Pending Promises
Have you ever read Deuteronomy and wondered why the Lord allowed the destruction of the older generation of the Israelites to last 40 years? In one moment, God swallowed up the elders of Israel by the word of Moses because of their murmuring (Numbers 16:28-33). Yet, we see God allow many of the Israelites to die, either by old age or sickness, ending with Moses.
Prior to this, we see the Israelites receive a promise of the Promised Land. This promise was made for the people of Israel, and we see that God did not break this promise, but that those to occupy that promise changed from one generation to the next. This in itself, is a delay.
34 “And the Lord heard your words and was angered, and he swore, 35 ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers, 36 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land on which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed the Lord!’ 37 Even with me the Lord was angry on your account and said, ‘You also shall not go in there. 38 Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. Deuteronomy 1:34-38
This was revelatory for me because:
It showed that a promise of God could “change” based on your understanding of the promise. God promised a land to this people, that promise was fulfilled but not in the way they expected or understood it to be.
God did not lie to the Israelites, but we must be careful to hear God for what He has said. God’s word will never return void (Isaiah 55:11) and God is not a man that he should lie (Numbers 23:19). However, also consider that this decision of God was based on the murmuring and rejection from the Israelites toward God. We must be careful to see God for who he is: 1. God, 2. Our provider and 3. I am.
The Israelites consistently spoke about God without reverence. They consistently were short minded and forgetful of the blessings and deliverance of God from bondage, hunger and shelter. They consistently went to other gods to be the source of their needs, while in the midst of the one and true God who never let them down.
2. It showed that though you may not see the results in your lifetime, some promises are still pending..yet to come to pass.
Many trivialize the coming return of the Lord saying that for generations they have heard Jesus is “soon” to come. Yet, how much closer would He be in this generation than that of the Apostles. It took 40 years for the older generation of Israelites to die off before they were able to cross to the Promised Land. A story many of them heard from birth. It was delayed, but it happened. Be patient and dwell in the Lord so you may walk with him through the journey and have clear eyes to see the hills and valleys to the promise.
It revealed that our actions, if not careful, may delay or pass down our promise to someone else.
Imagine being Moses, a man who has served God before an ungrateful people when he didn’t want to from day 1. Yet, his actions, distraction and disobedience, caused him to miss out on the very promise that he delivered to his own people from God (Numbers 20:8-12). Still, I truly believe Moses found his prize not to be in the Promised Land but the God whom he served.
This was my reminder to be mindful of the promise and my posture while I wait. Outside of the disobedience of Moses in that one moment, if we truly reflect on Moses we see 1. An adoration and reverence for God, 2. A holy frustration in defense of God, 3. A busy-ness concerning the work of the God and 4. An obedience and honest belief in the word of the Lord (a fear of the Lord).
Today, I rarely see all of these components in the flock of God. Even with me, I see so much room to grow and I can see my lack. Do I truly reverence the Lord? Do I aim to stay busy in the work of the Lord? Is my frustration holy in defense of the Lord? Do I believe the Lord, down to the posture of how I wait on him?
PRAYER
God, let us remember who you are. You are not just our friend (John 15:15). You are not just our provider (Genesis 22:14). You are not just our dad (Ephesians 4:6, Psalm 68:5). You are our God. The ultimate father of nations (Matthew 23:9). I am (Exodus 3:14), the source of all things. You are both knowable and unknowable. You are both, touchable and untouchable. You are both, near and far. You are too overwhelming for words to even begin to capture. Lord, allow us to consistently chase glimpses of you to straighten out our misalignment (Proverbs 3:5-6). Allow us to seek you with our whole heart and mind, so we can find you (Jeremiah 29:13). Allow your spirit to nudge us when we get too distracted so we do not miss our promise, but God equip us naturally, spiritually, financially and physically to embody who you created us to be in the spirit so that we may be “good” and whole in you (Philippians 4:19, 1 Thess. 5:23). Allow us to reach the plans that you have for us and trust that they are meant to prosper us and give us a future and hope free from harm (Jeremiah 29:11). In our trials, let us trade our pain for your love as we were healed already by the stripes of Jesus (Isaiah 53:5). Lord Jesus, thank you for your love.
I honor you God. The only wise God (Jude 1:25). My king of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). My battle ax (Jeremiah 51:20) and my shield (Psalm 28:7). My rock (Psalm 18:2) and my peace (John 14:27). We trust and believe in you, today and forever. Amen.
