Doing Right Is A Defense
Good Morning,
God never intended us to face many of our most difficult circumstances. Consider the trouble Israel faced in the wilderness.
Numbers 14:4 “And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.”
The twelve spies had visited the land for forty days, returning with huge grapes, and stories of giants and walled cities. Discouraged, the people were ready to be slaves rather than face the unknown.
Here is where their troubles multiplied:
Numbers14:43-45 – Amalekites drive Israel away because the people went to battle without the Lord.
Numbers 16:1-8 – Korah and his rebel friends stood against Moses and Aaron, and 14,700 people died (vs. 49).
Numbers 20:2 finds Israel without water and without Miriam; she had just died. Moses was instructed by God to speak to the rock, but in anger, after the death of his sister and hearing the complaining, he strikes the rock twice. His action sealed his fate, and he was forbidden to enter the Promised Land.
vs.11 “And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.”
Numbers 21:1 “Some of Israel was taken prisoner by a Canaanite king.”
vs. 4 – They traveled a very difficult and discouraging road.
"And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way."
vs. 6 – Next, fiery serpents visited them.
vs. 22 – Israel is pursued by Balak, who hired an evil prophet, Balaam, to curse the entire nation.
The story goes on and on, but the point is this: They should have been in the land of Canaan securing their inheritance. They should not have been in the wilderness. They should have honored God, obeyed God, and been living in their new home.
Being disobedient brings us in contact with people and situations God never intended us to face. In those times, God is still with us and there are always victories to win (as you see in the book of Numbers). The hurt and difficulty the children of Israel faced was something they brought on themselves.
A man in jail was saved – praise the Lord! But the reason he was in jail was because he had been with guys late at night, and the friends committed a crime. Being the driver made him a party to the wrong doing and his future instantly became grim (to say the least).
A man called me to ask some questions. He came to our church in his youth but had been gone and living across the country for many years. He had gotten himself into much trouble; he was in prison, and was released to find his wife involved in a job that was far from decent and broke this young man's heart. Yes, she should have worked elsewhere, yes, she was doing wrong, but had he been home being dad and husband it all might have been avoided.
A successful man in his business life found out that his wife was involved with another man. She was wrong, of course, but her husband had been so busy fulfilling his dreams at work that he had failed to be a husband and friend to his wife. The devil had someone else there to meet the need. That story could be told many times by both husband and wife. I make no excuse for the wrong, but I do say the temptation should never have been faced.
Doing what we know to be right keeps us from countless trials and temptations.
Pastor