Going to Macedonia – Day 5

That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."
Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them."

But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites. – Numbers 14: 1-10


I wouldn’t want Moses’ job. Anytime there was a problem, the whole nation talked about going back to Egyptian slavery. Even here, on the verge of entering the Promised Land, the people didn’t want to go because they were going to have to fight for it. These people would’ve settled for living in slavery or wandering in the desert instead of trusting God and moving forward. As silly as it seems, we do this all the time when we’re not willing to follow God in faith. Faith by its very nature is difficult. But when we choose to follow God instead of the status quo, we’ll find ourselves in the land flowing with milk and honey – not out in the cold.

Are there any areas of your life if which you don’t want to follow God in faith? What are they?

Are you complacently settling for the present instead of trusting God with the future?