|
A Lost Generation
by Ken Barnes "Then all of you approached me and said, 'Let us send men before us, that they may search out the land for us ..... The thing pleased me and I took twelve of your men, one man for each tribe." (Deuteronomy 1:22 NASB). The Lord had just spoken to Israel to go in and take their inheritance. Unfortunately, we see no direction by the Lord to send spies into the land. When we add to the words or the plans of the Lord the results are never good. It appears in Numbers 13: 1-2 that God did tell Moses to send out the spies, but in our above mentioned scriptural reference it is clear the suggestion first came from the people and not God. The Lord often allows us to follow our own ways. Moses gave them the God's word (Duet 21-22) but the people wanted just a little more than God gave them. They thought they would make their own plans because they didn't trust God's. It is never wise to try and out-think God. Before we put all the blame on the people we should take note of telling little excerpt from Moses in v. 23, "The thing pleased me." As a leader, it is generally good to be inclusive of those you lead in making leadership decisions, but never when the Lord has already spoken. And we know the rest of the story. The intelligence gathered by the spies led to unbelief and disobedience. The ensuing result was that all Israel save two men never had their feet touch the good soil of Canaan. We should take note of the warning in the Book of Revelation, neither add to nor take away from His Word. I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission. My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine. I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University. [email protected] Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |