The last time my Bible reading plan led me through the book of Numbers, I was greatly encouraged by the many types of Christ: the red heifer, the bronze serpent, and the rock that was struck (Numbers 19:2-10, 20:10-13, 21:4-9). Not to mention all the types and shadows in the ceremonial law. Nevertheless, God’s point in these becomes very clear: salvation is not within us.
But I was also struck by the behavior of the men. They had experienced the mighty power and amazing redemptive deeds of God through the plagues and crossing of the Red Sea. They had “seen some things,” as the kids say. God had given them the law through his mediator, Moses, and now they were to go in and take possession of the Promised Land. But before they entered into the Land the Lord told Moses to send some men to spy it out.
After a forty day scouting tour, ten of the twelve came back with a sad report. The land was nice, just as God had said, but it was fortified and inhabited with big, strong people. Joshua and Caleb stood upon God’s promises but couldn’t sway the group to take the land that was rightfully theirs. The retreat of the ten men led the whole congregation into rebellion as they cried out: “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!”… “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt”(Numbers 14:1-4)
Men, there is some wide-ranging instruction here for us.
Don’t turn back in your fight against sin
Sure, we aren’t Joshua, Caleb or the other ten, but we are men with a nature just like theirs and "whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope”(Romans 15:4). Think back to their situation; they had a promise from God and a command, but they let the circumstances cloud the truth and they turned back. Isn’t this quite like our lives and tendencies?
We have the promise that if we are united to Christ by faith then “we know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (Romans 6:6). Paul tells us that “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). We know that God will equip us “with everything good that we may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 13:21).
Of course, this doesn’t mean that we will achieve sinless perfection, but we do have fuel for the fight and promises to which we tightly cling. We know we are to persevere in this fight as the Lord preserves us. It is easy to get fixated on our struggles, illicit desires, and the fight itself all the while forgetting the promises and commands of God. Men, don’t turn back!
Don’t turn back in your proclamation of the gospel
Sometimes we look out and survey the terrain and think to ourselves: “they are too far gone”, “they are smarter than me”, “I don’t have all the answers.” Sure, gospel proclamation and discipling within our own families is a tall task before we mix in a neighbor or two, but we can’t let that stop us from doing what we’ve been called to do. We must remember that Jesus has “all authority in heaven and on earth” and he has promised that in our disciple making he is “with you always, to the end of the age”(Matthew 28:18-20).
When we focus on the world’s arguments we tend to forget that “in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe”(1 Corinthians 1:21). If you are a pastor and you are discouraged and tempted to use other means to win the people, remember that “our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6). We can trust God to use his means to accomplish his ends! He has promised and it will be so!
Jesus did not turn back
The Lord has placed us, as men, to lead in the family, the church, and the civil sphere. We must lead in both word and deed. Often we fail to carry out our responsibilities and we need to remember our Lord Jesus who never turned back.
“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem”(Luke 9:51). Jesus had all sorts of trials and tribulations in his earthly ministry that would have stopped the strongest of men in their tracks, but he continues on. He not only continues, but stares death and the Father’s wrath in the face. This is an amazing reality because he did all of this, he stayed the course, for the glory of God and the redemption of sinners. Sinners like you and me.
See, we can continue on, though we have failed, because Christ continued on with his mission. He lived, died, rose again, ascended on high, and took his seat at the right hand of the Father. From there, he continues to intercede for us. All of our sin has been removed as far as the east is from the west because of the finished work of Jesus that is received by faith alone. The penalty and power of sin have been dealt with by our faithful Savior. So, let us not lose heart as we survey the wilderness, with all its inhabitants and treacherous terrain(our sin and trials), because we will be tempted to turn back. We must simultaneously survey the wondrous cross of Jesus and press on knowing that “all the promises of God find their Yes in him”(2 Corinthians 1:20).