The Lost Tribes of Israel

April 21, 1991 PM

Psalm 106:24-27 Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord. So He swore to them with uplifted hand that He would make them fall in the desert, make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.

Numbers 13, 14

The story of the Exodus is not limited to the book of that name. The idolatry at Sinai with the golden calf was one crisis which the Israelites experienced on 40-year saga to the Promised Land. Another crisis, the one that made the 40-year sojourn necessary, was the failure to press into the Promised Land at Kadesh-Barnea, and is told in Numbers 13 and 14.

I. A STORY OF LOST OPPORTUNITY

A MOVEMENT (ALMOST ALWAYS) BECOMES AN INSTITUTION
After a miracle beginning, God gave the Law in a convincing way. Then the thousands were organized by tribes around the Tent of Covenant into a fledgling nation.
1. THE ORGANIZATION of their camp is interesting to me (as found in Numbers 2):
  On the EAST were Judah 74,600, with Issachar 54,400 and Zebulon 57,400 (EAST = 186,400);
  On the SOUTH were Reuben 46,500, Simeon 59,300 and Gad 45,650 (SOUTH = 151,450);
  In the middle was the Tent of Meeting with the Levites...
  On the WEST was Ephraim 40,500 with Manassah 32,200 and Benjamin 35,400 (WEST =108,100),
  On the NORTH and bringing up the rear in march were Dan 62,700 and Asher 41,500 and Naphtali 53,400 (NORTH = 157,600)
  GRAND TOTAL 603,550 plus Levites plus women and children! (Numbers 2)
2. THE ORDER OF MARCH (Numbers 10:33) How they journeyed: When the Shekinah would lift the ark would follow three days journey ahead of the host to seek out a resting place for the rest.
  When one trumpet was blown the EAST set out; and right behind them the Gershonites and Merarites carried the Tabernacle; THEN At the second trumpet the SOUTH; and after them came the Koathites carrying the holy objects that went IN the Tabernacle, so that when THEY arrived the Tabernacle would be all set up;
  THEN came the WEST and the NORTH as a rear guard.
3. What does this matter?
A FAILURE OF VISION
1. This "army" marched to the southern borders of the Promised Land and halted while Moses sent spies to see what was ahead. (Number 13:(could read 26 - 33)
  These men were leaders of each tribe, and were "eyes and ears" for the rest.
  For 40 days they went through what we now call The Holy Land from south to north and east to west. They took notes, in modern idiom, on the agriculture and the sociology and the forestry and the architecture and the road systems and the like.
  There were twelve spies: Shammua, Shaphat, Caleb (Judah) Igal, Joshua (Ephraim) Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, Geuel.
2. THEY BROUGHT BACK A UNANIMOUS REPORT:
  This is a wonderful place! Why, the fruit is so big that we brought back this ONE bunch of grapes between two of us! [Which, by the way, is a symbol quite common in Israel today; one taxi company has a logo of two men carrying grapes on the sides of all its cabs!] This is a beautiful and fruitful land.
3. BUT THEY ALSO BROUGHT BACK A VERY DIVIDED RECOMMENDATION:
  Ten of the spies saw ONLY with eyes of human understanding; and they said: The task is impossible! The opposition is too powerful! We cannot do it!
  And they were right!
  Two of the spies— the only ones whose names we remember, even though all twelve are in the Bible— Caleb and Joshua said:
  We should by all means go up and take possession of (the land) for we shall surely overcome it! (AV) "We are well able to overcome!" And you know what? They were right, too!
A LOST GENERATION "LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL"
1. All who looked only with human vision fulfilled their own prophecy! God was angered with them: "You shall not enter in!" And they all died in the wilderness! Forty years!
2. Those who saw with heavenly vision were more than conquerors! Caleb's courage is another whole sermon! They and their children were blessed because of their faith!

II. A QUESTION OF DISCERNMENT: VISION OR HALLUCINATION

TAKING THE 'SAFE SIDE' . . . WHEN SPEAKING OUT IS UNPOPULAR
How important is vision? How can we know when to use human vision and when to be Caleb and Joshua?
How are generations lost in the wilderness?
Consider the courage of Caleb and Joshua in speaking out against the majority opinion. It isn't always the Godly thing to be "safe" ... somehow I have the thought that sometimes we Nazarenes lost ground by taking the safe side of arguments on "externals" when the tough side was spiritual vision. Like being "politically correct" opposition wasn't voiced.
GOD ALWAYS HAS A PROMISED LAND IN MIND FOR US!
It is nothing less than "the mind of Christ" or the JOY which Jesus promised to leave us, joy in His Holy Spirit. The Spirit-filled life is our Promised Land! "Let THIS mind be IN YOU which was also in Christ Jesus."
SOMETIMES THIS MESSAGE GETS LOST IN EXCUSE AND HUMAN REASONING
"Of course we can't have the mind that was in Christ!" "No one can be like Jesus!"
And we give up the battle without a shot being fired. What does this imperative mean, "Let this mind be in you!"??
The essence of the mind of Christ that we can understand was that Jesus did not insist on HIS rights; that he did not GRASP at His own benefit— but that he gave Himself.

Is it possible for Christians to love like that today?

YES! THE LIFE OF FAITH BY DEFINITION MEANS DOING WHAT OTHERWISE WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE!

This UNBELIEF is not something new.

As we have seen in Numbers, and the story of the spies, Moses' people thought it was impossible to stay "in tune" with God.

Conclusion:

I have to bring this story-ramble to a close. What lesson can we learn from these people who were afraid to go forward on God's word?

Many years after the tragedy of the failure of the spies Moses faced another generation and said:

DON'T LOSE YOUR VISION! DON'T LOSE YOUR FAITH!

It was a different day, and in a different setting, to a new generation that Moses was speaking, but I think he was remembering when a generation was lost because it despised the pleasant land of promise:

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it."

(vv 19-20) "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

Way back in the Old Testament, God wanted it understood that His commandments are also His promises!

HAVE YOU MADE THAT LIFE-CHANGING COMMITMENT TO BE ALL-OUT FOR GOD? Have YOU presented YOUR body a living sacrifice to God for time and eternity? Are YOU satisfied with the level of spiritual victory in your experience?

What we call "holiness;" the Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life- - the life overflowing with milk and honey and blessing and joy— is God's challenge to our faith, but it is also full of giants and problems and super-human needs. We can be overcoming Christians!

This is what Wesley called: the circumcision of the heart. The dedication for life of the entire person to God.

#243 I'll Live for Him