Going without God

“Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.” - Numbers 14v42

One could easily weep as he reads Numbers 14. In spite of all that God had done for them, these people still did not trust Him. He had allowed 12 men to see the wonders of the Promised Land. They had returned with glowing reports of what was there, but there fear overwhelmed their faith.

When God judged their lack of faith by telling them that they would have to wait forty years to go into the land, they were belatedly sorry for their sin and decided that they would go ahead and enter the land.

Moses warned the, “Don’t go, God is not going with you, you will be defeated.” As usual they decided to act based on their own wills and desire instead of based on God’s direction. They went ahead an invaded the land. This tragic chapter ends with these words – “Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them.”

There are lessons for us in virtually every situation faced by these people. The New Testament tells us that the things that which are written for written for our learning. God has given us His Word, which is full of His directions and His blessings. We often expect His blessings without following His directions. We can be assured, that when we step outside of God’s Word to do something on our own, we cannot expect His blessings to follow.