Message

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WE WILL SWALLOW THEM UP

Numbers 13:1-14:25

Key Verse:14:9 “ 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.”

  Happy New Year! The year of 2011 has gone and the year of 2012 has now come. I believe all of us here have started the new year with new resolutions, a new mind, and new attitudes.  Some of us may have sad and difficult memories of the old year. However, as the Apostle Paul said, let us forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus and press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Php 3:13,14) I believe that God is going to work mightily this year in us and through us. I feel it, I sense it, and I believe it!  I believe that God also will bless each of us whatever we do and wherever we go. God will make all of us to be successful and fruitful. e wHe He will make the poor rich, the weak strong, and the dead alive. I feel it, I sense it, and I believe it! Therefore, let us have faith in God and expect great things from God and attempt great things for God. Amen.

  The first message for our new year starts with the book of Numbers. Today’s passage tells us about the exploration of the Promised Land, the explorers’ reports, and the people’s rebellion. We will study about Joshua and Caleb’s encouraging reports and their faith.

First, explore the land. (13:1-20). Look at verses 1,2. “The Lord said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.” After coming out from Egypt, the Israelites  arrived in the Desert of Paran, where they could see the Promised Land with their own eyes. God ordered Moses to choose one representative from each tribe and send them to explore the land. God wanted the Israelites to be prepared before they entered the Promised Land. The Promised Land would not be given to them as a grant, but would be conquered by faith. The Israelites were at hand for war. For the conquest war they should be prepared. Exploring the enemy’s camp is a basic step before a military operation.  Knowing our enemies and ourselves are very important to plan a strategy and to win a battle. So, there is a Chinese proverb, “If you know others and know yourself, you will win in a hundred battles …” God wanted his people to conquer the land by faith, but he did not want them to blindly attack their enemies without any strategy and tactics. Whatever we do, we need preparation, especially strategy and tactics for spiritual warfare in our times. (Ep 6:12)

Look at verse 3. “So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.” Their names are written in verses 4-15. There were among the twelve Caleb, the son of Jephunneh and Joshua, the son of Nun. When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he requested a very detailed report ; “See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many, what kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (18-20) Why did Moses request such an detailed report from them? It was because he wanted to know what the Promised Land looked like so that his people might have a vision to possess of it. Like a documentary movie of the land, their report should be visionary and practical.

  Explore our mission field! We believe that God has given all the campuses in St. Louis area as our promised land. We can certainly enter them and conquer them by faith. However, God wants us to be prepared before we enter them. We need to explore our mission fields. How much do you know about your mission field? How much do you have information about students, schools, and about yourself? Statistically speaking, more than a half of registered students at Wash U are Jewish. More than 90 % of them are from other states whereas more than 85 % of students in SLU and UMSL are from St. Louis area. Their families’ religious background, financial situations, and social positions are very diverse.  In order to reach out and preach the word to them, we need preparation. The Apostle Paul said, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season…” (2Tim 4:2).

How can we be prepared?  Bible study materials are a basic requirement. That is not all. We need more preparation. We need prayer. Through prayer we learn how to depend on God and to be led by the Holy Spirit. After Jesus ascending to heaven, his disciples gathered together and prayed. When they prayed, they received the Holy Spirit. Then they spread out and preached the word.  After receiving a world mission command from Jesus, what did our UBF ancestors do? Whenever they gathered, they prayed. Before they went on a campus, they prayed. Through prayer, they received power. Through prayer, they saw God’s vision. Through prayer, they maintained courage.

When we are prepared by prayer, we have spiritual eyes to see students and campuses properly. The Holy Spirit enables us to know what students really need, what they are struggling with, and how we can serve them with proper words from God. The Holy Spirit also shows us a vision when we pray. When Dr. Samuel Lee prayed for Bible Russia, he saw a vision from God. When Msn. Isaiah Lim prayed for Bible Wash U, God showed him a vision to teach three students. Msn. Mary Choi and my daughter Grace visit the Wash U campus every Sunday to pray so that Grace may have a vision to enter Wash U. as a shepherd in the future.

  We have started a new year with great expectation and new resolution. In order to experience God’s blessing and to succeed in our resolution, we have to pray. We need the Holy Spirit to succeed with our resolution. We need to see God’s vision to persevere until we conquer the promised land. May God help us to pray and see God’s vision through the work of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Second, we can certainly do it. (21-33)  The twelve men went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin to the Valley of Eshcol.  Exploring the land by traveling 250 miles took forty days. At the Valley of Eshcol, they cut cluster of grapes along with pomegranates and figs and brought them to Moses. (24-26) While Moses, Aaron, and the whole Israelites community gathered together, they gave them a report. What was their report?  Look at verse 27,28. “They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” Their report brought their people good news and bad news. The good news was that the land was exceedingly good, but the bad news was that they were too weak to take possession of it.  To their eyes, their enemies were too large, too many, and too strong to drive them out. Their report was very negative and discouraging.

  However, Caleb’s report was totally different. Look at verse 30. “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” Here the words ‘silence the people’ mean that Caleb shut the unbelievers’ mouths. Caleb’s report was very positive and encouraging. “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” He didn’t say, ‘perhaps we can do it’, or ‘we can possibly do it’, but he said, ‘we can certainly do it.’ What made Caleb’s report different from others? How could Caleb have such faith and courage? It was because Caleb saw the Promised Land with the eyes of faith. With what kind of eyes you see things will determine your future. When you see the world with blue-tinted eye glasses, the whole world looks blue. When you see it with red-tinted glasses, the world looks red. In the same way, when the ten explorers saw the Promised Land with the eyes of unbelief, all things were impossible. Their enemies were huge, numerous, and strong compared to them. The fortresses were too tall, invincible and unbreakable to their unbelieving eyes. Their thinking became negative and their hearts were filled with fear and anxiety.

  However, Caleb saw the Promised Land with the eyes of faith. When he saw it with the eyes of faith, all things were possible. So he said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” When a shepherd David saw Goliath, the 9 foot tall giant, with the eyes of faith, Goliath looked like a mad dog. When Jesus saw a Samaritan woman with the eyes of faith, she was a lost sheep who needed a shepherd. When Jesus saw her with the eyes of faith, his heart was filled with compassion and love. When Jesus saw the woman’s change, all the townspeople in Samaria looked ripe for harvest. (Jn 4:35) We have to change our spectacles. I mean that we should put off the eye glasses of unbelief and put on new ones of belief. We have to see all things with the eyes of faith and with the eyes of God. Then all things are possible.

  After Jesus came down from the transfiguration mountain, he met a father whose son was possessed by evil spirits. The father asked Jesus, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” What did Jesus answer him, “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes.” (Mk 9:23) When we believe, everything is possible with us. This year we must repent of our unbelief and go up to our mission field by faith. God wants us to see all things with the eyes of faith. We will take possession of it, for we can certainly do it. Amen.

Third, we will swallow them up. (13:31-14:25) Negative thinking and unbelieving words are very destructive by spreading complaining spirits. They plant unbelief into other’s hearts. It is better to keep quiet or pray behind the scenes than spread out poisons among the community. The ten unbelieving explorers were like these. Look at verses 31-33. They insisted their own negative ideas about the land. Even they compared their enemies to giants and themselves to grasshoppers. Not only did they report it, but also they spread out their negative report among the Israelites. The consequence of their poison was enormously fatal. 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 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.” (14:1-4) Wow! The explorers’ bad report raised great rebellion and turmoil among the Israelites. Here we learn the significance and power of negative thoughts and unbelieving words. Bad news spreads faster and wider than good news. Look at the internet. This world is filled with all kinds of bad news and discouraging reports. We should be very careful of what we think and of what we say. Knowingly and unknowingly, our negative thoughts and unbelieving words influence others and ourselves. They destroy the unity of the body of Christ. Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

  One Japanese scientist discovered the impact and the response of water toward good words and bad words. For example, when we bless water, the molecules of water form good shapes in order. However, when we curse the water, the molecules of water are broken into bad shapes. 60 % of our bodies are composed of water. Imagine the impact of our words on ourselves and on others. Therefore, we should always say positive, encouraging, and good words to others and to ourselves. Bless others, and you will be blessed. Praise the Lord and give thanks to Him all the time, and you will be pleased with God and you will live long. Negative thoughts and unbelieving words are poison that kill ourselves and others and destroy the vessel of unity. Positive thoughts and encouraging messages save lives and build up unity. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Therefore, this year we should change the way of our thinking and the way of our talk from negative to positive, from unbelieving to believing, from complaining to thanksgiving.

  What was the response of Moses and Aaron to the rebellious people? Look at verse 5. “Then Moses and Aaron fell faced down in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there.”  Moses and Aaron pleaded for their reconsideration. However, Joshua and Caleb challenged the entire Israelite assembly saying, “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.” (7-9) Joshua and Caleb said that they would swallow up their enemies. The words, “We will swallow them up,” means “They are our food.”  How could they say so? They could say so because they had absolute faith in God’s promise. Our God is faithful and he keeps his promises. Joshua and Caleb believed that God had promised to give the land to Abraham and his descendants.(Ge 13:15, 15:18,19;26:3;28:4)  Joshua and Caleb believed that God would keep his promise, and that finally the time had come. They believed that the Lord God would lead his people into the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. They also believed that God would be with them. The Apostle Paul said, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Ro 8:31)

  We should have an absolute faith in God’s promise. We also should believe that God will be with us until he keeps his promise. Jesus promised eternal life for us. In John 3:16 Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Jesus also promised us that when we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, he will provide all things necessary. (Mt 6:33). Above all, Jesus promised to be with us to the very end of the age as we go and make disciples of all nations. (Mt 28:19,20)  Jesus wants us to believe all these promises, not even missing one.

  The words “We will swallow them up.” has the same meaning as “Your kingdom come.” When we see people with the eyes of faith, many of them are eaten up by Satan. They suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, and all kinds of elements of death. We must pray that God’s kingdom may come into their hearts. We pray that God may be their King and that they become his people. When God’s kingdom comes into their hearts, the dead will be raised, the oppressed will be released, and the sick will be healed. When God’s kingdom comes into their hearts through the gospel of Jesus Christ, they will enter the Promised Land, the kingdom of heaven, together with us. Therefore, this year we should pray all the more that God’s kingdom will come into the hearts of young people on each campus in St. Louis. Amen.

  Verses 10-25 tell us about the curse on unbelief and the blessing on faith. In verses 10-12, God promised to punish those who complained and rebelled against God and against his chosen servants. On the other hand, God promised to bless Caleb who had a different spirit and followed God whole-heartedly. (24)

 In today’s passage, we remember these words, “Explore the land”, “We can certainly do it,” and “We will swallow them up.” In order to inherit God’s promised land, we must see all things with the eyes of faith. Also, we should always think positively and say faithful and encouraging words. Above all, we must believe in God’s promise and fight a good fight until God’s kingdom comes. May God bless America to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation and raise 12 disciples of Jesus including one Abraham and Sarah of faith from each campus. Amen.

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