Doubting Attitude Part 1
Are we Ready for The Promise Land • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Numbers 13:26-33; Hebrews 11:1-3
Numbers 13:26-33; Hebrews 11:1-3
We are still on this journey to see if we are ready for promise land living. the next two attitudes we are going to spend a little more time dissecting them because its where the Children of Isreal are a few months away from sentencing. So today I want to start with a Question. Why do we doubt?
why do we allow ourselves to question what the Lord says. We live in a society we’re doubting is the norm. We question everything. Why, why I can’t go to bed why daddy why mama in Numbers chapter 13 we get a sneak peek into the future as we come to the crossroads in numbers 13, a place of decision between the future and the past. The Israelite will get a sneak peak into what lies ahead. Have you ever found yourself in a crossroad? You may be going through one now, coming out of one. You are struggling with a career move, a relationship, school or how to deal with family. Just to name a few. The children of Israel have been on the faith and trust journey with God. In this chapter God is basically asking the children of Isreal “ Are you going to trust me or doubt me?”
He’s asking them for final time are you going to trust me or are you going to continue down this road doubting questioning, and refusal to everything that I have waiting for you and the promise land.
‘When you look at The definition of doubting is simple. It’s an absence of faith, to break that down: Doubt is a lack of confidence or assurance that God will keep His promise. We live in a world where people don’t trust each other. We don’t trust that the person on the corner is truly needing money for food. We don’t trust Politicians mean what they say, we don’t trust if our loves ones are really going to come thru for us, and we might say we do, but we don’t trust if the men in church leadership are really doing what they need to do with money or direction of the church. Say Amen when you can. Church that's DOUBT. So lets see what moses writes to the children of Isreal in Number 13.
Let’s begin in Verse 1, And the Lord, said to Moses, send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites from each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders, 2 Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.” 3 So Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel
According to Deuteronomy 1:21–23, the sending of men to spy was the ideal of the people. They might have urge Moses to send spice of the land to discover the best approach for conquest. Moses was then instructed by the law to proceed with the plan for staging position in the wilderness, a pariah Southeast of the land of Canaan was ideal for the north, with sweep of the spies, and then the armies of Israel. this shows us first hand how the people doubted what God said and wanted to see it for themselves God calls for an expedition party, explore the land that the lord is promised Isreal 12 men will go. One leader from each tribe in Israel and for each one, It truly is a peek into the future of their people. This is their home promised on oath by God to their forefather Abraham, A promise, renewed and reminded again generation after next. This was God‘s plan for the future. Will it be all that they dreamed will, they have the faith to go in will they trust God? Imagine God gives you a sneak peek into your future. I’m not saying you get to hop into a DeLorean and mess around with a space-time continuum. I’m just saying you got a little glimpse of God‘s plan for you just long enough to see some pretty amazing plans, but not long enough to see how it all works out. Family, ministry,, your challenges and your trials. What if you saw something awesome so awesome that you don’t know how you would handle it? Would this excite you or scare you? The Israelites are getting a look ahead and what’s a head is indeed awesome but when they see it will they move forward or shrink back remember The Israelites are in the desert for trust training now the test will they trust God's promise for their future, will they follow him in ?
Point 1- GOD PLACES REGULAR TEST OF FAITH BEFORE HIS CHILDREN(1-26)
Faith is so important and doubt is so detrimental that God places regular test of faith in front of His children. These are not intended for our failure, but for our success. It goes back to the The question God asks us every day “are we going to trust him or doubt Him? Just imagine having someone say they love you, and yet you are having to prove yourself time after time. It hurts after while and gets old until you realize that maybe this is not meant to be. What about a person who says they are going to stop the substance abuse but continue time after time. God is experiencing this type of hurt as He watches and see if they are ever going to come out of doubting his word.
Doubt is a mindset that keeps telling us will God really keep his promise.
The 12 men of the expedition party are listed in verses 4 through 15. There are two men you should watch for. They are in verses, six and eight. Caleb from Judah and Hoshea from Ephraim. It’s always interesting to catch a heroes story before they were heroes. Humble beginnings lay the foundation for the men who they will become. Why are they so important? This is our first glimpse of Caleb, but there is a connection that we need to see here. The 12 sons of Jacob descendants increased to become tribes. thats why we call them 12 tribes of Isreal. Each tribe was important for a different reason. For example, Israel’s kings came from the tribe of Judah. Great leader where apart of this linage. Caleb was from the tribe of Judah and Jesus was also from the tribe of judah.
Joshua formerly none as Hoshea was introduced in Exodus 17 and 24. He was Israel’s General and Moses assistant, now notice in verse 16 that Moses gave Hoshea, son of nun the name. Joshua.. Names in the Bible often carry meaning especially when you see a name change. the change of names usually corresponds to a change in that person. Hoshea’s original name means, “Save” a great name for a military general whose job it is to save the day in battle but Moses changes Hoshea’s name to Yashua, or an English Joshua from “Saved” to” the Lord saves” the General of Israel’s army needed to know that only the Lord can save. So every time he hears his name he should remember that it’s the Lord that can save. Joshua also happens to be the name of another savior. The name Jesus is a Greek for the Hebrew name YaHoshua it’s Joshua. Joshua in numbers that we will see later will be a picture or type of Jesus That we know in the New Testament. Or from those who have been coming to Sunday bible class (Typology)
POINT 2-CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE WILL EITHER SHRINK OR STRETCH YOUR FAITH(28-29)
Numbers 13:17-18 “Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, 18 and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many”
Verse 17 Moses gives the 12 men instruction on what to look for as they explore Canaan and here we get the hint of trouble. Moses directions go far beyond what God called for. As you read compare God’s instruction with Moses. God simply said explore the land which I’m giving the Israelites simple Moses tells them in verse 18 to see what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak few were many. If God is giving them the land, why do they need to know whether the people are strong or weak few or many? There’s a lesson here for us to when we get anxious for the future we want to know what’s coming are the trials big or small is the land good or bad, but God doesn’t give us all the details just his promise. He has a plan, a future, and a hope he’s working it all out for our good. If God promises to get you through. Don’t ask through what?
in verse 21 the mission impossible is off 40 days of exploring the land, spying out the enemy and collecting fruit, big fruit the land was definitely fruitful after about 500 miles of travel the team returns with the field report, beginning in verse 27. 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 the fruit. The report starts well the land is good milk and honey great big fruit it is just as God has promised that’s important. Grapes so big they have to hang on a stick and place on men’s shoulders. Pomegrant and lucious other fruits. They should be happy after complaining about all this manna. You have something more to look for. It’s like you drive by a restaurant saying coming soon. Something you thought would never come to your neighbor. You can’t wait, you may even try to seatch the interne. Google and see when the day it opens. Or the release of some new Jordan’s and you trying to get a golden ticket. Now Pay attention when God keeps his word if only the Israelites had verse 28 but the people who live there are powerful in the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak their.
We see how our circumstances whether good or bad has a way to shrink or stretch our faith to point of destruction
POINT 3-DOUBT SEES THE OBSTACLES, WHILE FAITH SEES THE OPPORTUNITIES(30-33)
Things have gone south the focus changes quickly from fruitful fields to powerful people. Big people fortified city‘s scary stuff verse 30 then Caleb silence the people before Moses, and said we should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. I love Caleb his whole hearted faith in God is legendary, but his courage does not appear to be contagious verse 31 but the man who had gone up with him, said we can’t attack those people they are stronger than we are, and they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said the land we explored devours those living in it all the people we saw there are great size we saw the Nephilim they’re the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim so the spy saw Nephilim. What were Nephilim? We don’t know exactly they might be giants, there from Genesis 6 if you want some Bible conspiracy theory, look up Nephilim, they could be half demons that could just be giants not the size of buildings more like (the incredible hulk, only 9 or 10 feet tall. We really don’t know if the spy saw them at all, but they thought they did and when it comes down to it what they saw was the heart of the problem. Faith comes by hearing and all of the spies had heard the promises God gave them about the land and he promised victory. Would they believe the word they heard or fall into fear at the challenge they saw? We walk by faith, not by sight
Back in verse 33 “we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Did you get that grasshoppers in our own eyes, their eyes see the enemy large and themselves tiny, but they forgot to look up to the Believer. The metaphor indicates that the height of the Anakim should be understood as of great concern. Compared to the Anakim, the Israelite men who would constitute the nation’s military were physically inadequate. In the presence of Anakim, the spies forgot that God would fight for them.
God is saying to the children of Israel it’s not about your physical strength but rather your spiritual strength.
POINT 4- WHEN SURROUNDED BY DOUBTERS, DOUBTING COMES EASY AND LIES BECOME TRUTHS
This can become in the form of social media, Wikipedia the barber shop and even the gossip section at church.
If we continue to live around doubt, we are certain to not believe the truth about many things .
MAKE SURE YOUR STORY IS NONFICTION
Closing
Question: Why do we doubt and why does it come so easily?
Answer:
1. Doubting is part of our Flesh “ It’s Adam and Eve’s fault.
2. Doubters are easier to find than friends of faith. How many real, genuine friends of faith do you have? Ones the speak the word of God into your life and fire you up spiritually? It’s important that we cherish and nurture those relationships, because friends of faith are absolutely critical. That’s why churches have small groups and other relational type events outside these wall so that people can have spiritual mentors and friends.
3. Doubting is Passive- Faith requires action and doubting does not. Nobody wakes up and says I bet today is going to be a great day to doubt. When I was coaching I never went to practice and said to my kids today we are going to practice to lose. The coach from Clemson softball team was interviewed about having to play OU and he said why not? You practice to play the best, and on any given night you don’t know what is going to happen, but showing up to lose is not an option.
Faith does not require your input but your output
You have a promised land you have a future and a hope will you press on or shrink back, will you trust the word you heard or Cower at the side of trials will you look at the enemy or at yourself or fix your eyes on Jesus find out how the Israelites respond in chapter 14 for you and I this is the challenge of faith, doubters mock what they called blind faith. But faith is not blind faith sees more. Genuine faith hears the word looks past the Giants and sees the invisible God.
I believe that had I doubted what God could do I would not be standing here today as the minister of this church. As people found out about no one said Are you sure? Is this the right church for you, but rather its time, God has equipped you and that we are proud of you and will support you. I can do all things, I can move mountains as long I look to the hills that gives me strength