The grasshoppers' inheritance

 This week's verses are Numbers 13:27-33:

They told Moses, “We went to the land where you sent us. It is indeed flowing with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. But the inhabitants are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses, saying, “Let us go up and occupy it, for we are well able to conquer it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against these people, because they are stronger than we are!” Then they presented the Israelites with a discouraging report of the land they had investigated, saying, “The land that we passed through to investigate is a land that devours its inhabitants. All the people we saw there are of great stature. We even saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak came from the Nephilim), and we seemed like grasshoppers both to ourselves and to them.”

 In these verses, the Israelites had been given a chance to take possession of the land God had promised to them. They had been promised this land before they even left Egypt, and had seen miracles along the way, and had invested their whole lives into getting there. But once they were within grasp of it, they were overcome by fear. Their fear ended up disqualifying them from their inheritance. Only Caleb was able to claim it, because he didn't let fear get the best of him.

Think about it though. It wasn't like there was any debate about whether God had promised the land to them. They had probably heard it at least once a day for their entire journey there. And that promise was part of why they started the journey in the first place!

And it wasn't like they were in doubt about whether God was real, or about whether he was able and willing to help them. They didn't live in a faithless miracle-free zone, like our modern society. God was physically manifested as a giant pillar of smoke during the day and as a bright fire at night.

And they had seen countless miracles, like the parting of the sea, the water from the rock, the ground swallowing up the rebels, the all-you-can-eat quail extravaganza, and so on. So it wasn't like they didn't have some concept of God's wildcard supernatural power.

So what changed? What made them go crazy and forget it all and throw away everything they had pursued since the beginning? What gives people cold feet the night before the wedding to the person they always considered to be their soulmate? Why do people succumb to these last minute attacks of cowardice?

They wanted the reward but they never wanted to put anything at risk to get it. They didn't want to gamble their possessions, or their physical wellbeing, or especially their lives, on this promise God made to them. Yes, it was a nice idea they were fond of agreeing with when they were gathered together, and in the abstract sense they liked the thought of having a land of their own, but they had never seriously considered what it might entail.

The church can be a bit like that. We talk about heaven and about wanting to live a life according to God's plan, but when we are asked to put down any kind of real investment or face any substantial risk in order to live it out, we often balk just like the Israelites did. Nobody is willing to face ten foot giants in the octagon to win a little milk and honey. Not if things are not too bad where they already are. But that's a God-less view of things.

If God promised the land to the Israelites, why would he let them be killed before they could take possession of it? If he promised them that land, surely he knew there would be giants there and had a plan to take care of them, right? The only way it becomes scary is if God is not in the picture. And that's what was so insulting to God in their reactions. They didn't believe him and may not even have believed in him.

Everyone is a patriot until enemy forces are massing on the other side of the border and draft notices are being handed out. Then they always find a reason to find a job in Canada, go to school in Paris, take a backpacking trip across Asia, or whatever doesn't involve being handed a gun and responsibility. Everyone talks about being together forever, until someone else comes along with a better offer. And our faith life sometimes is the same way. We say words, and we believe we're the kind of people to keep them, but we're never put to the test.

The test reveals what we really believe. It tears off the polished churchy mask we wear to impress others. Our hearts are laid bare in front of God and we see how strong our faith really is. Or isn't. Caleb is the only one who still says the same thing on the test that everyone had been saying all along. His faith is the only faith that was genuine.

When everyone else is saying "We're doomed. God can't save us. This isn't his promise," Caleb was saying "Let us go up and occupy it, for we are well able to conquer it.” Those are words you would only say if you were counting God on your team.

This is a frightening story. Most of the people who had witnessed God firsthand didn't make it! Their faith was BS and when it was tested it was worthless. Would ours be any better if we were called into a situation like that? Jesus shares several parables that hint at the same principle. When things get real, that's when we act out our truest beliefs, and sometimes those beliefs surprise us.

When the time comes, do you want to be revealed to be grasshoppers? Or do you want to find yourself with God by your side, facing off against both the enemy and your own family and friends? What can you do now to strengthen yourself for that time? You've been promised an inheritance, but to last until you collect you may need to invest.