Psalms 105 and 106 narrate the journey of the children of Israel: from the promise that God made to Abraham, the provision for food made through Joseph’s enslavement in Egypt, their favour in Egypt, their deliverance from an oppressive Pharaoh, their journey to Canaan and how they discharged themselves on reaching that land.
In spite of all the great works of deliverance that God performed for His people, they always found themselves wandering away from Him and disobeying His Word. Yet each time, God demonstrated His love and mercy towards them, and forgave them their wanderings. How like Israel I am! Out rightly stubborn or forgetting God’s leading in the past and choosing to disobey his Word and following after ‘strange gods’. Many times, a lot of us panic and start looking for ‘strange solutions’ to the challenges we meet in life. We do well to remember how the Lord has led us in the past. That should fortify us to know that He has a way out for us, no matter how dismal things may seem right then.
Many times God wanted to destroy the Israelites and start all over building a new chosen nation with Moses, but Moses stood in the gap and pleaded for God to remember His covenant with Abraham. God listened to Moses because He and Moses had such a special relationship that garnered favour for Moses. The lesson for us here is that: if I am upfront with God, trust Him explicitly and do His will unquestioningly like Moses did, I become His friend and can stand in the gap of intercessory prayer for my husband, children, community, church and country etc. God can spare His judgement on them through my obedience and intercession.
By forgetting the Lord’s promises, the Children of Israel missed the opportunity to enter the Promised Land within a few weeks of leaving Egypt. They doubted God’s Word and became afraid. The result was a forty year journey that eliminated the unbelieving generation, leaving only Joshua and Caleb from the original group to cross the Jordan to the other side (Joshua 4 v 6; Numbers 32 v 11-13). Even though these two faithful men eventually entered the Promised Land, it was still 40 years later. The lack of faith and disobedience of their fellow travellers caused Joshua and Caleb to be delayed in receiving the Blessing of their obedience. Lack of faith and disobedience can delay my attaining the ultimate perfection that God wants to work for me. Not only does it affect me but it also affects those who are with me who have obeyed God. For me ‘to get the lesson’, those travelling with me are also negatively affected.
What really shocks me though is God’s reaction to Moses’ one mistake. Instead of speaking to the Rock to bring forth water, after declaring to the people that ‘he and Aaron’ were now forced to ‘fetch water for the noisy, complaining, stubborn people out of the rock’, Moses smote the rock, not once but twice (Numbers 20 v 7-11). Immediately God passed judgement on Moses (Numbers 20 v 12). For his disobedience, he too would not cross the Jordan but could only view the Land from the top of the mountain before he died (Numbers 27 v 12-14; Deuteronomy 32 v 48-52). What a price to pay for a single mistake. The lesson for us is that no matter how much we think we are justified in our acts of disobedience, it is displeasing to God and will have its consequences, no matter how transitory the consequences may be. God in His infinite love towards us has a way of bringing beautiful outcomes from our mess (Romans 8:28). Moses, though he did not step on the land of Canaan, God resurrected him and took him up to heaven (Jude v 9). There is no justification or rationalisation about sin. Provocation is no reason to disobey god’s word. God demands total obedience of us.
What a ‘stiff-necked’ person I am Lord. Just like the children of Israel, I doubt Your promises and miss out on the fullness of joy that You have prepared for me. Like them I forget the testimony of what You have done for me in the past and look to ‘strange gods to deliver me’ in times of trouble. Like Moses I feel justified to react in anger to ‘provocations’ from my fellow man and disobey You. Psalm 106: 43-45 gives me hope that You are a forgiving God, who does not forget His promises but remembers them and repents of the destruction determined for me when I come to you in repentance. Instead of treating me according to my transgressions (Psalm 103:9, 10), You extend mercy and grace to me and hear me when I cry and You forgive my sins and impart on me Your righteousness. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. AMEN
You can share with me how you have experienced God's judgement and mercy in your Christian walk. E mail me on nomusamadlala@gmail.com or leave a comment
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