When
it comes to obeying God, timing can mean everything. When the people hear the
judgment against them, they decide to try to fix it.
After
pronouncing judgment upon the faithless congregation, the LORD tells them in
verse 25:
“To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of
the Red sea.”
Does
the congregation obey? No.
40 And they rose up early in the
morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place
which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.
The
Hebrew uses two words for rising up early in the morning/break-of-day/first
light. I can picture them trying to sneak out at first light without Moses’
knowledge.
King
Saul lost a kingdom for his own disobedience (I Samuel 15). He had very
specific instructions to utterly destroy everything when they fought the
Amalekites. He and the people, however, only destroyed the vile and refuse
while they kept the best. When confronted, Saul said to the prophet Samuel that
they kept the best for sacrifices. Read the chapter and let it sink in. (At my
present rate of writing this blog, it may be a few years before I get to that
chapter.)
Moses
finds out what the Israelites are about to do.
41 And Moses said, Wherefore now
do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper. 42
Go not up, for the LORD is not among
you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies. 43 For the Amalekites
and the Canaanites are there before
you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD,
therefore the LORD will not be with you.
What
was the Israelites’ last instruction? To go to the wilderness by the Red Sea.
Here’s my point: when something is God’s will on one day but you don’t do it,
don’t assume God wants you to do it the next day, especially if it involves war
and/or people’s lives.
Initially,
the people were afraid and angry enough to kill their own leaders. When they
hear that they will all be dead in 40 years, rotting in the wilderness,
suddenly they are all sorry. But are they really
sorry? Not sorry enough to listen to God’s new instruction. They foolishly
plunge into war.
44
But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the
covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp. 45 Then
the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and
smote [hkn nakah]
them, and discomfited [ttk kathath] them,
even unto Hormah.
Nakah means to strike, smite, hit, beat,
slay, kill, slaughter. Kathath means
to beat, crush by beating, crush to pieces, crush fine. They were soundly
defeated and probably many died.
There
is a strong impulse to try to “fix” things when we screw up, or at least there
should be. But I really wonder about the motivation of the congregation. It
seems that fear of punishment, not desire to obey God, drove them to
foolishness.
I
count at least ten times the Israelites could have chosen a better outcome. This
is in the span of a day or two. In our 20:20 hindsight, we can see the choices.
|
Verse
|
Choice
|
Better Choice
|
|
13:31
|
Listen to fear
|
Listen to faith
|
|
14:1
|
Pity party
|
Pray for direction
|
|
14:2
|
Murmur against Moses, Aaron
|
Pray for them
|
|
14:3
|
Ask for death (they do end up dying!)
|
Grow up, get a grip
|
|
14:4
|
Falsely accuse God of evil intent
|
Remember His goodness
|
|
14:5
|
General foolish talk
|
Trust God’s man (Moses)
|
|
14:10
|
Threaten to stone the four
|
Not act in anger
|
|
14:39
|
Mourn greatly
|
Repent
|
|
14:40
|
Disobey the next direction
|
Go where God said
|
|
14:44
|
Ignored Moses’ warning
|
Listen to Moses
|
How
do we benefit from this 20:20 hindsight? When I screw up, I need to be prepared
to face the consequences like a grownup. If my only reason for obedience is to
avoid punishment, I am acting as a child instead of a mature believer. Ouch!
Selah.
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