Effie Darlene Barba

After all that happened, it was finally time to cross the Jordan River into the promised land.  This would be the Battle Cry of Victory.  And these are the instructions God gave to Joshua.  However these instruction are what we need as well. Today, in our times, we know that we march forward to the end when Jesus will return.  He is our destiny.  Just to be near Him eternally.  As we approach that day, let us take heed also to these same instructions. 

1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, ² “Moses My servant is dead; so now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.

³ Every place on which the sole of your foot steps, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. ⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. ⁵ No one will be able to oppose you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not desert you nor abandon you. Joshua 1 (NASB).

5 Steps to Succeed in the Battle Cry of Victory

 ⁶ Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve success wherever you go. ⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

1. Be Strong and Courageous
2. Be Careful to do as Commanded in God’s Word
3. Meditate on God’s Word Day and Night
4. Do Not Fear
5. Do NOT Be Dismayed

How?  Never forget the Lord Your God is with you wherever you go.  No matter how dark the circumstances surrounding you, He is there.  In your most desperate desert moments, He is there.  He will supply your every need, every step of the way.

Battle Cry of Victory From Gentile Harlot to Faith’s Hall of Fame

So, under the leadership of Joshua the people prepare to cross over Jordan into the land God had promised them. Their fathers had stood here once before; but, the people didn’t trust God. They became afraid when the “spies” had returned with a fear filled report about the giants.  Joshua was there.  In fact, he along with Caleb were the only ones to give a good report of faith.  He knew that what looked impossible to the human eye was possible because of God.  The lack of faith of the majority brought God’s judgment. 

Joshua is now to lead the next generation into the land. In Joshua 2, he sends out two spies to view the land—particularly he sends them to Jericho. Knowing the history, why would he think it a good idea to send spies now? Seems a little foolish, no?  After all he is risking a repeat of the same old thing he had seen over the past many years.  Therefore, I wonder.  Were men really sent to check out the land?  Or perhaps, they were sent at God’s command for an entirely different purpose.  A miraculous plan of God involving the salvation of one harlot. Remember Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee through a horrific storm in order to save one demon-possessed man and return again.  Only one man was saved that day. So, it be. God sent the spies to save Rahab and her family. 

A Much Bigger Plan Leading to a Battle Cry of Victory for All

Precisely it was the home of Rahab in Jericho where they ended up.  There was where they were met by a prostitute who warned them of danger.  At risk of her own peril in Jericho, she took them in.  She hid them. And she created a plan for their safe return to Joshua.  Why would she do that?

She had heard of the miracles that God had performed among the nation of Israel.  Thereby, she believed that God would leadHispeople into the land.  Thus, she believed theirs would be the Battle Cry of Victory and wanted to be a part of that.  She believed that God was the one and true God who would deliver this land into the hands of His chosen. Rahab had seen God as Glorious and so worthy of her humble adoration, fear and awe. Even having never met Him, she believed.  Her faith saved her, washing away all her guilt and sin to clothe her with God’s righteousness. Now it was time to act on that faith.  So when Rahab saw the men, she ushered them onto her rooftop where she hid them.

Listen to the conversation that followed.

Joshua 2 (KJV) ”⁹ And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.¹⁰ For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.¹¹ And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”

Rahab’s faith led to the salvation and protection of herself and her family when the Israelite nation marched around Jericho and God gave them the city. Yet, more than that, Rahab was a part of a much bigger story. She was the mother of Boaz, the kinsman redeemer of Ruth (a Moabite woman). Both being in the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:5).  Furthermore, she was named on the faith hall of fame in Hebrews 11:

³¹ By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

Her actions did not save her.  Instead, her faith did. Her actions were merely representative of the faith she already held deep within her heart.  She stood in awe and wonder at the Glory of God before she had chosen to protect these men.  Furthermore, she trembled at the mighty power of God and knew of her own unworthiness.  She protected them even before she knew they would agree to protect her.

3 Important Thoughts About Rahab for Us to Follow

1 Rahab acted out of faith. Her acts demonstrated she truly believed—the Lord your God, He IS God in heaven above and in earth beneath. Therefore let the same be said of us. 

someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” ¹⁹ You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰ But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? ²¹ Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

²² You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶ For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.  James 2

2 Her faith had come from hearing first

Romans 10:” ¹⁷ So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”

She was willing to put her life and her family’s life on the line; because she believed so strongly that God would accomplish His promise.  What are you willing to put on the line?  And what are you doing to send His word out to others. 

3 God saw her heart. This is the Battle Cry of Victory.

That was why God sent the spies so that she could hide them.  They in turn protected her.  Note: God is a God of tiny details particularly for all who believe in Him.

²⁸ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8.

Seeing God in His Glory, trembling at His majesty, and believing that He is the great I AM ultimately results in our living a life that presents the gospel to the world. We may not have always gotten every step right; but God looks at our trembling, broken hallelujahs born out of our awe filled hearts and uses them to His Glory.

God Leads The People—A Memorial is Established

Once more, God demonstrates to His people the majesty of His power and His Glory. He halts the raging river while all the people cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land. The priests were in the midst of the River with the Ark of the Covenant—a symbol of God’s presence and strength.

Once everyone had safely crossed over, God tells Joshua to have one man from each tribe to go back, pick up a stone from where the priests are standing and bring it to the place they will camp that night to build a memorial shrine as a reminder of what God did for them and a reminder as of the perfect sovereignty, righteousness, justice, Mercy and grace that is God.

God remained faithful to redeem Himself a people in spite of all their failures in the past.  He is about to prove to the entire world that He is the Victory in every trial or battle of life.  But there He has them pause and set up a memorial to be a reminder to all the generations to come of God’s Faithfulness.

Joshua 4 (NIV):

 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, ³ and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”…⁶ to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’⁷ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

We tend to be such a forgetful people as well. After all that God has done to demonstrate His love and mercy to us, we forget and then we have a failure in faith with the next trial we confront. These are the things we must remember if we are to live a victorious joy filled life. We must remember God’s perfect Love, Sovereignty, Righteousness, Justice, Mercy and Grace. What are your memorial stones?  Perhaps a picture, a cross, an ornament.  Not to bow down to and worship, but to be a reminder of God’s faithfulness to you. 

Final Steps In Possessing the Land

So, the children of Israel had crossed over Jordan.  They were finally going to take possession of the land that God had promised to Abraham so many years before. Imagine their excitement.  The eagerness they must have felt. Anxious to move on further.  Yet, they waited calmly at their first destination. There was no mention of grumbling, impatience, or fear among these who had been chosen. In fact, you may find it strange that it was  there they stopped for a while. Joshua circumcised the people before they moved any further.  They then tarried there until all were healed.

This was an act of surrendering faith born from hearts that loved, feared, and awed God for who He IS. They knew the armies of the land which had caused their parents to tremble and doubt, could easily come and attack while they were all weakened from the surgery. Yet, there was no doubt here. Everyone surrendered to the knife cutting away their flesh. The circumcision did not save them.  Nor could the law save them.  Instead, the circumcision was merely symbolic of the circumcision that had already occurred in their heart. They were willing to sit and wait for God to say “Go”.

Why Such Surrender?

They had glimpsed at God’s Glory and they desired to be a people who worshiped God. They had been captivated by His Glory, His Beauty, His Honesty, His Power, and His Abiding Love. Their hearts had been transformed into hearts that sought after God and that loved God with all their heart, all their soul, and all their strength.

They had learned that the letter of the law could not save them; but, it would have to be a transformed heart that had been changed by the power and spirit of God. Just, as God had promised in:

Deuteronomy 30(GNV)

“ ⁵ And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it, and he will show thee favor, and will multiply thee above thy fathers. ⁶ And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, that thou mayest love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”

This act of circumcision was an outward sign of the transforming work within their hearts. They could not live a Holy life, obey the law, or love God as they should without a transformed heart. The only one who could transform their heart was God through the working of the Spirit.

 Romans 2: (GNV) ²⁹ But he is a Jew which is one within, and the circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Many, much like the Pharisees of Christ’s Day; try to follow the letter of the law. There are many who even give forth the illusion of following all of the commands but do so for the applause of men and not out of a contrite heart that bows in servitude to its Master and King. True salvation comes when the spirit begins to write the law on our hearts, Only then can we fall madly in love with Christ, desire Him and seek Him above all else that this world could offer us. All who accept Christ as their Savior, wooed by the spirit of God are being grafted into the family of God. We then are becoming the Children of the Promises because God has chosen to circumcise our hearts and cut away the fleshly desires.

God Takes Responsibility for The Transformation of Our Hearts

Do you remember a time or a moment when you could truly say that you had fallen deeply, madly in love with Christ? Has that trust, faith, and hope faded along the way? Have you taken your eyes off of Him as your greatest treasure?

Ask Him today to open the eyes of your heart that you might see a glimpse of His Glory so that you might desire Him with all your heart, your mind, and your soul. Then He will transform your heart from the inside out with the work of the Holy Spirit, so that you will become victorious against the darts of sin within your own heart.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Previously

What More Must God Do for You to See Jesus Is Your Greatest Treasure?

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

The people had journeyed 40 years in the desert.  Each step of the way, God led them, protected them and provided for them.  He had proven His commitment to fulfill His covenant with Abraham from so long ago.  Furthermore, He was fulfilling His covenant with Adam and Eve that one day a redeemer would be born.  One who could break the curse of sin and death, by taking on all the sin Himself.  God has displayed Himself to the people through the desert, but now it was their turn to choose Him or not.  This is the plea.  The same plea for you today.  What more must God do for you to see Jesus IS Your Greatest Treasure?  And as Moses commands the people of Israel, so must we each command our own hearts, “Choose today whom you will serve!”

High on the mountains above the encampment of Israel, Balaam and Balak are trying to get God to condemn these people.  Unbeknownst to Moses and the children of Israel, there were those trying to convince God of the unworthiness of these people He had chosen.  Well Moses could attest to that.  After all he had seen firsthand how many times they have grumbled against God.  They had built idols.  Many times, they spoke against all of Gods provisions.  Preferring to die in slavery rather than to go where God commanded go.  A stiff-necked, selfish bunch much like you and I. 

What More Must God Do?

“You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants, and to all his land. ³ The great trials which your eyes have seen, those great signs and wonders. ⁴ Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.

⁵ And I have led you in the wilderness for forty years. Your clothes have not worn out on you. And your sandal has not worn out on your foot. ⁶ You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or other strong drink, in order that you might know that I am the Lord your God. ⁷ When you reached this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out to meet us for battle, but we defeated them. ⁸ And we took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites. ⁹ So you will keep the words of this covenant and do them, in order that you may be successful in everything that you do.  Deuteronomy 29: (NASB)

God did all this and yet you have rebelled so often.  Come now to covenant with God to follow Him.  Do not turn away!  Let no one among you seek after idols made of wood, stone and silver and gold. 

A Mystery of Sorts

“The Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear”.  Oh, how I wish that He would!  Just as Paul would have given up his place to save the Jews of day, so had Moses pleaded that God save them and take him instead.  God who has the power to do just that, in His wisdom also left man with a choice.  This in no way lowers His Sovereignty. 

I cannot come to Him if He did not call.  Yet, I am not worthy to be called.  This is the point.  He chose me, just as out of all the earth He had chosen Moses. Not because of our own worthiness, but because it was His great pleasure to do so.  I Do not have to understand all of how or why He did. But I must be forever grateful with all my being that He did.

²⁹ “The secret things belong to the Lord our God! But the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever. So that we may follow all the words of this Law. Deuteronomy 29 (NASB)

God CAN call you from the deadness of your spirit.  There is no one too far gone, but God can reach them.  No one can come unless the Spirit call them.  But there is a degree of choice as well.  Look again at Balaam, just over head surveying the nation as this was taking place.  He had spoken with God.  The Spirit revealed visions of the future to him.  God sealed his mouth from cursing the nation of Israel.   With all that he chose riches and selfish desires over God. 

Must God Do It All for All

So, as they are standing before God, Moses tells them once more as he had before of the covenant.  You have seen firsthand what happens to those who turn away from God to seek other gods.  Because you have seen this lies even heavier on you.  God has shown you all this that you might understand.  Although God has called you out as a nation for Himself, each individual is responsible for his choice. God has shown you His wrath, His commandments and His righteousness so you know the consequences of disobedience.

moreover, you have seen their abominations and their idols made of wood and stone, silver and gold, which they had with them); ¹⁸ so that there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood.

¹⁹ And it shall be when he hears the words of this curse, that he will consider himself fortunate in his heart, saying, ‘I will do well though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to destroy the watered land along with the dry.’ ²⁰ The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and His wrath will burn against that person, and every curse that is written in this book will lie upon him, and the Lord will wipe out his name from under heaven. ²¹ Then the Lord will single him out for disaster from all the tribes of Israel, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant which is written in this Book of the Law.  Deuteronomy 29 (NASB)

And If That Happens? What must God do?

Whenever they turn away, the curse will come upon them.  Other nations will rise up and overthrow them.  They will cry to God and then He will restore them.  This is the recurrent story we will read throughout their history.  God will fulfill His covenant.  Jesus will come through the seed of Eve and through the seed of Abraham, faithfully fulling all that God has planned.  But when they turn aside, what shall be said of them? 

²⁴ All the nations will say, ‘Why has the Lord done all this to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?’ ²⁵ Then people will say, ‘It is because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. ²⁶ And they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they have not known and whom He had not assigned to them. ²⁷ Therefore, the anger of the Lord burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; ²⁸ and the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger, fury, and in great wrath, and hurled them into another land, as it is this day.’  Deuteronomy 29

Yet, God is Faithful to Keep His Promises

Even after all this. If any of you will turn your hearts to Him, God will restore you and the nation. 

 “So it will be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have placed before you, and you call them to mind in all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you, ² and you return to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul in accordance with everything that I am commanding you today, you and your sons, ³ then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.

⁴ If any of your scattered countrymen are at the ends of the earth, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. ⁵ The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will be good to you and make you more numerous than your fathers.

But what If I Fail Even Then?

That is the beauty of this covenant.  If I sincerely enter into this covenant relationship with God.  He will keep me to the end.  He will write His laws upon my heart, step by step.  That is what Jesus did for us on the cross. It is by faith alone, not of works.  But faith without any semblance of works is dead because how can I not in devotion desire to do the will of Him who saved me.  Love would demand I desire Him as my greatest treasure.  Still this is God’s promise to all who covenant with Him.

⁶ “Moreover, the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, so that you may live. ⁷ And the Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. ⁸ And you will again obey the Lord, and follow all His commandments which I am commanding you today.

⁹ Then the Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in every work of your hand, in the children of your womb, the offspring of your cattle, and in the ^]produce of your ground, for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; ¹⁰ if you obey the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.  Deuteronomy 30 (NASB)

What If I say?

Maybe another day, it is too hard.  I have things to do here, now.

¹¹ “For this commandment which I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it far away. ¹² It is not in heaven, that you could say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us and get it for us, and proclaim it to us, so that we may follow it?’ ¹³ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you could say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us and get it for us and proclaim it to us, so that we may follow it?’ ¹⁴ On the contrary, the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may follow it.

¹⁵ “See, I have placed before you today life and happiness, and death and adversity, ¹⁶ in that I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, so that you may live and become numerous, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to take possession of it.

The choice is Yours Today

What are you going to choose? 

¹⁷ But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but allow yourself to be led astray and you worship other gods and serve them, ¹⁸ I declare to you today that you will certainly perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and take possession of it. ¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have placed before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, ²⁰ by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding close to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, so that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Final Thoughts

What more must God do in your life that you might desire Jesus as your greatest treasure. 

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Previously

Girded With the Truth of History to Guide, Victory Awaits You Today How?

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “the more you know about the past, the better you are prepared for the future.”[1]  “Deuteronomy is one of the richest books in the Old Testament. It is quoted or cited 195 times in the New Testament…Deuteronomy is also a treasure chest of theological concepts.”[2] The children of Israel were preparing to go into the Promised Land.  Moses was preparing to leave this earth.  Deuteronomy is a synopsis of history for the nation. The richest nuggets of truth pulled together.  Lessons learned pointing to God—the richest depths of His Nature all displayed here.  Moses declaring to the people, “girded with the truth of History to Guide you, Victory Awaits you today.”

 ⁹ “Only be careful for yourself and watch over your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons. ¹⁰ Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may have them hear My words so that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’ Deuteronomy 4:9-10 (NASB)

But without any foundation of the truth of history, what then?  Perhaps as Marcus Garvey is quoted as saying, “A People without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”[3]

A Nation Strengthened and Girded by the Truth of History-Listen

This was their legacy.  If they forget the truth of history, all could be lost.  How often had their failures led to the loss of life?  Forgetting all that God had done and said led to disasters.  They must remember and cling to the truth of history to march forward in victory. 

“Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you will live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. ² You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I am commanding you. ³ Your eyes have seen what the Lord has done in the case of Baal-peor, for all the men who followed Baal-peor, the Lord your God has destroyed them from among you. ⁴ But you who clung to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you. Deuteronomy 4

If only they would remember and write God’s statues on their hearts.  God had proven His faithfulness and would still.  He had called them forth as a great nation.  Perhaps I am naïve, but I do feel that God called out the United States of America to be a nation for Him during this church age.  If only we too would remember rather than to allow history to be rewritten. 

Gird Yourselves with the Truth of History and God’s Word

⁵ “See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you are to do these things in the land where you are entering to take possession of it. ⁶ So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ ⁷ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him? ⁸ Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole Law which I am setting before you today?

Moses pleaded with the people on God’s behalf and God pleads with you today.  Do you know Him and seek Him as your greatest treasure?

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; ²⁴ and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, ²⁵ not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.  Hebrews 10 (NASB)

God Has Great Pleasure in Choosing You as He Did Abraham

In John Piper’s series the pleasures of God, he came to Deuteronomy 10 where he began to discuss the marvel of how God chose the nation of Israel, perhaps a question we would ask at this point as well.  But if we ask that, we also must ask, “why in the world would God have chosen me?”  And therefore, why must I remember the truth of history concerning my own life in order to have victory today? If I allow myself to whitewash any parts of my life, then I will lose the awe and wonder of God’s magnificent Grace, love and mercy displayed throughout my life.  The same was true of the Israel nation.  But as an introduction to this subject, I would like to quote this from John Piper’s sermon.

Excerpt from John Piper

In our study of the pleasures of God we have seen that from all eternity God has been supremely happy in the fellowship of the Trinity. He has delighted in casting his eye, as it were, out over the endless panorama of his own perfections reflected in the face of his Son. Between God the Father and God the Son there has flowed a love and joy so full and complete, and carrying so much of the essence of God, that it has stood forth from all eternity as a Person in his own right—the Holy Spirit himself.

If you could take the energy of all the billions of galaxies in the universe and measure it, you would get a reading that is simply a faint reverberation of that energy of joy and love that swells and streams and surges in the triune heart of God. Before there was anything besides God at all, God was supremely happy in himself.

We saw secondly that God is, therefore, absolutely self-sufficient. He has no needs and so can’t be bribed. He has no flaws and so can’t be blackmailed. He has no weaknesses and so can’t be coerced or forced. In other words, he is absolutely free and does what he does because of his own good pleasure. “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever he pleases” (Psalm 115:3).

Thirdly, we saw that the creation of this spectacular universe is the overflow of God’s joyful bounty. He did not create the world to make up for some deficiency in himself. He created because it’s the very nature of fullness to overflow. It’s the nature of unbounded joy to spread itself around. And so God rejoiced to make the universe as a kind of spin-off of his overflowing delight in his own glory.

Then, last week we saw that in this world which God has created, the great passion of his heart is to spread his reputation. Again and again and again in Scripture we read that he acts for the sake of his name. His great goal is to magnify his fame and renown and the honor of his name in all that he does.

And when you stop and think about it this is the most loving thing that God could ever do; because the greatest benefit that human beings could ever receive is to know and share in the glory of God. So when God aims to make his glorious name known and admired and praised and enjoyed in every people and tongue and tribe and nation, he is acting in overflowing grace and love because this and this alone will satisfy the longings of the human heart.

John Piper, Exerpt from The Pleasure of God in Election [4]

God’s Requirement

¹² “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³ and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?   Deuteronomy 10 (NASB)

But why would we even consider doing that?

¹⁴ Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the ^[e]highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. ¹⁵ Yet the Lord set His affection on your fathers, to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, you over all the other peoples, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 10 (NASB)

God did not need you, nor did He need me.  By His pleasure He chose me to set His affections on me and to love me.  Just as He chose Abraham, Ishmael, Jacob, and the nation of Israel.  Not because they DESERVED salvation. Nor do I.  Until I recognize the greatest of this gift I cannot ever win spiritual battles.  When I remember the truth of history in my own life, including my failures, then I can never consider the need to circumcise my heart. 

Cutting away the Dross

¹⁶ So circumcise your heart, and do not stiffen your neck any longer. Deuteronomy 10 (NASB)

Remove and cast aside anything surrounding your heart that keeps you from loving God with all your heart, mind, and soul.  As the writer of Hebrews tells us. 

¹ let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, ² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12 (NKJV).

Why Do We Want to Do this?

¹⁷ For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. ¹⁸ He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing. Deuteronomy 10 (NASB).

And Because just as Moses Commanded the Nation:

 ¹⁹ So show your love for the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. ²⁰ You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. ²¹ He IS YOUR GLORY, and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. ²² Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

Furthermore, when you know the truth of history, no fear

God has promised that He Himself will circumcise your heart.  He will place His love inside you.  His Holy Spirit will carry you all the way to the end. You are His Masterpiece.

The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. Deuteronomy 30:6 KJV

15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Hebrews 10:  15-17   KJV

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Previously

God Wins Victory When a Really Evil Prophet Foretold of Jesus How?

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

---

[1] Theodore Roosevelt quote of the day, https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/thought-for-the-day/the-more-you-know-about-the-past-the-better-prepared-you-are-for-the-future-%E2%80%94-theodore-roosevelt-292492, accessed 3/12/2023

[2] Fallwell, Jerry, Introduction to Deuteronomy, The Liberty Annotated Study Bible, Copyright 1988, Liberty University, page 294

[3] https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/28955.Marcus_Garvey

[4] https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-pleasure-of-god-in-election

As we move forward in the book of Numbers, we are told a very intriguing story. There we are introduced to Balaam. He is a very evil prophet, albeit not truly false. He did hear from God and spoke God’s words at times. However, he was truly evil and later showed his colors. Often, he was spoken of as evil throughout the Old and New Testaments, his name represents the true evil nature. However, God used Him as well to foretell of Jesus and the star in the sky presenting His birth.

But what can we learn from Balaam?  I believe there are many lessons within these chapters. Lessons of God’s Sovereignty, Glory, Righteousness, Justice, and His Unwavering Faithfulness to His covenant. For even when humanity is faithless, God is faithful to complete all that He has planned of mercy and Grace while upholding His perfect righteousness and justice. So, let us begin our study of Balaam with eyes wide open and hearts yearning to see God’s Glory in all that happens yesterday, today and throughout eternity.

In Search of a Really Evil Prophet

Then the sons of Israel journeyed on, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.  2 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.  3 So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab. was in dread of the sons of Israel. 4  Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will eat up all that is around us, as the ox eats up the grass of the field!” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

5  So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the Euphrates River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they have covered the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me. 6  Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” Numbers 22: 1-5 (NASB).

Balaam, the Evil Prophet Revered the Name of Yahweh

So, the men went to seek Balaam. Well known for his ability to curse a nation for the gods and to prophesy with great accuracy. However, his powers are from evil sorcery and not from the LORD. Yet, he seemed to realize that YAHWEH was truly LORD; although, he never follows after him.

Thus it is with many teachers, preachers, and leaders who know who God is but choose to go against Him or use His messages for financial gain. Now also of importance here. The Moabites are the descendants of Lot and his oldest daughter. (Genesis 19:37). So, we do see the devastating long range results of sins.

The Moabites wanted someone powerful to curse the Israelite, so to destroy the nation. This was the desire also of Satan and his demons to prevent the birth of the Savior as planned. But even Balaam could not curse the people of God.

Even Evil Prophets Speak the Truth Sometimes

Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD my God.

19  Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will say to me.” 20  And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise and go with them; but you shall do only the thing that I tell you.” 21  So Balaam arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab. Numbers 22: 18-21 (NASB)

Balaam was speaking very righteously. He did speak the truth that he cannot do anything unless God says so. Yet, how quickly he got up to go with them when he believed God said yes. He was hoping that he could still convince God to condemn the people and he would gain great money and riches. We know this was his motive because we read of him later in 2 Peter 2.

Many Evil Prophets Have Followed Balaam

But false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2  Many will follow their indecent behavior, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3  and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3

Peter goes on to say that God has judged such in the past in the days of Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah. He will rescue many yet to come from the trials to come. But the unrighteous He will judge one day. Particularly His judgement will pour forth to those who indulge the flesh in corrupt passion, distort His words and despise His authority. Peter goes on to write of these evil prophets.

Reckless, self-centered, they speak abusively of angelic majesties without trembling, …They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions as they feast with you, 14  having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having hearts trained in greed, accursed children; 15  abandoning the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the reward of unrighteousness; 16  but he received a rebuke for his own offense, for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet. 2 Peter 2

You see, God knew His heart and His intentions were only evil. How many evil prophets surround us today, enticing our children and the people with their evil crafts?

God Will Accomplish His Plan.

22  But God was angry that he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the road as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23  When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, the donkey turned off from the road and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey to guide her back onto the road. 24  Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a stone wall on this side and on that side.

25  When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again.

26  Then the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right or to the left. 27  When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his staff.

I Have No Excuses, Even a Donkey Can Speak for God

28  Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29  And Balaam said to the donkey, “It is because you have made a mockery of me! If only there had been a sword in my hand! For I would have killed you by now!” 30  But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been in the habit of doing such a thing to you?” And he said, “No.” Numbers 22.

God Speaks Again to the Evil Prophet

Then God opened the eyes of Balaam so he could see the angel standing in the way. Once more God reminds Balaam that he can only say what God tells him to say. Furthermore, God let Balaam see the fierceness of the angel before him. That was a reminder to do what he is told. It says that he repented, but not a true act of repentance either. It was like someone caught with his hand in the cookie jar saying, “I am sorry—but not really.”

Three times Balaam tells Balak to build seven altars and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for a burnt offering. Each time he does this from a different vantage point on top of a different mountain, in hopes God would change his mind. The King is very complacent in performing these rituals. Most likely there is some remembrance within his history as well of sacrifices and a God of sevens (completion). Although frustrated, he even suggests some of the places to curse the Israelites from. Yet, each time God answers Balaam with a greater revelation of His Steadfast Covenantal Love for the people. Even after all they have done, he calls them righteous before Him. Righteous because of His Grace and His declaration.

Numbers 23: (NKJV)

“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,

From the mountains of the east.

‘Come, curse Jacob for me,

And come, denounce Israel!’

8  “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?

9  For from the top of the rocks I see him,

And from the hills I behold him;

There! A people dwelling alone,

Not reckoning itself among the nations.

10  “Who can count the dust of Jacob,

Or number one-fourth of Israel?

Let me die the death of the righteous,

And let my end be like his!”

Here God reiterates His covenant to Abraham and to Jacob that the people would number more than the dust of the earth (GEN 13:16)

Second Prophecy: Numbers 23 (NKJV)

“Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, son of Zippor!

19  “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do?Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

20  Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21  “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a King is among them.

22  God brings them out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox.

23  “For there is no sorcery against Jacob, Nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’

24  Look, a people rises like a lioness, And lifts itself up like a lion;It shall not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain.”

What Amazing Grace Displayed

God did not count their iniquity against them. These words God gave to a Moabite King, through an evil prophet and yet, they are true for us today. Whomever knows Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are counted as though righteous. All our sins washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ who then clothes us with His righteousness eternally from the moment we truly repent and accept His gift of salvation.

7He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the sons of Israel. 8  The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in mercy. 9  He will not always contend with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10  He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our guilty deeds. 11  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. 12  As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our wrongdoings from us. Psalm 103 NASB

Third Miraculous Word from God to Balaam and Balak

2  And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

3  Then he took up his oracle and said: “The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,

4  The utterance of him who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

5  “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel!

6  Like valleys that stretch out, Or Like gardens by the riverside, Like aloes planted by the LORD, And Like cedars beside the waters.

7  He shall pour water from his buckets, And his seed shall be in many waters. “His king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.

8  “God brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; (Therefore) He shall consume the nations, his enemies; He shall break their bones And pierce them with his arrows.

9  ‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’ “Blessed is he who blesses you, And cursed is he who curses you.”

Who sees the vision of the Almighty. And who falls down with eyes wide open—This evil prophet saw a great vision of the prophetic future of Israel in the end times. God placed Balaam with the ability to see through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, although, not converted to faith himself. Therefore, never with the Holy Spirit’s power indwelling him. Yet he gained the ability to see the vision with the Holy Spirit revealing it.

The Fourth Prophecy is Amazing For Us

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;

16  The utterance of him who hears the words of God, And has the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

17  “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.

18  “And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession, While Israel does valiantly.

19  Out of Jacob One shall have dominion, And destroy the remains of the city.”

One day a Star shall come out of Jacob. A Scepter shall rise out of Israel and justice will reign over all the earth. Jesus will return and just as the Star announced His Birth, we know the rest will be victoriously fulfilled.

Hallelujah, what a Savior we have!

Sad to say, with all that was revealed to him, Balaam still chose to turn away. We know he told King Balak that what he must do is entice the men with beautiful women and they would deny God following after and worshiping other gods. That he did, but God still prevailed over the victory for His people. Oh, yes, many were punished and the nation had to be cleansed many times over from the evil of sin that would invade. But we know He wins.

Beware of evil prophets all around us. But rest assured

If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you win in the end.

Much like Balaam, God even used Caiaphas to speak the truth about Jesus—though Caiaphas was unaware. Even thought he was the high priest, he proved to be an evil prophet proclaiming a truth beyond his own knowledge.

49  But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50  nor are you taking into account that it is in your best interest that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish instead.” 51  Now he did not say this on his own, but as he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation; 52  and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. Matthew 7 (NASB)

And Let Us End with This Song of Praise

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.

2  Serve the LORD with jubilation;

Come before Him with rejoicing.

3  Know that the LORD Himself is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4  Enter His gates with thanksgiving,

And His courtyards with praise.

Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

5  For the LORD is good;

His mercy is everlasting

And His faithfulness is to all generations.

Psalm 100 (NASB)

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Previously

How To Find Hope in The Desert Despite the Poison of Sin

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

Everything in the Old Testament is a picture of Christ and representative as instructions to guide us through this journey.  How many years do we find ourselves in the desert of life? We battle the same sins, desires, fears, angers, and disappointments as did the people then.  How quickly do we fail God in the same way they did?  How are we to find hope in the desert despite the poison of sin penetrating our own hearts?  If it were not for Jesus we could not and would not.  Thanks be to God that our salvation does not depend on us keeping it.  Yet, we must strive, learn and grow every day.  As we will see even Moses as an old man, failed to follow God’s command and faced the consequences.  Let us always be aware of our own frailties.

We left off last week just after the people had complained against God and were consumed by fire.  As noted in the verse from I Corinthians 10, not all pleased God.  Many did not trust God.  Then, they began to complain about the manna and wanted meat, but in their greed a plague came and killed many who had to be buried before they moved on to the next stop along the way to Hazeroth and then on to the wilderness of Paran.   There in the wilderness once more we see the weakness of Aaron’s faith. He had built the Golden calf and now he is the complainer. Although God had so used Aaron and Miriam; yet, they fail God in this point.  We too must always be aware of how quickly we can fall. 

NUMBERS 12:1-2,9-10

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman.  ² So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses?  Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it.  ⁹ So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed.  ¹⁰ And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper.

Aaron pleaded and Moses prayed.  However, God ordered that Miriam remain shut out of the camp seven days and then be restored. 

Finally, the Israeli tribes are all near to the promised land.  Spies are sent out to view the land. Despite everything God had faithfully brought them through the desert. Such an act of grace!  But wait, what happens then? 

Report of the Spies

²⁵ At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. ²⁶ And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. ²⁷ And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. ²⁸ However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. ²⁹ The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”  Numbers 13:25-29 (ESV).

Hope in The Desert Despite the Poison of Sin

Faith spoke loudly through Caleb.  God is with us.  Regardless of how difficult it may look, God has shown us His strength repeatedly. 

³⁰ But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” ³¹ Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” ³² So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. ³³ And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” Numbers 13:30-33 (ESV). 

Yet, the people listened to the negative report. Weeping hysterically all night, they grumbled against Moses and Aaron.

 “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or even if we had died in this wilderness!” Number 14:2 (NASB)

Sound familiar?  I mean how often do you and I do the same thing?  We forget all He has done. We only see the evil forces around us.  The world looks too hard and too scary.  When we take our eyes off of God, the poisons of sin infiltrate our minds and hearts pushing out the tiny bits of faith that were there to hold us.  We cannot see God when we fall into the wilderness mindset of fear.

Because of their sin, they are condemned to wander in the wilderness 40 years until that generation dies.

Intercessory Prayer of Hope in The Desert Despite the Poison of Sin

Once more, Moses prays in intercessory prayer for the people. 

 Then the Lord said: “I have pardoned, according to your word; ²¹ but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord— ²² because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, ²³ they certainly shall not see the land of which I  swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. ²⁴ But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.  Numbers 14: 20-24 (NKJV)

God then lays out the laws for when they do enter Canaan.  Again, a promise that it will happen! However, just not for those who rejected Him. In those laws he tells them to place a blue tassle on their robes to remind them of who GOD IS and to trust Him, humbly. What do you wear or hold dear to remind you?

 No sooner did He complete this, but a group of dissenters rose up in rebellion.  Korah who was a Levite, believed he and his people should be in a higher position. Therefore, a large number rose up against Moses and Aaron. 

The Poison of Sin Invades the People

God told Moses to step aside so God could destroy the congregation. 

²⁶ And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.” ²⁷ So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children.

²⁸ And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. ²⁹ If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. ³⁰ But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.”

³¹ Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, ³² and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. ³³ So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.   Numbers 16: (NKJV)

After that you would think things might have changed, however, not so much.

Numbers 16:41-46  (NKJV)

⁴¹ On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.” ⁴² Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. ⁴³ Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting.

⁴⁴ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁴⁵ “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”

And Moses and Aaron fell on their faces.

⁴⁶ So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make ^[g]atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun.” ⁴⁷ Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So, he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. ⁴⁸ And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped.

Once more a picture of Christ and the grace that saved a people like us so undeserving of grace. 

40 Years Later—a New Generation, Same poison of sin

Finally, they are marching forward toward the land and they once more come to Kadesh.  Remember the place where their ancestors complained of having no water?  Again we have the next generation with the same cry,

If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! ⁴ Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? ⁵ And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.”   Numbers 20: 4-5 (NKJV)

The first time, God had told Moses to strike the rock.  This time He tells Him to speak to the rock.  Moses instead strikes the rock and the water flows forth, but why was this so wrong? 

Remember, the verses of Paul?  The Rock was a symbol of Christ.  He was struck down for our sins and now all we must do to obtain the living water is to speak His name.

Why did Moses fail?  Perhaps all the years of bearing the weight of the grumbling, he had anger sitting just under neath the service and it boiled up suddenly.  I do that.  In fact, I did that this week unjustifiably.  We are never too old or too far into this walk, but that we might fail.  Thank God for His mercy and grace which covers it all and restores us in harmony with Him.

Moses could not go into the promised land.  At least not now.  But remember this, he stood on the mount of transfiguration with Jesus thousands of years later.  Grace provided him the way and grace is what carries us home as well. 

A Reminder for Hope in the Desert Despite the Poison of Sin

they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

⁵ But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

⁷ Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

⁸ Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

⁹ Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

¹⁰ Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

¹¹ Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

¹² Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

¹³ There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

                                                I Corinthians 10:4-13 NKJV

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Previously

7 Faith and Hope Lessons in The Desert with God

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

---

[1] New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com