Give Me The Hill CountrySample

The people of Israel have sinned and Moses pleads for mercy. As usual, the people deserve a harsh punishment and God shows them grace. Yet the punishment is severe. None of the people, out of hundreds of thousands, will make it to the land they have been yearning for.So, it’s harsh. True.Lest we think it is too harsh, though, consider what they have done. They have mocked the all-powerful God of the universe who just finished rescuing them from slavery. They have chosen to do what is best in their own eyes, which is to live in total fear and mistrust. They have threatened to kill the only two faithful men in the camp who were simply trying to motivate them toward greatness.

What the people deserve here is death, not removal of blessing. Removal of blessing means we don’t get to see the full fruition of what God intended to bring to our lives. That is certainly sad, but it is far preferable to the fate we actually deserve. God is quick to forgive when people repent. Praise His name for that. But we can’t operate as though we have the right to demand things from Him or feel unduly put out because He removes blessing from our lives. It is a loving gift from a Heavenly Father who cares for us to be disciplined. As for Caleb, it comes full circle for him. He proved himself in the danger-wracked crucible of faithful service with a willingness to trust the Lord no matter what, and now he gets to hear his reward pronounced in front of the assembly. He alone among the multitude was possessed of a “different spirit.” He and Joshua will go on to inhabit the land, and they will be the only two of their generation.When it comes our time to be tested, may we be found worthy of it by having hearts locked in to our King, awaiting His orders.