#3 (THE "DIFFICULTIES ON THE JOURNEY" SERIES)
"DIFFICULTIES
WITH GIANTS!"
TEXT: Numbers
13:1-14:45
INTRO: After traveling
only about 2 months from Mount Sinai Israel was on the threshold of experiencing
God's great blessing and promise to them, the land of promise was just across
the river, the place of blessing -- full of milk and honey! They were excited at the prospects of
receiving God's promise, and then they discovered the "giant" problems that faced them in
getting that promise!
This journey of
faith is full of promises from God, yet, it also means facing "giant" problems in the process! If we act in faith those giant
situations will fall before God, but if we become fearful and turn away we will
lose out on many of God's best promises!
How we deal with our "giant" problems will determine the
outcome of so many of God's promises to us.
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches us to face
"giant" problems with faith, to trust
in God's promises of help to overcome the giants we face in our
life.
I. "GIANT"
PRIZE! 13:1-25
A. Anatomy
of a Promise 13:1-20
1.
God had promised
a. There would be plenty for all of
them.
b. They would have cities they could
call their own!
c. They would have crops and plenty
for them and their children.
d. In most cases they would actually
have homes already built, cities already built … and crops already planted for
them!
e. All they had to do was to go and
enter and possess the land, God had promised to drive their enemies out if they
would go in faith!
2.
It was this “promise land” that inspired them to cross the
desert and face the difficulties of the trip!
3.
They had dreamed of this place, dreams built solely on God's
promises!
4.
They had literally bet everything on this promise of God's, they had left
the security of Egypt behind. (Although they had been slaves they had learned to
live there somewhat securely!)
a. They had braved harsh desert
conditions with no other place to go!
b. They had trusted God with this
promise!
5.
It was a wonderful promise from God, what a
blessing!
B. Actuality
of a Promise 13:21-25
1.
God wanted them to know just how good the land was, so instructions were
given for Moses to send in 12 spies to check it out! (13:1-2)
a. As these 12 leaders went (they were
younger leaders than previous lists showed, evidently there were older men as
leaders for general guidance but spying required younger stronger men, hence the
difference in the names of this list from an earlier one) they found the land
even more wonderful than they had ever dreamed!
b. God's promise turned out to be
better than they had ever dreamed!
2.
They found fully developed cities that would become theirs, already
built!
3.
Indeed, the crops were more abundant than they had thought possible! As proof, they bring back a single
branch bearing a single cluster of grapes and it takes a pole and 2 men to carry
it!!!! 13:23
4.
It was more than they had ever dreamed!! So are God’s promises
today!
5.
At the end of 40 days they returned to share their
report!
II. "GIANT" PROBLEMS! 13:26-33
A. Arguments
of Pessimists!
13:26-29,31-33
1.
The first thing these spies do is to show the fruit of God's promise, a
good first step!
a. They show the evidence that God's
Word is true; in fact, the reality of the promise is better than they had
earlier thought possible!
b. Indeed they clearly reported that
the land was indeed a land of “flowing milk and
honey.”
c. BUT, that little word "but"
now introduces a big mistake; for not only did they see the blessings they also
become obsessed with the obstacles!
2.
Even here, their report is essentially true, there were "giants" in the land, it was not so much
the actual reporting of facts that was the problem, it was the lack of faith in
addressing these giants that was the problem!
a. They share their conclusion with
all of Israel that these giants were too much for them, that they couldn't
possibly overcome them!
b. At this point they had forgotten
that the biggest giant of all is God!!!
c. There is no hope whatsoever in
their report! They took their eyes
off of God and looked only through human eyes!
3.
Their pessimism was great, they saw no sense in even trying, why bother
to try, they will only fail in the light of the great
opposition!
ILLUS:
LIKE A
CHARLIE BROWN CARTOON SHOWING SNOOPY HIS DOG WRITING A NOVEL ON TOP OF HIS
DOGHOUSE. AS SNOOPY WRITES, "IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT..." HE
DREAMS OF BECOMING A BEST WRITER.
HE SENDS OFF HIS MANUSCRIPT AND WAITS AT HIS DOGHOUSE TO HEAR FROM THE
PUBLISHERS. THE NEXT DAY A LETTER
ARRIVES; QUICKLY HE OPENS IT AND FINDS 2 REJECTIONS SLIPS. A LETTER READS, "PLEASE FIND TWO REJECTION SLIPS ENCLOSED,
ONE FOR THE STORY YOU SENT US, THE SECOND ONE FOR ANY FUTURE STORIES YOU MAY
SEND!" – Source Unknown
4.
Their mistake was in their conclusion: "we can't attack
these people; they are stronger than we are!"
13:31
a. How true, but the enemy was not
stronger than GOD WAS!
b. Here the problem is one of focus;
they had taken their eyes off of God!
(1. This has always been the problem, Peter
did this when walking on the water and he began to sink until he looked to Jesus
again!
(2. The armies of Israel only saw a giant
named Goliath, someone so big they couldn't win; David came along and saw the
same giant Goliath but he saw someone so big he couldn't MISS with God's
help!
(3. There are always going to be "giants" blocking us from God's
promises, they however are not the problem, the problem is how we see them, and
how we see God!
5.
Notice their perspective: "the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are
fortified and very large … we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes
and we looked the same to them!"
13:28,33
a. Pessimists look at how big the
problems are and how small we are!
b. Their focus was completely off of
God!
6.
The worst part of this however was that they influenced the confidence of
so many others, 10 spies who gave an evil report led 3 million others into
despair!
a. Our faith, or lack of it, can
deeply affect others!
b. They encouraged disbelief in God's
promises and power, and in His Word; for God had told them He would give them
the land. Now they don't believe
Him or trust in His Word or leaders!
B. Acclamation of a Positive! 13:30
1.
Fortunately, 2 guys had another perspective: Caleb and Joshua. Here Caleb tries to stop the negative
talk and inspire some faith!
2.
Caleb's call is to do exactly what God had called them to do, giants or
not!
3.
His confidence is in God's Word; God said they would be victorious and so
they would be, no matter what in the flesh the odds seemed to
be!
4.
This is the statement of faith, this is STANDING ON THE PROMISES
... rather than sitting on the perils!
5.
When faced with overwhelming giants Caleb's advice was to be silent and
obey God's Word ... to do what they had been told to
do!
a. This is the test of faith in our
lives, to obey God's Word and not to panic even when we feel like we are
drowning! You can’t go wrong
trusting God.
ILLUS:
A SPEEDBOAT
DRIVER RECENTLY HAD A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT BUT HE SURVIVED THANKS TO FOLLOWING THE
TRAINING HE HAD RECEIVED FROM EXPERTS ON HOW TO KEEP FROM DROWNING WHEN DRIVEN
DEEP UNDERWATER IN A HIGH SPEED ACCIDENT.
AT TOP SPEEDS HE HIT A WAVE THAT TURNED THE BOAT OVER AND DROVE HIM DEEP
UNDER WATER. WHILE TWISTING THROUGH
THE WATER HE HAD NO IDEA OF HOW FAR UNDER HE WAS OR WHICH WAY WAS UP. IN A PANIC HE WANTED TO THRASH AROUND
AND TRY SWIMMING TO GET QUICKLY TO SURFACE, BUT WHICH WAY WAS UP? THEN HE REMEMBERED HIS TRAINING, TO JUST
RELAX AND WAIT UNTIL HIS BUOYANCY BEGIN TO LIFT HIM, THEN HE WOULD KNOW WHICH
WAY WAS UP AND HE COULD BEGIN SWIMMING IN THAT DIRECTION. TRUSTING IN THOSE WHO HAD TRAINED HIM;
THOUGH FRIGHTENED, HE RELAXED UNTIL HE FELT HIMSELF RISING. THEN HE SWAM IN THAT
DIRECTION AND SAFELY FOUND THE SURFACE IN TIME FOR AIR! HE DIDN'T FOLLOW HIS FEAR OR IT MIGHT
HAVE COST HIM HIS LIFE! – Source
Unknown
b. If we obey God's Word even the
worst giants we face will fall before us!
III. "GIANT" PANIC! 14:1-9
A. Afraid of
a Plunder!
14:1-4
1.
10 bad reports inspired panic in 3 million
people!!
2.
All night the people wept and then they grumbled about the leadership
given by Moses and Aaron!
a. When we panic we look for someone
to blame!
b. How dare Moses and Aaron tell them
God's blessings were theirs, only to lead them into the face of "giant"
issues!
3.
Forgetting how God had brought them this far with miraculous help they
now assume God is going to let them be destroyed in the
desert!
a. In their discontent they pretend
that their concerns are for others, their wives and
children!
b. They want to choose new leaders who
will take them back to Egypt!
4.
Those that ignore God will usually ignore God's leaders
too!
5.
They made the assumption that God is cruel, that He helped them only to
let them find misery later! This
was a direct attack at the "GOODNESS OF
GOD" – at the very character of God Himself!
a. They express the wish that they
would have rather died in the desert or even in
b. This desire will prove to be their
downfall for God will answer this prayer!
c. Sometimes the greater danger is not the
failure to get from God what we want, but GETTING from God exactly what we
want!
B. Advice
with a Promise 14:5-9
1.
Moses and Aaron fall facedown in front of the whole
Assembly.
a. This was a very unusual position to
take so abruptly in ancient societies, this was the action of a prophet who
expected immediate judgment to fall from an angry God, and was thus an attempt
to somehow quickly get God's attention to perhaps stall the
judgment!
b. In other words, though rejected by
the people, Moses and Aaron love them enough to put themselves between the "living and the
dead!"
c. Death was about to strike this
rebellious people, Moses and Aaron put themselves willingly between the
rebellious people and God, to intercede for them!
2.
Once again Joshua and Caleb make a concerted effort to incite some faith;
they call upon
a. They remind the people that the
promise of God is indeed good!
b. They remind the people that God
will follow through on His promise to give the land to them if they obey by
faith!
c. They remind the people that the
odds are changed with God's power, their protection is gone without God’s help,
but God's power is with them if only they will respond in
faith!
d. Moses and Aaron plead for faith,
not fear!
3.
Panic and fear won the day however, faith was abandoned and so the stage
was set for loss and judgment!
IV. "GIANT" PRICE! 14:10-45
A. Attitude
of a Prophet
1.
Had they only responded with faith!
While faith is not always easy, it is less painful than no
faith!
ILLUS:
THE AFRICAN
IMPALA CAN JUMP OVER 10 FEET HIGH AND 30 FEET IN LENGTH ... YET THEY CAN BE KEPT
IN A ZOO WITH ONLY A SOLID 3 FOOT HIGH FENCE! THE REASON THEY DON'T SIMPLY JUMP OVER
THIS EASY BARRIER OF 3 FEET IS BECAUSE THE FENCE IS SOLID, AND THEY WON'T JUMP
IF THEY CAN'T SEE EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO LAND! THEY ARE KEPT AS EASY PRISONERS BY
SIMPLY KEEPING THEM FROM SEEING WHERE THEY MIGHT LAND! THIS IS WHAT THE LACK OF FAITH DOES TO
US! – Source
Unknown
2.
God's anger is aroused, and He tells Moses to stand clear while He
destroys these faithless people! He
promises to make a new nation from Moses!
a. An interesting thing happens here,
earlier Moses would have thanked God for such a plan! But this time Moses cries out to God to
save them!
b. Moses' reasoning is
interesting: "What will the
Egyptians think about you God if you destroy your own people?" He adds, "What will all
the nations think if you do this?"
c. No doubt this was somewhat of a
test for Moses, to see if he had the heart of God to save these
people!
3.
Moses' prayer is heard and God forgives the people! 14:20
a. However, though forgiven there is
still the issue of discipline!
b. Forgiveness is granted but the
consequences of their actions will still be
experienced!
c. This is often the case today too
... when we sin we may find forgiveness, but there can often be consequences
that still live on!
(1. An alcoholic who hurts or kills someone
can’t bring them back to life even though they may find
forgiveness!
(2. The pregnancy that results from
immorality still brings a new life into the world even after forgiveness.
(3. Etc.
4.
The consequences of their sin here is that not one of them will enter the
promise land; only Caleb and Joshua will – only those two who had
faith!
a. Caleb and Joshua’s faith is
rewarded.
b. It will be the next generation that
will find God's blessings in the Promise land, lack of faith by this generation
however forfeited their right to get God's promises
fully!
5.
In mercy God instructs Moses to go back by a way that won’t take them
into contact with the Amalekites and Canaanites, they are not ready for a fight
in their present condition!
6.
They had missed the chance to believe God, it would prove to be a costly
mistake!
ILLUS: DURING THE
TERRIBLE DAYS OF THE BLITZ, A FATHER HOLDING HIS SMALL SON BY THE HAND RAN FROM
A BUILDING THAT HAD BEEN HIT BY A BOMB.
IN THE FRONT YARD WAS A HUGE BOMB HOLE, AND SO SEEKING SHELTER THE FATHER
CLIMBED INTO THE HOLE AND HELD OUT HIS ARMS FOR HIS SON TO JUMP DOWN INTO
THEM. THE BOY WAS TERRIFIED, AND
LOOKING DOWN INTO THE SMOKING HOLE HE COULD NOT SEE HIS FATHER AT ALL! WITH BOMBS STILL FALLING THE FATHER
LOOKED UP AND YELLED FOR HIS SON TO JUMP, HE WOULD CATCH HIM! BUT THE BOY REFUSED AND CRIED OUT, "I CAN'T SEE YOU FATHER!" THE FATHER
YELLED UP, "BUT I CAN SEE YOU SON AGAINST
THE RED SKY, YOU JUMP, I WILL CATCH YOU EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T SEE ME, I CAN SEE
YOU! JUMP NOW!" THE BOY OBEYED AND JUMPED, TRUSTING
HIS FATHER AND WAS SAVED JUST IN TIME!
SO OFTEN WE CAN'T SEE GOD, BUT WE HEAR HIS WORD TELLING US TO OBEY, HE
SEES US AND IF WE OBEY WE WILL BE SAFE! – Source
Unknown
7.
Moses had helped save their lives, just as Jesus does for those who
believe.
B. Agony of
the Price
1.
They had said they wanted to die in the desert, now that was exactly what
they would get, the natural consequences of no faith!
a. They didn't want faith, so all they
got was the desert, no promise land! Like the rest of those who lived and died
in it without faith, they would live like the rest of the world in the
desert!
b. Everyone older than 20 years old
would lose the joy of experiencing the promise land, it would be for another
generation to express faith and know God's promises!
2.
If our generation loses faith in God, God will move in another
one!
3.
It is up to us to face the "giants" with faith and trust that God
will grant us victory!
a. God is gracious to the children of
these unfaithful people; they will learn to be shepherds in the
desert!
b. And the children would come to know
God's promises although they will live in the desert for 40 years because of
their parent’s unfaithfulness!
(1. How important Mom and Dad it is that we
teach our kids faith in God by living it, you might spare them a lot of
wandering around in a spiritual desert if you live by faith and experience God's
promises!
(2. God does not punish the children with the
loss of the promise land, although it will be a longer journey to get there
because of the lack of faith in the parent's lives!
4.
The spies had traveled through the promise land for 40 days; and so, for
40 years they would wander around in the promise land ... 1 year for 1 day of
spying – the price of disobedience can be costly!
5.
These 10 spies that gave a bad report however were struck down
immediately with death for having caused so much unbelief in Israel! 14:36-37
a. God dealt more harshly with those
who encouraged unbelief!
b. This was the price for
sin!
6.
Once
a. Now they decide they will go into
the promise land, but this time God clearly says He will not go with them, they
needed to learn their lesson!
b. Once again they ignore God's Word;
you can’t get God's promises through disobedience --
ever!
c. The attempt is a terrible failure
and costly, AGAIN! Neither Moses
nor the
7.
It is important to learn to obey God and stand on His promises in faith,
the alternative is not very attractive!
8.
Remember, when you face a "giant" problem on the way to
experiencing God's promises, remember who is bigger, God always is, NOT
them!
a. Then, stand in
faith
b. And march forward in
faith!
CONCLUSION:
You will face many "giants" in your lifetime. You'll either face them and fight, or
run away! Running away will only
cause aimless wandering and death! Fighting these "giants" with God's promises however
will bring "giant" fruitfulness! The only way to face the "giant" problems is with faith in God's
promises, His Word – remember that God is still bigger than the biggest
giant!!