught them a lesson in that one, but now here they are at a most pivotal moment in history and it doesn't seem they learned anything! They are at the threshold of obtaining the very thing for which God has brought them out of Egypt, across the sea and the desert to: the Promised Land!
Twelve men were sent out and all have arrived back with not only a report, but samples from their venture. Clusters of grapes so large they had to be carried on poles!!! Now the test! God has brought them to this location, given them his wedding vows, (which they accepted), and has given them a picture of their new home. What is their choice? Is the Bride going to settle down with the Groom or is she going to run back home to Momma and Daddy? Is she really ready to do what it takes to make a home with him? Hmmmmm? This is where the Bride has to make a decision. What friends should she listen to? Whose report does she believe?
I would venture a guess here and say that at some time in your life you have been in this situation. Something has occurred in your life and there have been numerous people giving you advice. The majority have been on one side of the fence and one or two have been on the other. Whose advice did you listen to? How do you know which ones to listen to or should you listen to either? After all, these people couldn't just open their Bibles to Matthew 10 and find out WWJD, could they?
God wanted them to WANT to go on with Him from there. He wanted them to make their home with Him in the land He had promised them, but He wanted it to be their choice! He is no different today. He wants us to choose a life with HIM, but it is still our choice!
What about our twelve Princes? Ten of them began their report with great things about the land then went on to say, BUT we can't conquer it. There it is.....that BUT stuck in the middle of things. I know you said you were faithful God, BUT. I know you say you love me God, BUT. I know you gave us all these commandments God, BUT. I know I should be reading your Word more, BUT. I know if I were choosing to spend more time in prayer and deep Bible study and doing Your work I would see blessings I never dreamed of, BUT. I know I should be tithing, BUT.
Just in case you think I am trying to be a smart-alec or be off color, just read for a moment with me in Numbers 13:27
"They reported to him (Moses) and said, 'We arrived at the Land to which you sent us, and indeed it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. But - the people that dwells in the Land is powerful, the cities are fortified and very great, and we also saw there the offspring of the giant.'"
The other two men, Caleb and Joshua, immediately jumped in with:
"We shall surely ascend and conquer it, for we can surely do it!"
WOW! No buts in that sentence, only confidence!!!! The problem is, the other ten now make a come-back with a shout of we can't do it, wah, wah, wah!!! Now, the choice of whose report to believe lies in the hands of the people themselves. Do they believe the ten or the two? Should the majority always rule? What I want you to see next is so very important, because it is what we so often do ourselves in times of trouble or bad news. Numbers 14:1-4
"The entire assembly raised up and issued its voice; the people wept that night. All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the entire assembly said to them, 'If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in the Wilderness! Why is HASHEM bringing us to this Land to die by the sword? Our wives and young children will be taken captive! Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?'
So they said to one another, 'Let us appoint a leader and let us return to Egypt.'"
Do you see what I see? The first thing they did was start wallowing in pity, the second thing was start looking back to the pig pen and the third was to reject the leadership God had placed over them. Does any of this sound familiar to life today? "Why is this happening to me? I don't understand it. This wasn't what I had in mind! I never expected life to be this way for a Child of God! I think perhaps I need to find a new church or maybe the Church just needs to find a new preacher."
Why did they not ask Moses to seek God on their behalf? They knew God would come down upon the Tabernacle and meet with Moses to answer questions during difficult times, so why not for such a time as this? This event is so significant. The people at this point were not only rejecting the Land, but were rejecting God as their Groom. They basically said, "You aren't worth fighting for!" Hold that thought, because I want to go right on into the next Parashat, Korach.
The incident with Korah took place shortly after the report of the spies. Korah, a Levite, along with four others, who were Reubenites, stood together in opposition to Moses leadership. I guess they took the words of the people to heart when they said, "Let us appoint a leader." These men now begin to question why Moses and Aaron think they are such "hot stuff." The text reads:
"They gathered together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, 'It is too much for you! For the entire assembly - all of them- are holy and HASHEM is among them; why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of HASHEM?'"
Last week I made a statement about the Rabble within the camp. They took just enough of the truth and mixed it with a lie to make it sound believable. What it actually did was create doubt about God which in turn creates discontentment. In both of our Parashats today, the same thing. The Ten Spies and Korah took a little truth and a little lie and mixed them together to create doubt and discontentment. Korah said something very true, the entire assembly was holy and HASHEM was among them.
This incident has a very unhappy ending, I will let you go on to read the rest of the story. There is a point I want you to see in all of this. Actually there are two points in this lesson. The first is from Jewish thought that when we complain we are akin to an atheist, because we are saying we don't believe. Let that one sink in for a moment. Complaining about the manna, about the giants in the land, about the leadership......we don't believe God is who HE says HE is and HE is not capable of doing what HE says HE will do; therefore making Him null and void. If you don't believe in something it doesn't exist, right?
Secondly, the Rabble, Ten Spies and Korah all bred discontent among the people. When we find ourselves discontented with the place God has put us, then we are open to rebellion. The first seeds of rebellion are an ungrateful heart (I Thessalonians 5:18). Rebellion often begins simply in refusal to accept the authority of those who are appointed to lead. Blame shifting is a tell-tale sign of a rebellious heart. Rebellion skews your vision of everything and your worship, especially prayer, is a litmus test for it. Rebellion is infectious, but most of all God hates it for IT IS IDOLATRY! (Seems like I remember one of the 10 connections having something to say about idols!)
The incident with the people weeping over the report of the Spies was so significant, God proclaimed that day as a day of mourning in perpetuity for His people. That day on the calendar was the 9th of Av or also known in Hebrew as Tisha B'Av. I have spoken of this day before, but I will give you a little homework on it. Here is a link to read about all the things that have occurred on that date in history http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/946703/jewish/What-happened-on-the-Ninth-of-Av.htm You will be astonished.
So, as this world is crumbling around you.........whose report will you believe? I need no explanation about why or what next, I simply need to remember that God is who He says He is! I will believe the report of the Lord! I will, like Paul press on toward the goal and I will not even think about returning to Egypt! As for me and my house.....we will continue to serve the Lord!
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