Sins of the Fathers

Numbers 14

34 “‘Because your men explored the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years—a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. Then you will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken! I will certainly do these things to every member of the community who has conspired against me. They will be destroyed here in this wilderness, and here they will die!”

36 The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land—the ones who incited rebellion against the Lord with their bad report—37 were struck dead with a plague before the Lord. 38 Of the twelve who had explored the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.

Two things jump out at me in these verses today. 1st, our children pay a severe price for our faithlessness. As I look at our society and at the state of the Church, that is evident. For nearly three generations now in this country, we have kicked God out of public discourse (unless we are abusing His name), and have allowed the pagan society to marginalize Christian faith. In the Church, parents are allowed faithful obedience to Christ to be among the many options in life along side of sports and other extra-curricular activities. While those other activities are not bad in and of themselves, when they replace activities designed to deepen their children’s walk with the LORD, there is no doubt about the evil of that intent. Idolatry is alive and well in America and in the American Church.

Secondly, I see the reason why the names of the ten bad spies are not household names. These guys paid an immediate price for their disobedience and disrespect of God: they were struck dead with a plague before the LORD. May those who continue to foment open rebellion against God receive a similar fate. I’m not talking about the pagans in our society, I’m talking about leaders of God’s people who twist the Word, pervert the Gospel, and disobey the clear commands of our LORD. A deadly plague among those types of folks would do the Church an eternal world of good.