Faithlessness

I was reading through Numbers 12 and 13 and noticed something interesting: why did the Israelites spend 40 days exploring the land after GOD had already promised them the land? For those of you who are not familiar with this Text—or those who didn't immediately pull these chapters up on your favorite Bible program or website—this is the story of the twelve explorers that Moses sent into Caanan to search out the land prior to the Israelite invasion.


There are a several interesting aspects of this story. The first of these is, GOD's instruction to Moses. In Numbers 13:1, GOD gives the instruction to Moses for him to choose representatives from each tribe to go explore the land that He had already given them. Nowhere in GOD's instruction to we find Him asking them to offer their expert analysis on the viability of the endeavor. Nowhere in either of the two chapters do we find GOD ever asking their opinions about His promise. In fact, His instruction for them to go explore the land was probably more for them to see with their own eyes that His promises weren't empty, that there truly was a Promised Land.


I even read through Moses' reiteration of GOD's instructions, but still can't find where the twelve were given license or responsibility for commentary on GOD's promise. So, if GOD didn't give it, and Moses didn't give it, from what authority did the twelve explorers derive their mandate to offer opinions on GOD's promise?


In studying this Text we see that because of the doubt expressed by ten of the explorers an entire generation of people was killed off in the wilderness. If you do a bit of historical study you'll find that this generation was comprised of several million people. Think of this, doubt expressed by ten individuals killed millions, and—not to mention—delayed GOD's Purpose for forty years.


Are these ten guilty of mass murder as well as doubting GOD?


There is a great and grave danger in second guessing GOD's promises or instructions; whether these are Textual or via His voice in our lives (i.e. His watchman). Notice Moses' reiteration of GOD's instructions: he didn't add to it or take away from it, he simply repeated what he had been told by GOD Himself. When the ten took it on themselves to hijack GOD's Purpose, they not only were assuming greater responsibility than they have been given, they also were demonstrating their faithlessness. They obviously didn't believe GOD's promise nor His voice, Moses. They must have felt it was their responsibility to correct Moses' inexperience as a leader, or maybe his over-zealous-charismatic-blind-trusting of an unseen GOD… or maybe, just maybe, they never believed GOD in the first place?


Is this a characteristic that still expresses itself within the Community today?


I wonder how many times GOD's Purpose for either the Community at large or a specific congregation has been thwarted by the faithlessness of a few? How many souls have been lost because a vocal minority felt it their responsibility to either correct GOD or His voice?


Think of the sheer arrogance demonstrated by the ten negative nannies. GOD had expressed His Purpose, given His promises numerous times—literally defied the laws of nature to bring them to the cusp of His promise—only to have a few bring the juggernaut of His Divine Providence come to a screeching halt.


Human arrogance, doubt and faithlessness can and does stop GOD's Purpose.


Faithlessness is denying that there is a GOD; because if we truly believe in GOD then we know that He cannot lie. If we doubt, we believe that GOD is a liar, thus non-existant. Denying that there is a GOD is the elevating of ourselves to the level of Deity, or—as it is more commonly known—atheism. Atheism is the ultimate form of faithlessness. By denying the existence of GOD, the atheist elevates themselves to role of GOD. Is this any different than questioning GOD's Purpose? Now, don't misunderstand me, I'm not referencing honest questions that are truly seeking answers, I'm referring to expressing doubt and unbelief with a question mark at the end of the statement (not unlike the serpent's question in Genesis 3).


Expressing faithlessness is not always done by questioning GOD's Purpose; it is also done by attacking those to whom He has delegated His Authority. For example, when the under-shepherd (watchman, pastor, preacher… pick your moniker) begins to speak what GOD has spoken into his/her mouth and we choose to express doubt, we are elevating ourselves to the status of GOD, because we are truly saying that we know better than GOD Himself. Think about it: GOD gives His instruction for the congregation through His delegated Authority, then they reiterate His instruction without alteration. Who are we to assume that it is our responsibility to adjust GOD's spoken Word (Rhema)?


Often times this attack on GOD through His delegated Authority is attempted by skipping past the male pastor (the stronger, more intimidating vessel) and going right at the pastor's wife or female pastor (the weaker, less willing to confront vessel). While there are several fallacies in this method of attack, the primary is the false assumption that pastor's wife is not just as called and equipped with GOD's delegated Authority as her husband. Any attempt to thwart or to control GOD's Purpose by distracting the man and the other self who GOD has called and designated is nothing more than rebellion in practice. Let's not soon forget that the sin of rebellion is not unlike witchcraft. The directive to not touch GOD's anointed nor to do His prophet any harm, applies not only to the male anointed, it also applies to the female anointed.


This is not unlike the rebellion that we see playing out in Numbers 13. The explorers doubted GOD, thus they overstepped their responsibility by going beyond Moses' instruction. By expressing their concerns to the general population, they were speaking their inner thoughts (i.e. Moses isn't qualified to speak for GOD).


Regardless of the methodology, any attack on GOD's man or woman is an open attack on GOD Himself, and is faithlessness. Faithlessness is rebellion. Faithlessness is self-deification. Faithlessness kills. Faithlessness hinders GOD's Purpose both locally and collectively. Faithlessness is the ultimate form of arrogance. Faithlessness believes its own headlines and drinks its own Kool-aid.


Faithlessness is anti-GOD.