Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 15:22-29.

“22 ‘But when you unwittingly fail and do not observe all these commandments, which the Lord has spoken to Moses, 23 even all that the Lord has commanded you through Moses, from the day when the Lord gave commandment and onward throughout your generations, 24 then it shall be, if it is done unintentionally, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one bull for a burnt offering, as a soothing aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering.  25 Then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and they will be forgiven;  for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their error. 26 So all the congregation of the sons of Israel will be forgiven, with the alien who sojourns among them, for it happened to all the people through error.

27 ‘Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall offer a one year old female goat for a sin offering.  28 The priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him that he may be forgiven.  29 You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them.”  Numbers 15:22-29.

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Today’s Scripture focusing on unintentional sin points us to the hope of God’s work within us as believers that first we are no longer slaves to sin, and second that when we do sin, our sins are forgiven.

First, consider the following Scripture that due to God’s work within us, we are no longer slaves to sin.

“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”  Romans 6:17-18.

“No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him;  and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”  1 John 3:9.

“Little children, make sure no one deceives you;  the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;  the one who practices sin is of the devil;  for the devil has sinned from the beginning.  The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”  1 John 3:7-8.

Second, consider the following Scripture that due to God’s work within us, when we do sin, we are forgiven.

“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;  but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:5-9.

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.  And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;  and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”  1 John 2:1-2.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 15:17-21.

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land where I bring you, then it shall be, that when you eat of the food of the land, you shall lift up an offering to the Lord.  Of the first of your dough you shall lift up a cake as an offering;  as the offering of the threshing floor, so you shall lift it up.  From the first of your dough you shall give to the Lord an offering throughout your generations.”  Numbers 15:17-21.

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Through God’s grace, we put God first.

First, we say a prayer before we eat.

First, we set aside our offering out of the income we receive.

First, we seek His kingdom and His righteousness.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Matthew 6:33.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 15:14-16.

“14 If an alien sojourns with you, or one who may be among you throughout your generations, and he wishes to make an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the Lord, just as you do so he shall do.  15 As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations;  as you are, so shall the alien be before the Lord.  16 There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.’”  Numbers 15:14-16.

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Many churches form their worship services to be “seeker-sensitive”, that is, their primary goal is to make their worship services attractive to visitors, rather than pleasing to God according to His commands as to how He wants to be worshipped.

Today’s Scripture adds to the immediately preceding Scripture that worship services must be formed to fit God’s regulations for worship by adding that such regulations apply even to aliens (visitors). “There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.’”  Verse 16.  “As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations;  as you are, so shall the alien be before the Lord.”  Verse 15.

Yes, we should be friendly to visitors.  But, we see many churches change not only the form of their worship service but their gospel to be attractive to visitors.

For example, Reformed churches know that predestination is repulsive to most men, so many Reformed Churches try to hide or minimize that part of the gospel.  They primarily promote that they are a “Bible-believing” church or they only emphasize their youth activities or other particular services to their congregation or their charitable services to others.  They may even eliminate altogether descriptive words in their name like “Reformed” to try to appear to be just a community church.  They minimize their Reformed Doctrine in their own web-site’s description of “Who We Are”.  In summary, they try to be like every other church.

By drifting toward being like every other church, these Reformed churches can lose their “Reformed” salt.  Matthew 5:13 provides this warning:  “You are the salt of the earth;  but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”

And, the drifting can eventually turn into a deserting.

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;  which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!  As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God?  Or am I striving to please men?  If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”  Galatians 1:6-10.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 15:4-13.

“4 The one who presents his offering shall present to the Lord a grain offering of one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil, 5 and you shall prepare wine for the drink offering, one-fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb. 6 Or for a ram you shall prepare as a grain offering two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil;  7 and for the drink offering you shall offer one-third of a hin of wine as a soothing aroma to the Lord.  8 When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a special vow, or for peace offerings to the Lord, 9 then you shall offer with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-half a hin of oil;  10 and you shall offer as the drink offering one-half a hin of wine as an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the Lord.

11 ‘Thus it shall be done for each ox, or for each ram, or for each of the male lambs, or of the goats.  12 According to the number that you prepare, so you shall do for everyone according to their number.  13 All who are native shall do these things in this manner, in presenting an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the Lord.”  Numbers 15:4-13.

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Why would the LORD care how the offerings were presented?  Doesn’t just the heart of the worshipper matter? 

The precise numbers of how God commands that offerings are to be made, all of these details in today’s Scripture, should cause us to conclude that God does care and does regulate how He is to be worshipped.

Reformed Doctrine recognizes that worship is all about God and His desires and His commands as to how He wants to be worshipped, and worship is not just about what makes us feel good.  Reformed Doctrine calls it the Regulative Principle of Worship.  Here is a link to a good article on it titled “The Regulative Principle of Worship (1)” by Rev. Griess Cory of the Protestant Reformed Churches in their publication Standard Bearer – http://standardbearer.rfpa.org/articles/regulative-principle-worship-1

“7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name;
Bring an offering and come into His courts.
9 Worship the Lord in holy attire;
Tremble before Him, all the earth.”  Psalm 96:7-9.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 15:1-3.  The next devotion, God willing, will be July 20, 2014.  I am leaving tomorrow to hike for 7 days with my youngest son a section of the Appalachian Trail near Asheville, North Carolina.  Please pray for us.

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land where you are to live, which I am giving you, then make an offering by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a freewill offering or in your appointed times, to make a soothing aroma to the Lord, from the herd or from the flock.”  Numbers 15:1-3.

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It is noteworthy that so close to the time that the LORD announced His dreadful punishment that Israel would wander in the wilderness for 40 years until a whole generation would die in it, that the LORD gave this hope that they (at least the children and Joshua and Caleb) would still enter the promised land of Canaan “where you are to live, which I am giving you”.

At times, we too may feel that we are pilgrims wandering through a wilderness, but we can look to the LORD for words of hope and comfort.  And, this hope causes us to persevere through tribulations, and this hope does not disappoint.

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;  and perseverance, proven character;  and proven character, hope;  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”  Romans 5:3-5.

Reformed Doctrine helps us believe.  Reformed Doctrine teaches us “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.  There was nothing loveable about us in this our natural condition of “Total Depravity”.  We were hostile to God and dead in sin.  Like a rebellious Israel wandering in the wilderness, we were helpless.

And yet, “… while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will hardly die for a righteous man;  though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”  Romans 5:6-11.

And so, when we read about the punishment of Israel in Numbers Chapter 14, and then come to the hope at the start of the next chapter in today’s Scripture, we can be reminded of words of hope and comfort not only in Romans 5:3-11 but throughout Scripture.

Reformed Doctrine teaches us that this hope and comfort are not based on us (how loveable we are or our performance).  This hope and comfort is based on God and His unfathomable love for us.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 14:39-45.

“When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly.  In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, “Here we are;  we have indeed sinned, but we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised.”  But Moses said, “Why then are you transgressing the commandment of the Lord, when it will not succeed?  Do not go up, or you will be struck down before your enemies, for the Lord is not among you.  For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned back from following the Lord.  And the Lord will not be with you.”  But they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country;  neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses left the camp.  Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and beat them down as far as Hormah.”  Numbers 14:39-45.

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We may not like what the LORD has provided for us, but it is foolish and dangerous for us to rebel against God and go it alone.

And, if we humbly submit to the LORD and what He has provided, He will give us grace to deal with whatever He has provided for us.

“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  James 4:6.

“You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  1 Peter 5:5.

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.  After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  To Him be dominion forever and ever.  Amen.”  1 Peter 5:6-11.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 14:20-38.

“20 So the Lord said, “I have pardoned them according to your word;  21 but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.  22 Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, 23 shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it.  24 But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.  25 Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”

26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me?  I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me.  28 Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you;  29 your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me.  30 Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.  31 Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected.  32 But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness . 33 Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness.  34 According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition.  35 I, the Lord, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die.’”

36 As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, 37 even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the Lord.  38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land.”  Numbers 14:20-38.

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“8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
9 “When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, though they had seen My work.
10 “For forty years I loathed that generation,
And said they are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not know My ways.
11 “Therefore I swore in My anger,
Truly they shall not enter into My rest.”  Psalm 95:8-11.

“Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.  But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said,

“Today if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.”

For who provoked Him when they had heard?  Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?  And with whom was He angry for forty years?  Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?  And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?  So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.”  Hebrews 3:12-19.

“Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.  For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also;  but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.  For we who have believed enter that rest …”  Hebrews 4:1-3.

We are not at the edge of the physical land of Canaan.  But, we are at the edge of the heavenly land of Canaan.

Are we going to believe the good news of God’s work of salvation (“TULIP”) and enter that rest?  Or, are we going to harden our hearts?

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 14:11-19.

“11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me?  And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?  12 I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”

13 But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, 14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land.  They have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people, for You, O Lord, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them;  and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, 16 ‘Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17 But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression;  but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’  19 Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”  Numbers 14:11-19.

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We can see that Moses pleads for the people using the qualities of the LORD.  “Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”  Verse 19.

Let us use today’s Scripture to meditate on these qualities.  “The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression;  but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.”  Verse 18.

The LORD proclaimed His own qualities to Moses in Exodus 34:6-7:  “Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;  who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin;  yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

And in Joel 2:13-14, we read:

“12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning;
13 And rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.
14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent
And leave a blessing behind Him,
Even a grain offering and a drink offering
For the Lord your God?”  Joel 2:13-14.

“8 The Lord is gracious and merciful;
Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
9 The Lord is good to all,
And His mercies are over all His works.
10 All Your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord,
And Your godly ones shall bless You.
11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power;
12 To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

14 The Lord sustains all who fall
And raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to You,
And You give them their food in due time.
16 You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also hear their cry and will save them.
20 The Lord keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.”  Psalm 145:8-21.

In conclusion, due to these glorious qualities of God summarized in Psalm 145:8 (“The Lord is gracious and merciful;  Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.”), there is hope for the humble of heart and repentant of receiving forgiveness.  But, for the proud, unrepentant wicked, all of these Scriptures clearly show that God will punish them.  As stated in Psalm 145:20:  “The Lord keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 14:1-10.

“1 Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.  2 All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt!  Or would that we had died in this wilderness!  3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword?  Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”  4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.  6 Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;  7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.  8 If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey.  9 Only do not rebel against the Lord;  and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey.  Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us;  do not fear them.”  10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones.  Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.”  Numbers 14:1-10.

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The “exceedingly good land” is out there for us too.  It is called heaven. 

And the LORD will also “bring us into this land and give it to us”.

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit”. 1 Peter 3:18.

“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.”  Hebrews 2:10.

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  and these whom He predestined, He also called;  and these whom He called, He also justified;  and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”  Romans 8:29-30.

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom;  to Him be the glory forever and ever.  Amen.”  2 Timothy 4:18.

Whereas, some teach salvation is dependent on man either working enough or willing enough until his death to get to heaven, Reformed Doctrine teaches salvation is dependent on God.  God will do all that is necessary for salvation from “Unconditional Election” to “Limited Atonement” to “Irresistible Grace” to “Preservation of the Saints” in “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.  In the language of the following Canons of Dordt, God will “bring them (the elect) infallibly to salvation”.

Article 8.   For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation:  that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death; should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing; and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.  Canons of Dordt – SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers Chapter 13.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+13&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 2 “Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel;  you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.”  3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the sons of Israel.  …

23 Then they came to the valley of Eshcol and from there cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes;  and they carried it on a pole between two men, with some of the pomegranates and the figs. 24 That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the sons of Israel cut down from there.

25 When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, 26 they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh;  and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land.  27 Thus they told him, and said, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.  28 Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large;  and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there.  29 Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.”

30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.”  31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”  32 So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants;  and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.  33 There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim);  and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”  Numbers Chapter 13:  Verses 1-3 and 23-33.

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Do we focus on God and His promises? 

Or, do we focus on man?

In today’s Scripture, God had again reaffirmed:  “I am going to give (the land of Canaan) to the sons of Israel”.  Verse 1.  In addition to knowing that God had promised Israel this land, the spies knew God’s promises that this land was good:  “it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.”  Verse 27.

Caleb focused on God and His promises:  “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.”  Verse 30.

“But the men who had gone up with him (Caleb) said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”  Verse 31.  They focused on man.

We too are faced with these two basic alternatives in life.  Are we going to focus on God and His promises?  Or, are we going to focus on man? 

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.  Hebrews 11:6.

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”  Matthew 7:11.

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield;  The Lord gives grace and glory;  No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”  Psalm 84:11.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”  Romans 8:32.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:32.

Question 26.  What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”? 

Answer.  That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them;  who likewise upholds and governs the same by his eternal counsel and providence) is for the sake of Christ his Son, my God and my Father; on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt, but he will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body:  and further, that he will make whatever evils he sends upon me, in this valley of tears turn out to my advantage; for he is able to do it, being Almighty God, and willing, being a faithful Father.  Heidelberg Catechism.

In final summary and conclusion, in panoramic language, fitting to these two basic alternatives in life, Psalm Chapter 33 leads us to be like Caleb, to focus on God and His promises, to hope for His lovingkindness.

“13 The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;
14 From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who fashions the hearts of them all,
He who understands all their works.
16 The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
19 To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.”  Psalm 33:13-22.