Reading the story of Israel in Leviticus is like reading the story of a soul. Just as God calls individuals out of captivity to sin, he called the nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, rescued them from their enemies and provided for them everywhere they went. Sometimes the people of Israel were grateful, but often they were in conflict with God.

In the same way that Israel was God’s nation, anyone who enters into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ becomes God’s child.

Jesus said, “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.” John 6:37-39

In Jesus we are safe – he has rescued us from the sentence of eternal death – but in this world we are still subject to sin and temptation. God wants us to become fully reconciled to him in every part of our lives, but sometimes we rebel. We may even be surprised by our own behavior.

We forget how good God is and we betray him, just as Israel did.

Two Ways to Deal with Giants

When Israel heard the report from the twelve spies who explored Canaan two of them were in favor of going directly into the land, but the other ten warned that the inhabitants were giants living in well-defended fortresses. The Israelites sided with the majority of the spies and fell into despair.

“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? . . . We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” Numbers 14:3-4

We can learn a lesson from two things that happened next in this story.

First, Moses and Aaron fell facedown. They didn’t say a word, they didn’t argue with the Israelites, they just humbled themselves before God.

Second, Joshua and Caleb reminded Israel about God’s promises. The land was exceedingly good and if Israel pleased God it would belong to them. As for the giants in the land, with God’s help, Israel would devour them because the Canaanites’ protection was gone and the Lord was with Israel.

Prayer and claiming the promises of God, that should be our defense when we find giants looming in our lives.

God Appears

But Israel wasn’t buying Joshua and Caleb’s proposal. Instead of listening to their message, they made a plan to kill the messengers. It was a mob scene and it looked like there was no way out . . . until God showed up.

“Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites.” Numbers 14:10b

God spoke to Moses, who was probably still on his face in prayer. The Lord called out Israel’s sins and asked, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?” Numbers 14:11-12

Israel’s lack of faith translated to contempt for God and he was ready to strike them down and start over with Moses as the father of a greater and stronger nation. What made God favor Moses over all the rest of Israel at that moment?

Moses was in prayer, paying attention, waiting, and listening to God.

Moses Quotes God

When Moses heard what God said, his response was all about God’s glory. He skipped right over what God said about making him the father of a greater, stronger nation than Israel. He chose to remind God that Egypt and the other pagan nations would not understand if he destroyed Israel.

“If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, ‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised to them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.” Numbers 14:15-16

Then Moses begged God to forgive Israel – and quoted back to God the things he had said when they were alone together on Mount Sinai in Exodus 34:5-7.

“The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” Numbers 14:18

Punishment to Fit the Sin

God accepted this prayer spoken using his own words, and he forgave Israel for their great rebellion, but he also decided upon a punishment that fit the sin. For forty days God had allowed the spies to explore the Promised Land, and Israel rejected it. Now for the next forty years they were going to wander around in the wilderness next to the land, but not be allowed to enter it. Eventually all of the people twenty years old and older would die in the desert and God would give the Promised Land to their children.

“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.” Numbers 14:34

God carried out the first part of this punishment by slaying ten of the spies with a plague. Only Joshua and Caleb were spared, and Israel saw that God meant business when he said he could be against them.

Israel Disobeys . . .  Again

Faced with forty more years in the wilderness the men of Israel decided they would rather face giants and take Canaan on their own. Throwing a cloak of fake piety over their actions they said, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned!” Number 14:40b

The Israelites had the right words but the wrong hearts. When they realized what their sins had cost them, they thought they could walk the situation back and get the blessing God had promised them, but that moment had passed. God had already moved on to discipline them and they couldn’t reverse his decision.

“But Moses said, ‘Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies . . . Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.’” Number 14:41-43

They went anyway and the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the country attacked them and beat them back.

The Mostly Silent Forty Years

If forty years of wandering in the desert with a lot of difficult people sounds tedious, it was. It was so dull that God didn’t bother to record most of Israel’s day-to-day experience in the wilderness. His time with them was spent reiterating the Law and dealing with disobedience.

It was hard on Moses and we will see him lose his temper in the coming days. Joshua and Caleb, who knew they were eventually going to live in the Promised Land, had to wander around just like everyone else, growing older and wasting time.

If Israel had used the experience to practice obedience during those forty years, it would have been great, but in Amos 5:25 God asks, “Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?”

Apparently, Israel wasn’t consistent in keeping God’s laws during those forty years. In fact, when Joshua takes over from Moses forty years later, the first thing he has to do is circumcise all of the men who were born during the wilderness wanderings. Israel wasn’t even doing that for their sons.

Still God’s People

Twice God decided to do away with Israel and Moses prevented it by interceding for them. The first time God listened and promised to let them live and even go with them all the way to Canaan. The second time, he promised not to destroy them, but he applied forty years of discipline. Forty years was a lifetime for Israel, but it was just a little while for God. He was willing to wait until they understood what he wanted, even if they died in the process.

And this is actually good news for us.

God doesn’t give up on his people when they sin. Once we are his, he keeps and cares for us, and works with us to refine our weaknesses and faults. We can pay attention the first time he speaks or we can wander around while he disciplines us, but God will stick with us either way. It’s up to us to yield to his correction and leading.

What is God working on in your life today? Take a moment to pray about the next step in your spiritual growth and thank God for his help.