Today’s Bible Reading: NUMBERS 25:1-26:65
Numbers 25:65
For the LORD had said of them, "They shall die in the wilderness." Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
Throughout scripture we get glimpses of God’s character. At times these peeks into His person are direct, like those found in the Psalms. At other times narratives give us insights into His nature. As we peel back the stories of scriptures, we can observe His attributes and understand His actions. An investigation of our text gives us such information.
Here we recognize that God’s perseverance is steady. As we affirmed yesterday, God will perform what He proclaims. He will accomplish what He advocates. He will do what He says He would do. When the spies returned from Canaan a bad report was circulated within the camp. Even though the Lord had affirmed that He would give them victory at their advance, the people disbelieved He would or even could conquer the land. The advice of the spies was accepted over that of the Almighty. Their mistrust turned on them. God’s judgment was severe but not sudden. He pronounced that all men over the age of 20 who had disbelieved would die in the desert. He also vowed that they would wander in the wilderness for 40 years to coincide with the number of days the spies were in the land (Num 14:29-34). Here we are told, “For the LORD had said of them, "They shall die in the wilderness." The Lord persevered in His promise and they all perished. As the text says, “Not one of them was left”.
In the text we not only see the perseverance of God, but we also observe the patience of God. The amazing part of this narrative is the time frame from the announcement of God’s judgment to the accomplishment of His judgement. Thirty-eight years had elapsed from the edict of the death of over 600,000 disbelieving men until it had been enforced. God’s patience prevailed. He did not consume them all at once as He had done previously when 23,000 died in a day (Num 25:9, 1 Cor 10:8). Rather, He meticulously and methodically brought about their demise over time. Make no mistake, all of these men died in the desert because of their disbelief, “Not one of them was left”. God patiently administered His wrath in His way over time. His patience was steadfast.
Finally in this text we see the purpose of God in all of His actions. One may wonder why God’s punishment was not promptly carried out. We might not understand His delay in dispensing His judgement. Clearly there must have been some justification for this deferred justice. Some insight can be gained from a previous text. We are told that the conquest of the land would take time so that the Israelites could “increase” (Ex 23:30). In the same way, the loss of all the battle capable men in one swoop would leave God’s people vulnerable to defeat by the surrounding nations. So, God in His wisdom determined to execute His edict slowly and systematically so that the Israelites could repopulate their male fighting force. In this way the Lord purposed to provide protection for His people. Forty years of wondering in the desert was not only a form of punishment but a method of provision and protection of His people. His purpose was served.
Ironically, the census at the beginning of their wilderness wondering (Num 1:45-47) and the census 38 years later (Num 26:51) showed that the approximately 600,000 men who were buried in the desert were replaced by 600,000 men who were born in the desert. God replaced what He removed.
There is great encouragement for us in this text. God perseveres, God is patient, and God is purposeful in all He does. We can have confidence in Him. No matter how long it takes to accomplish what God has announced we are assured He will patiently persevere until it is done. We may not know what God is doing, but we have the certainty that He knows. He purposely directs the uncertainties of our life to His determined end.
Today meditate on the significance of this seemingly obscure text. Let this scripture encourage you as you try to understand the affairs of your life. Rejoice that the Lord perseveres, is patient and is purposeful in all He does. Thank Him that we may not always see His plan, but we know that He has a purpose in it.
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