The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?” Numbers 14:11
How long is a question asked throughout the Old Testament. It is found in the New Testament, as well, but only a smattering of times. Yet in the Hebrew Bible, we see it dozens of times, the majority of which are found in the Psalms. Most of the twenty occurrences of “how long” in the Psalms feature the people of God crying out to God. A great example is David’s cry in Psalm 13:1, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” It is noteworthy, then, that the “how long” we find in Numbers 14:11, is a question that God asks of Moses. In fact, the majority of the occurrences of “how long” in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, come from the Lord’s lips. It is what God asks of Pharaoh, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me” (Ex. 10:3). It is God speaking to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands?” (Ex. 16:28). But there is no single chapter in the Pentateuch, nor even in the entire Old Testament, save one psalm, where we find this question posed as many times as it is posed in Numbers 14. In Numbers 14:27 God asks, “How long will this wicked community grumble against me?” But it is in the verse above, verse 11, where God asks this question twice, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?” So, what is it that moves God to ask this question? It is what we read in verse 1, “That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.” Any why did they weep aloud? Because when ten of the twelve men sent as scouts to explore the promised land reported that the people they saw there were too strong for Israel to conquer, God’s people trusted those men rather than the God who had led them out of captivity in Egypt. We must remember that there were two scouts, Joshua and Caleb, who came back with a far different conclusion than the rest of them. As Caleb says in verse 8, “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.” How did the people of Israel respond to this report? By wanting to stone these Godly men. It is at this juncture that God’s glory appeared before the Tent of Meeting and God asked the question, “how long?” I’m guessing that Joshua and Caleb were appreciative of God’s timely interruption as the people made plans for a stoning! It’s easy to read this story, today, and shake my head at those disbelieving Israelites and say, “If I had been there, I would have sided with Caleb and Joshua! I would have trusted in God!” But is that what I would have done? I’m not so sure. How many times have I come face to face with a trial and neglected to turn to God in faith? How many times have I let myself be overwhelmed with anxiety rather than embracing the peace that passes understanding? How often do I allow myself to be worn out by worry over the relatively small obstacles I deal with on a daily basis? How often am I a complainer? And does God ever ask, “How long will Dan treat me with contempt? How long will Dan refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed before him?” It’s true! I have seen God’s miraculous intervention in my personal life more times than I can count. From my youth I have witnessed His hand of providence. And as a member of Christ’s church, time and again, I have seen God “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). So, why is it that I struggle to trust God even in the face of the small obstacles of life? As I read through the Pentateuch, there is much that is difficult for me to relate to: the tedious descriptions of the construction and furnishings of the tabernacle; the countless minute laws surrounding everything from infectious skin diseases to mildew; the repetition, twelve times over, of each element of the offerings brought to God for the dedication of the Tabernacle. I do understand why these things are recorded in Scripture—to remind the people of Israel that they serve a holy God and that they are to be holy, morally pure, and separated, from the nations around them. Yet, it is Israel’s disbelief to which I most readily relate! There’s a reason why Israel’s failure to believe is recorded for us in Scripture. In it God provides an example for us NOT to follow. And in God’s faithfulness to Israel, despite their doubts, we are reminded that the God we serve is faithful, merciful, and trustworthy. May we learn from Israel’s lack of trust, may we be encouraged by God’s faithfulness, and may we model ourselves after the likes of Caleb and Joshua who looked to the Lord to provide. In the face of trials, big or small, let us not give in to fear or complaining, but let us say, with confidence, “The LORD is with us” (14:9).
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Dan GannonDan has ministered at Renton Bible Church, with his wife Debbie, since 2003. Archives
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