To make this text mean something God did not intend is to abuse the text, not use it. To avoid making such mistakes one needs to learn to think exegetically, that is, to begin back then and there, and to do so with every text.
Gordon D. Fee and Douglas K. Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 3rd ed. pg, 25.
The Lord is God and he is slow to anger, he forgives the repentant heart and does not take away his mercy and compassion. In the passage, we see the result of the whining of the people of Israel. It is interesting to note that they decided it was worth going right back to Egypt after hearing the testimony of the 10 spies after the 12 came back with the report of what they had seen in the land which 'flows with milk and honey'. At this point, they had no remorse or recourse to the experience of God arising and descending, scattering his enemies and providing the need of the six hundred thousand plus people he brought out of Egypt. When the decision of God came out to Moses on the issue, it was a proposal for annihilation of the nation which Moses intercedes against. Then the Lord said I have pardoned the nation and they would not be wiped out (Num 14:20). The interesting thing about the judgement is that it is focused on the experience of seeing the glory and signs of God and yet have put God to the test. The judgement here is that people that planted the seed of revolt and their supporters will not enter the promised land. As many as raised their voice in agreement to the cry that they cannot enter the land and will rather return to Egypt, they shall not enter the land.
This judgment ensured that the people continued their wandering for as long as it took the last of these people to die off (40 Years) before progress could be made other than those that died immediately due to the plague from the Lord.
The one thing that comes to light here is the witness the miraculous work of God bears against as many as partake of it. It should stir a bit of caution in those ministries that base their image on the number of miracles they show to their visitors for it is such that those who do not listen and get converted after many events and participation have these as a witness against them. It therefore means that the probability of being judged is higher for those who participate and do not repent that those who do not participate. Of course nobody is justified for not obeying but it is a heap of extra testimony against those who partake and yet are not changed. It is wise to watch one's attendance of these events especially when they are real and are of God.
A person who prays only in times of personal need has a weak prayer life.
John MacArthur
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Happy Reformation Day
October 31, 2020 by Jide Ajayi • October 31, Reformation day • Tags: 95 Theses, Reformation, Theology, Thought •
This day many years ago the posting of the theses on the door of the church at Gutenberg. It was at time when the people had to host a messenger with news about how to buy indulgences and the benefit of buying the indulgences.
This was a document prepared by Luther for discussion and debate with other professionals in the ecclesiastical ministry. It also happend not too far from the time the printing press was invented, these two events worked together by providence and the theses, ninety-five of them in number, quickly was found in the community due to the ease of printing and reprinting and many became aware of the details the document and the items to be discussed and the world did not remain the same.
This day is seen as the start of the spark the brought the beginning of the reformation that changed the world and brought attention back to the reading of the text in the orignal languages and placing the authority of the word of God at the top of the authority list for the Christian.
Today many people in different parts of the world do not see the autority of the word as important as that of the founder of the particular church they attend, rather they focus on the special revelation they believe the leader has which trumps whatever the bible might be saying about a particular issue. This view is not too different from what was common before the reformation and the more people are ignorant of what the bible says and not aware of what it teaches and only read those things shown to them with the intention of communicating some point at the expense of the text in context, there will be a continuous descent into ignorance.
May the Lord continue to empower the spots of bright light around the world where there is renewed interest in the word and in the authority of the word.
Happy Reformation Day.