Numbers 14:4 (ESV Strong's)
And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
Subject: Faith and Irrational Behavior
The above verse is in the context of the twelve spies who went into the Promise Land to spy it out. All twelve of the spies returned and told how great the land was in regard to food and provisions. However, ten of them (all except Joshua and Caleb) said the people in the land were so big and the cities so strong it was useless and hopeless to try to take the land as a possession for Israel. There solution was to return to Egypt. Think about how foolish and irrational this statement is? If they went back, what would the Egyptians do to them? The lack of faith causes us to make irrational and foolish decisions. This is what a lack of faith does in our lives. Note what Romans 14:23 states. Paul in this passage is talking about eating meat that was sold in the market place but was also sold to idols. His conclusion is as follows. Note the emphasis on faith:
Romans 14:23 (ESV Strong's)
But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
He states, "whatever does not proceed form faith is sin." If we can't believe in God about something we are entering into the world of sin. This irrational decision making of the people of Israel is a lesson to us to act in faith. When we move to flesh for our decisions this is what happens. The Egyptians would kill them on sight. Fear and flesh make us choose sinful decisions. Faith enables us to walk with God and see great things in our lives.
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