The Peril of Presumption

11.04.09
J.A. Matteson

"...but they presumed to go up to the mountaintop." Numbers 14:44

He who promised Israel would be given a good land, one flowing with milk and honey, demonstrated His faithfulness by previous miracles. While in Egyptian bondage the children of Israel witnessed no less than ten occasions where the Lord spoke judgment upon the Egyptians and carried it out. Hemmed in between the sea and Pharaoh’s army without a natural escape route the children of Israel witnessed the salvation of the Lord, the waters parted and they crossed on dry ground and once on the other side watched in amazement as their enemies drown in the midst of the sea. Arriving at Marah in the wilderness of Sinai the waters were bitter, then Moses called upon the name of the Lord and they were made sweet. Not withstanding the Lord’s subsequent supernatural provision of manna and quail the children of Israel continued in unbelief.

The tragic pattern was cyclical: the Lord would speak to the congregation who quickly responded positively only a short time later under divine testing to refute their earlier profession. And so the spies came back from Cannan, two brought a good report rooted in faith; ten brought a bad report manifesting unbelief. Two examined the land promised with eyes of faith based upon the previous word of the Lord; ten shook in fear in response to beholding the formidable size and fortification of their adversaries. That the inhabitants of the land were a powerful people was reality and to deny it would have been to entertain a delusion. Where the ten failed was in not accounting for the presence of the Lord with them, by questioning His promise to them that He would give them the land, by assessing their relative probability of victory over their adversaries by natural means rather than taking into account the supernatural presence of the Lord their God.

Unbelief in the promise of God, that He would give them the land, that He would go with them and fight for them to assure their victory, was their first sin in this setting. In response to their sin the Lord pronounces judgment and rather than being repentant and sorrowful for their sin, humbling themselves, they now sin a second time by disbelieving the judgment of God and brashly charge the mountain, presuming upon their own strength, only to be roundly defeated, unable to rescind the decree of the Lord spoken against them.

Pilgrim, if you are to take hold of that which the Lord has promised, let not unbelief fill your heart, for that which He has promised can only be secured by Him. Soberly consider and bring to remembrance the word of His promise in light of the pressings dangers that surround you; the dangers are real and not to be trifled with in the natural, but, thanks be to God, His presence is supernatural and exceptional to their hellish taunts, well able to vindicate your faith in due season—only trust Him. Remember too that the Lord tests the hearts of His servants to determine whether they will believe Him or not, so be prepared for the crucible of testing. It is in the chamber of temptation to doubt the word of the Lord that your faith is refined, learn therefore to embrace the providences of God that appear contrary human reasoning, as they are designed for your sanctification and as such are good. There are only two options available to the pilgrim in response to the word of the Lord: proceed forward confidently in faith, or hastily retreat in fear.

In the final analysis the testing of the Lord is not for His benefit, as though He lacked knowledge of the true state of your heart, for He is omniscient, but rather it is ultimately intended for your benefit, dear pilgrim, so that you might know by your perseverance that you are an heir of the King in the likeness of Abraham and not an illegitimate child, for this is “the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus” (Rev. 14:12). But in like manor let us also not presume upon the mercy of Lord should we falter at the promise of His word, ascending the mountain of promise in our own strength, for to do so is sin and will result in our ruin as it did Israel. But rather, let us learn from their error the sacrifice of a broken spirit and contrite heart, thus being restored in fellowship with the Lord; for, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).

Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).