July 18, 2024

Numbers 14:26-38  (HCSB)
26 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long must I endure this evil community that keeps complaining about Me? I have heard the Israelites’ complaints that they make against Me. 28 Tell them: As surely as I live,” this is the Lord’s declaration, “I will do to you exactly as I heard you say. 29 Your corpses will fall in this wilderness—all of you who were registered in the census, the entire number of you 20 years old or more—because you have complained about Me. 30 I swear that none of you will enter the land I promised to settle you in, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 I will bring your children whom you said would become plunder into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it. 32 But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for 40 years and bear the penalty for your acts of unfaithfulness until all your corpses lie scattered in the wilderness. 34 You will bear the consequences of your sins 40 years based on the number of the 40 days that you scouted the land, a year for each day. You will know My displeasure. 35 I, Yahweh, have spoken. I swear that I will do this to the entire evil community that has conspired against Me. They will come to an end in the wilderness, and there they will die.” 36 So the men Moses sent to scout out the land, and who returned and incited the entire community to complain about him by spreading a negative report about the land— 37 those men who spread the negative report about the land were struck down by the Lord. 38 Only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to scout out the land.

Jenny Morton
God is faithful but also just. It's sobering to realize that God demanded swift justice for the 10 spies who incited chaos and rejection. Remember that these were the leaders from their tribes of Israel. God holds leaders to a higher standard. I've heard it said "If the leadership languishes, the congregation crumbles" It happens today in a lot of churches. Our leaders do need to strive to be above approach, but they are human just like us. Remember, faith and obedience belong to God. Leaders will fail you. God never will. It's also sobering to see the next generation punished for the "sins of their fathers". It just doesn't seem fair. But don't all of our actions/decisions have consequences for our children? It's easy to look back and see how the decisions our parents and grandparents made have positively or negatively impacted our lives. It's the ripple effect. One drop of water effects a whole pond. Be conscious today of how your ripples effect others and how theirs effect you. Ask God to help you to be a light to others and then trust that He will.