To recap, in Num 13, 12 spies were sent into Canaan to assess the land – 10 spies basically said it was impossible to inhabit the land, even with God’s help (the last part was implied, not explicit). Only 2 spies, Joshua and Caleb, said they could take the land (of course with God’s help, not on their own strength). Since the people listened to the 10 and not the 2, God was angered and punished them with 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, and promised not one who witnessed His acts to this point would live to see the promised land (except Joshua and Caleb) (see Num 14:20-38). Here we pickup on the other side of that promise, with a census near the end of Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness.
“After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest, ‘Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war.’ This was the list of the people of Israel, 601,730. These were those listed by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who listed the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. But among these there was not one of those listed by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had listed the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had said of them, ‘They shall die in the wilderness.’ Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.” (v1-2,51,63-65)
An interesting note here, the first census (Num 1) listed 603,550 men of age who could go to war. Now, nearly 40 years later, all but two of those men are dead, and their numbers are 601,730 – that’s a pretty consistent number, so the nation of Israel is maintaining it’s population right around the 2.4 million mark. God is doing a great job of looking after His people, despite the fact many of the people did not keep their promises to God.
Remember all of those horrible events that have happened to Israel over the last dozen chapters? Examples include: some defeats in battle, Korah’s rebellion, a couple of other rebellions, the plague of snakes, and the plague following the Baal worship? All of those events, where thousands of Israelites died, were all allowed by God so that His promise (none but 2 would live to see Canaan) would be fulfilled. God wasn’t being harsh, vindictive, or merciless, He was simply keeping His word. All 603,550 of those people dying was a consequence of their disobedience to God.
Today I am reminded that God always keeps His word – no exceptions. Though He is willing to change His mind based on our obedience/disobedience, He will not break a covenant (an agreement where both parties have conditions based on keeping commitments). We humans on the other hand, seem to break agreements at the drop of a hat (when our favorite hat is ruined) or a change in the wind direction (when the wind is in our faces). What I mean is, we seem to keep our word when favorable, and we seem break our word when favorable – that is the way of the world.
My desire today is to apologize for broken promises, take ownership of my failings, and going forward only make commitments I will keep. Is that easy? By no means. Is that “normal”? Not by worldly standards, but it is normal by heavenly standards. I challenge us to be people of our word, because we serve a God of His word. Let’s show this world that God and God’s people can be trusted, are honorable, and are full of integrity.
Father God, Most Trusted One, we honor You today. We confess our many faults and failings, that we have not always honored You in our conduct. Father God please forgive us our sin, and please teach us to have integrity. Father we long to be Your image bearers, which includes being Christlike in our behavior. May we become people of honor and integrity, keeping our covenants with You and with others. Jesus, please help us to do this. Amen.
~ Conqueror in Training