THE IMPACT OF OBEDIENCE AND DISOBEDIENCE

THE IMPACT OF OBEDIENCE AND DISOBEDIENCE

And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it. But as for you, turn, and journey into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea. —Deuteronomy 1:39-40

That night all the members 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 wilderness!  Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only 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.” —Numbers 14:1-4

As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.  But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.  Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness.  For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’  I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.” —Numbers 14:31-35         

            Am I using someone as an excuse or reason for not obeying the Lord?  The Israelites used their children as an excuse or reason to not obey the Lord.  Going into the Land was not an option.  The Lord told them to go in and take possession of it.  Still, out of fear and lack of faith 10 of those who spied out the Land gave a bad report and influenced the whole nation to the point of stoning Joshua and Caleb who wanted to go in (Numbers 13:26-14:4, 10). 

            OK, fine… they would not go in, but their children who they said would become a prey would be the ones that would inherit the Land 40 years later (Numbers 14:26-35).  As for those who were disobedient, every one of them would die in the wilderness over the next 40 years.  After they were all dead then their children would enter the Land.

            Don’t use somebody as an excuse for not following the Lord.  Those parents actually did not have their children’s best interest in mind.  If they did they would have obey the Word of the Lord and entered the Land.  That was the best thing they could have done as an example to their children of faith and obedience.  Instead, their disobedience greatly impacted their children for the next 40 years as they wandered in the wilderness.  This was not necessary, but it happened because of the children’s parent’s disobedience. 

            Watch out!  Disobedience today can have long term affects not only on our own children, but on many people!  Let us trust the Lord and obey Him.  Obedience will benefit many!  Disobedience can be destructive to many!

Dear Father help me to trust and obey in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus.  May it be so! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-LdHCuo5-Y

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