| CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE | May 1997 |
Written Aforetime for Our Admonition
OF THOSE THINGS written aforetime, none conveys a greater lesson than that of Kadesh Barnea. When, after hearing the report of the spies, the whole of the fighting men of the Hebrews refused to go forward and take the land that God had promised them, although he had led and fed them through the wilderness, guarantee had led and fed them through the wilderness, guaranteed their victory, and brought them to the moment of attaining the land.
The record of this unbelieving disobedience is given in Numbers, chapters 13 and 14. This is referred to in Hebrews 3:8 by the Apostle Paul as “the provocation.” When David was about to take Jerusalem, he reminded his followers of the sin of Kadesh Barnea. (Ps. 95:7-11) The apostle refers to these incidents, and admonishes us to hear the Lord’s instructions, and not to harden our hearts.
Failure is due to lack of faith. Without faith we lose confidence in the power of our Heavenly Father. The disobedient Israelites appeared in their own sight as “grasshoppers” compared to their enemies (Num. 13:33), but to Joshua and Caleb those same enemies were “bread” [meat].—Num. 14:9
This incident has been a lesson to the church throughout the Gospel Age, but today we are almost through the wilderness! The Millennial kingdom lies before us, and if faithful we shall soon reign with Christ. It is inconceivable that we should let the truth slip now, but the apostle warns that we are made partakers of Christ “if we hold fast” the beginning of our “confidence … firm unto the end.”—Heb. 3:6
The message of truth that warmed our hearts and gave us such joy in the Lord was the Gospel of the kingdom, the message of the restitution of all things, and the blessing of the world as set forth in “The Divine Plan of the Ages.” If the truth is not as clear to us as it used to be, or not as vivid, let us seek assistance at the Throne of Heavenly Grace. Events in the world show that the kingdom is at the door. Let us be up and doing, by constant vigilance, preparing ourselves for a place in that kingdom.