***We'll be emailing out March's reading plan this weekend, so make sure you're signed up to receive our free resources here: www.entrustedministries.com/podcast

Do you struggle with fear over your kids as much as I have? That's why this passage of Scripture is so important for us to remember. The Lord has better plans for our children that we do, so press into His character for peace.

Today's Reading: Numbers 13-15, Psalm 90

Scripture Read or Referenced:

Numbers 13:30-33

Numbers 14:1-34

Deuteronomy 1:21-22

Numbers 15:30-31, 32-36, 37-39

Matthew 9:20-22

Psalm 90:1, 12-17

Wondering how to talk to people (and your kids) about the hard truths in Scripture? Listen to this week's episode of AGAIN: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-again-podcast-on-biblical-motherhood/id1700555502

Find out more about Entrusted with a Child's Heart here: www.entrustedministries.com/studies

Commentaries Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

Welcome to The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

2

I'm Stephanie Hickox.

3

Today we're looking at Numbers 13

through 15 and Psalm 90, this

4

portion of scripture is covered by every

Sunday school curriculum in existence.

5

But today we're gonna pull out

truths that get right to the

6

heart of our parenting fears.

7

God says to send in one

man from every tribe.

8

These are different representatives

than appeared in chapter one.

9

Those probably would've been older men

that were revered by their tribes, but

10

here they're looking for someone younger

to go on this reconnaissance mission.

11

They're given directions, and

in Lewis and Clark style, they

12

search out the land for 40 days.

13

The first town they encounter is

the place where Abraham built an

14

altar and where he's also buried

15

and they return with a cluster of

grapes so large they had to carry it

16

and a pole between two of them, and

beginning in chapter 13, verse 30,

17

but Caleb quieted the people before Moses

and said, let us go up at once and occupy

18

it for we are well able to overcome it.

19

Then the men who had gone up with him

said, we are not able to go up against the

20

people for they are stronger than we are.

21

So they brought to the people of

Israel a bad report of the land

22

that they had spied out saying.

23

The land through which we have gone

to Spy It Out is a land that devours

24

its inhabitants and all the people

that we saw in it are of great height.

25

And there we saw the Nephilim,

the Sons of Anec who come from the

26

Nephilim and we seem to ourselves like

RAs Hoppers and so we seem to them

27

then all the congregation raised a loud

cry and the people wept that night.

28

And all the people of Israel grumbled

against Moses and Aaron, the whole

29

congregation, said to them what?

30

That we had died in the

land of Egypt or what?

31

That we had died in this wilderness.

32

Why is the Lord bringing us into

this land to fall by the sword?

33

Our wives and our little

ones will become a prey.

34

Would it not be better for

us to go back to Egypt?

35

And they said to one another, let us

choose a leader and go back to Egypt.

36

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their

faces before all the assembly of the

37

congregation of the people of Israel

and Joshua, the son of none, and

38

Caleb, the son of Jina, who were among

those who had spied out the land,

39

tore their clothes and said to all the

congregation of the people of Israel.

40

The land which we pass through to spy

it out is an exceedingly good land.

41

If the Lord delights in us, he will bring

us into this land and give it to us.

42

A land that flows with

milk and honey only.

43

Do not rebel against the Lord and

do not fear the people of the land.

44

For they are bred for us.

45

Their protection is removed from

them, and the Lord is with us.

46

Do not fear them.

47

Then all the congregation.

48

He said to stone them with stones, but

the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent

49

of meeting to all the people of Israel.

50

And the Lord said to Moses, how

long will this people despise me?

51

And how long will they not believe in me?

52

In spite of all the signs I have

done among them, I will strike them

53

with the pestilence and disinherit

them, and I will make of you a nation

54

greater and mightier than they.

55

But Moses said to the Lord.

56

Then the Egyptians will hear of it

for you brought up this people in

57

your might from among them, and

they will tell the inhabitants of

58

this land, they have heard that you

oh Lord, are in the midst of this.

59

People for you, oh Lord, are seen face to

face and your cloud stands over them and

60

you go before them in a pillar of cloud

by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

61

Now if you kill this people as one man,

then the nations who have heard of your

62

fame will say it is because the Lord was

not able to bring this people into the

63

land that he swore to give to them, that

he has killed them in the wilderness.

64

And now please let the power of the

Lord be great as you have promised,

65

saying the Lord is slow to anger

and abounding and steadfast love,

66

forgiving iniquity and transgression.

67

But he will by no means clear the

guilty, visiting the iniquity of

68

the father on the children to the

third and the fourth generation.

69

Please pardon the iniquity of

this people according to the

70

greatness of your steadfast love.

71

Just as you have forgiven this

people from Egypt until now.

72

Then the Lord said, I have

pardoned according to your

73

word, but truly as I live.

74

And as all the earth shall be

filled with the glory of the Lord.

75

None of the men who have seen my glory

and my signs that I did in Egypt and in

76

the wilderness and yet have put me to the

test these 10 times and have not obeyed

77

my voice, shall see the land that I

swore to give to their fathers, and none

78

of those who despised me shall see it.

79

But my servant Caleb, because he

has a different spirit and has

80

followed me fully, I will bring into

the land into which he went and

81

his descendants shall possess it.

82

And in 1430, not one shall come

into the land where I swore

83

that I would make you dwell.

84

Except Caleb, the son of Jina,

and Joshua, the son of none.

85

But your little ones who you

said would become a prey, I will

86

bring in and they shall know

the land that you have rejected.

87

But as for you, your dead bodies shall

fall in this wilderness and your children

88

shall be shepherds in the wilderness

40 years and shall suffer for your

89

faithlessness until the last of your

dead bodies dies in the wilderness.

90

According to the number of the

days in which you sp out the land

91

40 days a year, for each day, you

shall bear your iniquity 40 years,

92

and you shall know my displeasure.

93

Even though numbers 13 begins with God

giving directions for them to send in the

94

men to spy out the land, this was actually

in response to the people begging for it.

95

We get a little bit more detail into

this situation, and Deuteronomy one

96

we're told that the Lord said, go

up and take possession of the land.

97

Do not fear or be dismayed.

98

But Deuteronomy 1 22 says, then all of

you came near me and said, let us send

99

men before us that they may explore

the land for us and bring us a word.

100

It might seem wise to go scope

out the real estate, but their

101

real motives were revealed.

102

They were afraid and didn't

trust that the Lord could bring

103

them victoriously into the land.

104

This story has always resonated with

me because my brother's name is Caleb.

105

And he's every bit as amazing as

the Caleb described in scripture.

106

The Bible says that Caleb

had a different spirit.

107

He had faith even when he could see

the obstacles the others were seeing,

108

but he was focusing on the blessings

of the Lord in this situation.

109

my brother is similar.

110

Steph: he's a resilient problem solver.

111

In 1330 when Chb quiets the people.

112

The verb quieted is most often used in

the form of an interjection like hush.

113

You can tell that the people were

murmuring and getting upset, and the

114

other spies were probably exaggerating

the account of what they saw.

115

The people say their reason for being

afraid to go into the promised land is

116

that their little ones will become prey.

117

And God's response is, you think it

would be better to die in the wilderness?

118

I'll give you exactly what you ask for.

119

but those children you were

afraid for, I'm going to bring

120

them into the promised land.

121

They're not going to suffer for

your fear and your lack of faith.

122

This is so convicting, isn't it?

123

Instead of fearing for our children,

we should fear disobeying the Lord.

124

We need to trust in his

good plans for our kids.

125

And this is a word I need right now as I'm

in the process of making many decisions

126

for my kids and for their futures.

127

There have been moments that fear starts

to creep in, and I'm thankful for this

128

reminder that wherever we go, God is

going to go with us and he'll prepare my

129

children for what he has planned for them.

130

Even though the children will be stuck

in the wilderness for many years,

131

because of their parents' sin, they'll

still receive the blessing of the

132

Lord by entering the promised land.

133

This is a good reminder for us

too, because our sin often impacts

134

our children, not as a punishment

that God is making them pay for,

135

but just as a natural consequence.

136

So we should be pursuing growth

and sanctification as parents

137

and those tense spies that brought back

a bad report from the promised land.

138

God sends a plague on them and they die.

139

I think I forgot that from my

Sunday school version of the story.

140

In chapter 15, someone is sinning

defiantly, which is literally

141

translated with a high hand.

142

It's the Old Testament example

of blaspheming the Lord

143

and was a very serious sin.

144

We've already witnessed the Israelites

breaking the first and second command

145

with the golden calf, And then in

Leviticus 24, we saw a narrative about

146

the third commandment being broken.

147

And now in chapter 15 of numbers, it's

going in sequential order because we see

148

a man killed for violating the fourth

commandment of not honoring the Sabbath.

149

It's evident these Israelites are

not capable of keeping even the

150

basic rules that God gave them.

151

In 1537, the Lord said to Moses, speak

to the people of Israel and tell them

152

to make tassels on the corners of their

garments throughout their generations.

153

And to put a cord of blue on the

tassel on each corner, and it shall

154

be a tassel for you to look at and

remember all the commandments of the

155

Lord, and do them not to follow after

your own heart and your own eyes.

156

Perhaps you're familiar with the story.

157

In Matthew nine 20

158

and behold, a woman who had suffered from

a discharge of blood for 12 years came up

159

behind him and touched the fringe of his

garment for she said to herself, if I only

160

touch his garment, I will be made well.

161

Jesus turned and seeing her.

162

He said, take heart, daughter.

163

Your faith has made you well and

instantly the woman was made well.

164

Steph: It is probable that these tassels

are exactly what she reached out to touch.

165

See, we can have fear over our lives

and over our children like the first

166

generation of Israelites, or we can

have faith even in the midst of trials,

167

that Jesus is powerful and Abel.

168

And lastly, Psalm 90 is a

beautiful Psalm written by Moses.

169

It begins.

170

Lord, you have been our dwelling

place in all generations, and

171

this is one of my favorite Psalms.

172

To pray as a mom, I'll

Begin it in verse 12.

173

Heavenly Father, teach us to number our

days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

174

How long before you return?

175

Oh Lord, have pity on your servants.

176

Satisfy us in the morning with

your steadfast love that we may

177

rejoice and be glad all our days.

178

Make us glad for as many days as you

have afflicted us, and for as many

179

years as we have seen evil, let your

work be shown to your servants and

180

your glorious power to their children.

181

Let the favor of the Lord our

God be upon us and establish

182

the work of our hands upon us.

183

For every mom who listens.

184

Lord, please give her wisdom to

order her days to glorify you.

185

Show your power to her children

and establish the work that she

186

does unto you in the faithful

and true name of Jesus we pray.

187

Amen.

188

Do.