Don’t assume that God thinks the same way you do. Don’t presume (def.- take for granted) what He wants, what He likes.
Married men ought to understand this. Never presume your wife wants a new golf club just because you think it’s a “must buy.” Men find out early in their marriage experience not to presume her wants and wishes. Not that God is a woman, but men found out early in Old Testament history not to presume God’s wants and wishes.
The Story of Israel Spying Out the Land of Canaan
In Numbers 13-14 there is the narrative of the Israelites spying out the land of Canaan during their wilderness wanderings. God had brought them powerfully out of the clutches of Pharoah, fed them with miraculous bread from heaven (Exodus 16), and quenched their thirst with miraculous water from a rock (Exodus 17). By Numbers 13, God has transported them to the edge of the promised land with the assurance: “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel…” (v. 1). God told Moses what He wanted. He made His mind known. There was no need to presume God’s wants and wishes.
Unfortunately, 10 of the 12 spies/leaders of the tribes of Israel came back with faithless reports about how giant, fortified, and impenetrable the peoples and cities of the Canaanites were. And just as everyone who watches the news feels worse and more fearful afterward, the whole camp of the Israelites felt terrified after listening to the faithless reports of these 10 men. The two courageous men (Caleb & Joshua) that tried to inspire the people with faith in God’s power to overcome the enemy were subjected to stoning (Numbers 14:6-10).
Spoiler alert: Caleb and Joshua weren’t stoned. Moses intervened to save them. Afterward, God told Moses that He would not allow the current, faithless generation led by the 10 faithless spies to conquer the promised land. By the mediation of Moses, God’s wrath was quelled, and instead of completely consuming the people, God declared that the current generation would wander for 40 years in the wilderness until they all died and had given way to a new, faith-filled generation.
When Moses went back to inform the Israelites, they turned on the water-works (Numbers 14:39). To be fair, it seems as though they really were remorseful and repentant. But that didn’t change God’s mind as far as entering Canaan. God meant what He said, “You’re not going to see a single sunrise in Canaan.” So, what did this impossible people do? They really didn’t do anything different than what many people do today that wear the name of God.
They presumed (took for granted) that since God had previously wanted them to attack the Canaanites and promised them victory, surely God would be pleased if they dried their eyes, mustered up their courage, and did what God had asked them to do … yesterday.
Diagnosing the Problem
Here’s the problem. God changes His mind. Just because God wanted something yesterday doesn’t mean God wants that thing today. In Numbers 13-14, we are talking about God’s mind changing dramatically in just a matter of a day. The people’s attitude had changed dramatically as well. They were all the sudden bitten by the courage bug and ready to whoop some Canaanite heinie. But God had already changed His mind; He let the people know through Moses, “Now why do you transgress the command of the Lord? For this will not succeed” (v. 41). Yet, the people still reasoned, “Surely God would be pleased with this! God wanted this yesterday; why wouldn’t He want it today!” The people were convinced they knew what God really wanted. It didn’t matter that God had revealed through Moses, “Don’t go!” The plan made too much sense to the people. So, they picked up their swords and went to “glorify God.”
“Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah” (Numbers 14:45).
What Do We Learn from All This?
Hopefully we do learn from this. There are two things I want you to really understand from this story which was written for our learning.
1) Just because God wanted something yesterday doesn’t mean He wants it today.
More specifically, just because God was pleased with something under the Old Covenant 2,000+ years ago doesn’t mean God is pleased with it today under the New Covenant. God’s mind changed in one day in Numbers 13-14. At the beginning of Numbers 13, God wanted Israel to spy out and subsequently invade Canaan. By then end of chapter 14 He expressly warns against this. God’s mind can certainly change if you give it 2,000 years. And scripture indicates it has (Hebrews 8:7-13). It is because God’s mind changed about Old Testament customs that Paul told the Colossians, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (2:16-17). Don’t go to the Old Testament for authority on New Testament protocol is what I’m ultimately driving at. God’s will for Christians and the church today is found in the New Testament scriptures. Just because God wanted burnt sacrifice then doesn’t mean He wants that now. Just because He wanted His people to keep the Sabbath then doesn’t mean He wants that now, etc.
2) Do not presume just because you like something that God must like it too.
The people were absolutely convinced that God would actually be pleased by their last hour decision to attack the Canaanites. It made them feel good and redeemable to do what they should have done in the first place; surely God would be pleased with their courageous effort even if it was a little late! So they thought. But God made them think twice. And God was not to blame. He said through Moses, “I don’t want this anymore. My mind has changed” (Numbers 14:41-43). But they did it anyway. We see this same mindset today in Christianity, especially when it comes to worship, church organization, and ministry roles. We get progressive and think God must be getting progressive too. Surely God wants women in pastoral roles too. Surely God wants performance worship too. Surely God wants rock bands too. After all, He wanted rock bands in the Old Testament. Does this sound like Numbers 13-14 to you?
3) Sincerity doesn’t trump faithfulness.
The people “mourned greatly” when they learned about God’s punishment for their lack of faith (Numbers 14:39). They really meant it when they said, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we have sinned!” (v. 40). And don’t think it didn’t take real courage to then attack the Canaanites who really were head and shoulders taller. They were sincere as all-get-out … and God let them die. God let them die justly. He told them. He warned them. And they did it anyway: sincerely of course. Think about this the next time in your private Christian living or as a church body you decide on something on the basis of sincerity, pragmatism, acting for the glory of God … when it’s something God either didn’t ask for or He said in New Testament scripture already, “I don’t want this.” Sincerity doesn’t trump faithfulness to the word of God.
