An interesting ‘window’ on faith is found in Numbers 13. Moses and the whole of Israel had halted on the borders of the Promised Land after their arduous journey. There they were, within sight of their goal, the fulfilment of all God’s promises within their grasp. Surely this was all that they could ask for, the ultimate reward for the sufferings which they had endured both in the last days in Egypt and in the travelling. This was the reason why God had performed all the outstanding miracles both in Egypt and in the crossing of the Red Sea, in order to give them deliverance and to fulfil His promise to give them this land.
But still one thing had to happen before they could appropriate all the blessings of God, which had been so clearly promised and prophesied, this was their ‘Iron Curtain’, the final barrier. One final step and all that they had longed and prayed for would be theirs. One step and the veil that covered their eyes would be lifted and they would see one of the most beautiful and dramatic things that man has ever seen (and few are allowed to actually see this), the REASON why God works great and powerful miracles! His purpose NOW revealed! After all Abraham only acted in faith, he never saw the fulfilment.
But this one final step was not taken! – It was to demand a faith beyond their ability! How often are believers today within sight of everything that they are desiring, often with earnest prayer and with the clear knowledge that God HAS promised... yet that final step is not taken, they don’t go in and possess the land. It occurs in the realms of healing, finance, evangelism and missions, possibly even revival, certainly in most areas of our lives and especially our service for God.
Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, knew their God and had an implicit faith in Him. They knew that God cannot fail, that what He says He does. They were willing to take that vital step over into the promises BY ACTING IN FAITH.
Believer YOU are so near to the fulfilment in your own life! Why look at the problems which make the fulfilment impossible? Look at Him and then go in and claim the land!
Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’
But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.’ And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, ‘The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.
That night all the members 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 wilderness! 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 face down 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 devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.’ (Numbers 13.30-33; 14.1-9, NIV)
In Numbers 14 we see Moses’ power with God. Probably one of the greatest dialogues ever recorded between man and God is this one commencing with verse 11, where God speaks very directly to Moses complaining of the lack of response and the disobedience of Israel. Their lack of faith prompts God to say, ‘How long will they not believe Me, despite all the signs which I have worked amongst them?’ As a result, He threatens to destroy the whole nation. But in verse 13, in one of the most amazing scenes in Scripture, Moses dares to argue with God! He says, ‘If you do so, then the Egyptians will hear and tell the other nations, all of whom have heard and seen the miraculous deliverance and mighty signs which You have worked in their midst. They will not blame Israel for their lack of faith and disobedience, but will blame You, saying that You did not have the power to deliver them.’ Then Moses demonstrates the power which he has with God as intercessor saying, ‘Pardon the iniquity of this people!’
God answers, ‘I have pardoned, according to YOUR word,’ verse 20. Moses ‘made it happen’! Do you see what the intercessor has done? Moses as the intercessor has challenged God so that instead of turning His back on His people because of their weakness, because of their sin, because of their failure to evangelise and their failure to win the world, God says, ‘Because of the intercessor I will renew My Covenant, I will renew My Power, I will renew My Glory. I will send the Power of My Spirit on them, backslidden as they are, fallible as they are – because you have stood before Me!’
Then God says in verse 21, in confirmation of the further power of the intercessor (especially when compared with Elijah who called down God’s fire in 1 Kings 18), ‘All the earth shall be filled with the GLORY of the Lord!’ This Glory is the FIRE which surrounds God, and it will fill ALL the earth.