Last night (7-22-20) while in my prayer time with the Lord, I was burdened more then before while I was praying for our Nation, President and all leaders and authorities. I asked God what this was and how He wanted me to pray. He then directed me to Numbers 13. I chuckled and said really, numbers? Ok Father I’ll go there. Apon reading it He revealed some things and I prayed and went to bed feeling like there was more. The next day I read Numbers chapters 13-15, He revealed many things but let me give you a quick summary of these chapters.
The Lord told Moses to send out one man from each of the 12 tribes to explore the land of Canaan and they did so for 40 days. They found bountiful fruit and the land was flowing with milk and honey! They also found that the people living there where from the descendants of Anak, who were giants and very powerful. But Caleb tried to quiet the people and said they should go and take the land, that they could surely conquer it. But the other men disagreed so they spread a “bad report ” about the land to the Isrealites. They said the land would devour anyone who goes to live there and how they felt like grasshoppers next to the giants. Then the whole community began weeping loudly and protesting against Moses and Aaron, saying “if only they would have died in Egypt or here in the wilderness “. Joshua and Caleb who also explored the land tore their clothes, told the people that if the Lord is pleased with them, He will safely bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey and give it to them. They warned them not to rebel against God and not to be afraid of these people in the land of Canaan, they will have no protection and are helpless prey. But the whole community began talking about Joshua and Caleb and how they should be stoned. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites in the Tabernacle and said to Moses, “how long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they ever believe me after all the miraculous signs I’ve done in their presence? I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you a great nation, mightier than they are.” But Moses objected telling God that if He destroys them the Egyptians will say the Lord was unable to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so He killed them in the wilderness. And Moses pleated with God to prove how great His power is and reminded God what He had said before, “that the Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected even children in the 3rd and 4th generations. In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.” God agreed to pardon them, but they would never enter that land because of their disobedience and refusing to listen to Him, and that He heard them and they will die in the wilderness. Caleb and Joshua and their families would be the only ones to enter the promise land. God struck the other 10 men who explored the land and gave a bad report, with a plague and were struck dead before the Lord. Moses reported Gods word to the Israelites and they were grieved, said they realized they’ve sinned and are ready to go into the land but it was to late. Moses warned them it wouldn’t work because the Lord would no longer be with them and they didn’t listen and went anyways and they got attacked by the Amalekites and Canaanites. Then God told Moses after you finally get settled into the land He was giving them to offer up special gifts as a pleasing aroma (a sacrifice), He gave great details as to what and how. They were instructed to give their first out of each crop also. If anyone unintentionally fails at the Lord’s commands and the community is unaware then the whole community must offer a sin offering as He described in chapter 15:24 and same with an individual. They needed to make themselves right with God and they would be forgiven of their sin. But anyone who brazenly violates the Lord’s will, whether native born Isrealite or foreigner, have blasphemed the LORD, must be cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt. Now Caleb and Joshua and their families eventually actually possessed the promise land but after 40 years; a year for each day they explored the land, suffering the consequences of those who sinned, what a great example of patience and faith to endure along side those who had unbelief!
So I feel God is saying…..
- First, God is rising up Caleb’s and Joshua’s in this generation. Joshua was continually faced with choices and most of his decisions went against popular opinion. Yet he always reminded the people to increase their faith in God’s promises for them, then the impossible circumstances. A good leader does not condition his appeal to the sentiment or mood of the times. If you only see the difficulties, you have unbelief, but if you have faith you have spiritual advancement. Unbelief looks at giants, walled cities and obstacles but faith looks at God and His omnipresent and power! Joshua and Caleb were willing to do the unpopular and call the people to positive faith. They blazed the trail into the future by confronting the negative report and helped a new generation rise up to serve God in faith! Faith doesn’t deny the reality of difficulty, instead it declares with boldness the power of God in the face of the problem. Faith’s confession will ultimately bring victory to the believer. We are being called to stand in the face of adversity with the power of Holy Spirit.
- Second, we are being called more now than ever to repent for our nation and the unintentional sins committed and we must join together as one community to do this. We must offer up sacrifices to the Lord, please ask Him what that looks like for you as I feel it will be slightly different for each of us. Fasting is what I hear and that can look different for each person so please ask Him what sacrifice you will make and what He wants you to fast. During this time of fasting and prayer, we need to repent for our families and generations also, clear back to Adam. Let God show you iniquities and curses placed on your blood line that need repentance from. Pray until you feel a shift or He shows you something indicating that its finished or healed and it can no longer transfer to anymore generations. Our nation is in turmoil and its our responsibility to bring The Kingdom of God to earth!
- Third, there are many spreading “bad reports” that these giants we face, both personal and corporate (nationally), are stronger and bigger than we are and will devour us. Many are weeping, crying, complaining and plotting against themselves and wanting to choose a new leader and go back to where they where but this is only rebellion against God. Do not rebel against God and do not be afraid!
