Reasons to Worship

2 Samuel 6:12-22

Under the leadership of Moses, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Then Joshua replaced him as the leader, and he led the entrance and initial conquest of the promise land. When He died, however, the land was still enveloped with unrest and wars. The Israelites were unable to wipe out their enemies. The Philistines were the greatest opposition. This means that although the Israelites were already in the promise land, they still faced hardships from their enemies. God promised that Canaan was a land of abundance, but He did not say it would be peaceful. If they wanted peace, they had to obey God and defeat the settlers of the land.

For 400 years, since they settled the land, they continuously battled against their enemies. When Joshua died, there were other leaders who emerged, who we call the Judges. Sometimes the Israelites were defeated, and sometimes they would win and experience peace. The people thought that their losses were related to the fact that they did not have a king, so they asked the prophet Samuel to give them a king (1 Sam 8:1-22). Reluctantly, God gave them Saul (1 Sam 9:1-11:14). But Saul was not able to defeat all the enemies. It was only during the time of David that the Philistines were defeated and the whole of Canaan was taken over by the Israelites. We read David’s two decisive victories in 2 Samuel 5:17-25.

This sermon is about what happened immediately after the whole land was finally conquered by the Israelites. David’s first action when he secured peace in the land was to lead the people in bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. This is what we read in 2 Samuel 6:1-22. The story has several fascinating themes, but we will just focus on one element of worship in the passage.

David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. ¹³ When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. ¹⁴ Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, ¹⁵ while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificingthe burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

²¹ David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. ²² I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

One the most immediate realizations we can have from the passage is the fact that David was a very enthusiastic worshipper. The passage narrates that “David was dancing before the Lord with all his might” (6:14) and he was “dancing and leaping before the Lord” (6:16). He was really into it that he did not notice how vulgar he had become (6:10). He was so enthusiastic that his wife criticized him: “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” (6:20). But when he received his wife’s rebuke, he was indifferent. He did not care. He even declared that for the sake of worshipping God: “I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes” (6:22).

I am not going to deal with the forms of worship this morning. For me, the old debates—between solemn and celebrative worship, or between silent and loud music, or between traditional and contemporary, or between singing hymns and choruses—are not fruitful. So I am not going to argue today that you are not worshipping unless you dance half naked (or completely naked, as in the case of Saul (1 Sam 19:23-24), or clap your hands joyfully, or dance around unashamedly. I am also not going to tell you are not a true worshipper unless you are completely silent at the sanctuary. Next week, I am going to talk a bit about undignified worship, but today, we are just going to answer one question: “What prompted David to express his worship to God unashamedly?”

We can only understand David’s joy and enthusiasm if we read Psalm 132 alongside 2 Samuel 6.

Lord, remember David
and all the hardships he endured.

² He swore an oath to the Lord,
he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
³ “I will not enter my house
or go to my bed,
⁴ I will allow no sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
⁵ till I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob”

⁶ We heard it in Ephrathah,
we came upon it in the fields of Jaar.

⁸Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place,

you and the ark of your might (Ps 132:1-6, 8)

Worship God for Victories

In Psalm 132:1, David admits that he lived a very difficult life. Since Samuel anointed him (1 Sam 16:13), David experienced many hardships in life. He became the target of King Saul’s murderous plots (1 Sam 18:10-11; 19:1-17). Saul pursued him and he fled many times to different cities to that he can preserve his life (1 Sam 23:1-13, 26-29; 24:1-22). He carried the guilt of the death of the priests and residents of Nob, who were killed by Saul because they helped David (1 Sam 22:6-23). In order to preserve his life, he was forced to pretend to be mad at Gath (1 Sam 21:10-15). Then soon as he was crowned king, the Philistines united to pursue and kill him (2 Sam 5:17-25). David’s life was not a walk in the park; it was more like a swim in a piranha-filled river.

But in 2 Samuel 6, all of these difficulties are a thing of the past. Saul is dead, and the Philistines were already defeated. His enemies are gone. He can sleep at night without holding on to his sword. His political struggles are over. This is why we see in 2 Samuel 6 a joyful man, and whose shoulders are no longer filled with burden. He was once afraid, but now he is at peace. He feels liberated. He has a great life ahead of him, free from all the burdens he constantly faced before. God even promised him: “I will also give you rest from all your enemies” (2 Sam 7:11). How can he not worship God? Without a care about what others see or think, he just expressed his worship to God.

A freed human ought to worship God. A human who found new life ought to worship God. Like David, all of us have experienced freedom from suffering as well. For some of us, sickness and death may have been pursuing us lately, and yet here we are: alive and well. For some of us, financial problems may have overtaken us lately, and we experienced God’s blessing. For some of us, sorrow may have been looming like dark clouds over us, and then we experienced God’s sunlight. For some of us, iron balls of busy schedule and exhaustion may have been tied around our feet, but we have been liberated. We have all faced difficulties over the last few days weeks, but when we received freedom from them, have we liberally worshipped God?

Worship God for Accomplishments

When we read Psalm 132:2-6, we realize that David actually made a vow to God that he would not rest until the ark finds its place in the house of God. As an Israelite, he knew the significance of the ark and its embarrassing history.[1] There was even a time when the ark as captured by the enemies (1 Sam 4:11). He knew that the ark has been resting at Kiriath Jearim for seventy years already (1 Sam 7:1). His dream was to move the ark to Jerusalem, the capital city. In the time of Saul, Jerusalem was still in the hands of the Jebusites. It is only in 2 Samuel 5:6-15 that David finally captured Jerusalem.

In 2 Samuel 6, David was now moving it to Jerusalem. From the day David was anointed to the moment when the ark is being moved to Jerusalem is a staggering 24-year period. Moving the ark to Jerusalem was a 24-year dream! It was 24-year project! It took David twenty-four years in order to fulfill his vow to the Lord. In between these 24 years were bitter struggles and near-death experiences. Therefore, moving the ark to Jerusalem, for David, was a massive accomplishment. He struggled for 24 years, and right now in 2 Samuel 6, he was witnessing the fruits of his labors and sacrifices. How can he not worship God?

God has given us victories. He has empowered us to accomplish our dreams. We do not come to worship God as if He has done nothing in our lives. The church is not a gathering of people with amnesia, people who have forgotten about God’s great blessings upon them. We are a gathering of people who remember God’s goodness and greatness. May God open our eyes so that we can see the victories He is granting us, both great and small. Our response to all these things is worship.

Worship God for New Beginnings

David was not only thankful. He was also excited. In the history of the ark, whenever the ark moved, miracles and victories happen. When Joshua led the Israelites to cross the Jordan river, the ark was right in front (Josh 3:6). When they caused Jericho’s wall to crumble, the ark was also at the front of the procession (Josh 6:13). When David and his people were moving the ark, “the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household” (2 Sam 6:11). David knew that when the ark moves, blessings come with it. So he was excited!

This excitement is evident in Psalm 132:8, “Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might (Ps 132: 8). The prayer for God to “Arise” is repeatedly found in the OT (Num 10:35; 2 Chron 6:41; Ps 17:13; 68:1). For God to rise meant for Him to move in a new way. It is for God to make decisive actions and interventions. Interestingly, Solomon used the same words when the ark was brought to the Temple in 2 Chronicles 6:41, “Now arise, Lord God, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests, Lord God, be clothed with salvation, may your faithful people rejoice in your goodness.”

In both Psalm 132:8 and 2 Chronicles 6:41, there was a great sense of anticipation. Both David and Solomon felt it. Something awesome was about to happen. When the ark moves, not only victories happen. When the ark moves, people are “clothed with salvation” (2 Chron 6:41). In the time of David, the ark was on the move. The Lord was again going before them. The future is full of abundant blessings. If David did not worship with gladness and excitement, we can only call him a fool. He had reasons to celebrate, so he celebrated without reserve.

Conclusions

2 Samuel 6 represents a turning point in David’s life. He already accomplished a lot. The complete fulfilment of the Lord’s promise to Abraham was reached through his leadership. Are you a grateful worshipper? But David was not only worshipping because of these past victories. He was also worshipping because he was excited about what God would do next. Are you excited about God’s work in your lives?

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[1] God commissioned its creation in Exodus 25:10-22. He anointed Bezalel and other craftsmen to make the ark (Exo 31:1-5). The ark would stay at the Holy of Holies, within in the Tabernacle. When the Israelites entered the promise land, the ark was kept at Shiloh (1 Sam 3:3), but when the Philistine army came to attack the Israelites, they thought that bringing the ark to battle would give them victory (1 Sam 4:1-4). Unfortunately, they were defeated and the ark was captured (1 Sam 4:11). It remained at the hands of their enemies for seven months (1 Sam 6:1) but when the Philistines were afflicted with a plague, they returned the ark to the Israelites (1 Sam 6:1-21).

Consecrate Yourselves II: Focus

Joshua 3:5

Joshua replaced Moses as the leader of the Israelites just when they were about to enter the promise land. After thirty days of mourning for Moses’ death, the Israelites moved their camp to Shittim. In Joshua 3, we see the Israelites leaving Shittim and arriving at the banks of Jordan (Josh 3:1). On the fourth day, in preparation for the crossing of the Jordan river, Joshua gave instructions to the people. Joshua admonished them: “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Josh 3:5).

In Consecrate Yourselves I: Cleansing, we said that this command was not something new to the Israelites (see. Josh 7:13; Num 11:18-20). Its first occurrence is found in Exodus 19:10-11, 14-15, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes ¹¹ and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people…’ ¹⁴ After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ Then he said to the people, ‘Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations’.”

The clues to understanding what it means to be consecrated are found in the repeated statements in the verses. The first group is “Have them wash their clothes… they washed their clothes” (19:10, 14). Consecration, in relation to the command to wash, means two things: first, it is about acceptable offerings, and second, it is about getting rid of the old dirt accumulated in ourselves. Basically, it is being clean. In the crossing of the Jordan, they were about to enter the promise land. It was time to get rid of the filth of the wilderness.

The second group of statements crucial in Exodus 19 are: “Be ready by the third day” (19:11)… and “Prepare yourself for the third day” (19:15). This group includes the terms “be ready” and “prepare” (19:11, 15). At first sight, consecration and preparation seem to be two different things. Moses told the Israelites to consecrate themselves, and how would they do that? By spending three days in preparation. To consecrate is to prepare.

This does not sound much, right? What does preparation and getting ready have to do with consecration? What does setting ourselves apart or offering ourselves have to do with preparation? How is doing preparation an act of consecration? They do not look very related at all. But the Scripture is clear. First, to be consecrated is about preparation. God is basically saying, “I have set you apart. Now go. Your first task is to prepare.” This might look like it is about equipping. It looks as if this means that we have to prepare ourselves today because there is a big mission that God wants us to do or accomplish someday. This looks like going to the seminary because you are preparing to do something. But if we look at God’s commands in relation to consecration, the Isralites were to prepare because God was doing a great thing the next day. God’s command was not, “prepare yourselves because you are doing great things tomorrow.” The command was “prepare yourselves, because tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

Have you ever experienced being so thirsty, but finding out that all cups in the house are dirty? Or you need a pen for an exam, then realized that you forgot to bring one to school? Or you went out of the house and then realized that your cell phone battery has only 5% left, and you need to make some phone calls?

The Lord has amazing plans for us and through us. His requirement: prepare yourselves. This is an important word for us. I believe that the Lord has great things planned for your school, for your workplace, for your family, and for your neighbors. God wants to do amazing things. But the question is: are God’s people ready? Let me just ask a few questions about our being set apart as God’s people in relation to our preparedness:

• If a schoolmate asks us about our faith, are we ready to give a response? Peter wrote that we must “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pet 3:15). We cannot say, “I am sorry but I do not also know. My faith is weak like yours. Let me come back to you in three years, after I finish my Master of Divinity.” 
• If a workmate asks us for counsel, are we ready to give a Word of promise? Paul wrote: “Be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim 4:2).
• If drug addicts and prostitutes and all kinds of sinners come flocking into our church right now, are we emotionally and socially ready to receive them? If the poor, the dirty, and the smelly come flocking to our church today, are we socially and relationally ready?

The fact is: many believers are not ready to experience God’s amazing work among them. They have not set apart themselves so that when God’s amazing work begins, they might be the first ones to raise suspicions. Paul was right, ^“In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. ²¹ Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work” (2 Tim 2:20-21). We must face the question: Have we consecrated yourselves for the Lord, and are ready to be useful to the Master?

May God forbid that our workmates, schoolmates, family, and neighbors are being deprived of experiencing God’s amazing redemptive work, just because we are not ready. It is not about our work. It is about God’s work, but we must be prepared for whatever the Lord might do through us and among us.

Secondly, related to consecration as preparation is the call to focus. Consecration as preparation is about focus. It is like a student preparing for the final exam. He knows that what is at stake is so big, affecting the present and the future, that he consecrates himself to the task only of studying. Even though it is good to exercise, or communicate with friends, or bond with family members, he fixes his eyes on his books in order to meet what is ahead.

Therefore, one of the meanings of consecration is to be focused or to be single-minded. In Mount Sinai, the Israelites were to spend all their time in preparation for their meeting with God. In Jordan, they were to spend all their time and effort in preparation to cross the river and enter the promise land. To be consecrated is to be fully devoted to God or to something. “Consecrate yourselves” means “Devote yourselves to one task.” Think of nothing else. Do nothing else.

This is a timely advise for us today. It is easy to be distracted. Have you ever wondered why having sexual relations was specified as something they should abstain from in Exo 19:15? It is because it can distract them from their preparations. They were asked to be single-minded and abandon their fleshly desires in the meantime. There is something profound here. Sex is not bad in itself. It is good. So God asked the Israelites to stay away even from good. Consecration is not only getting rid of dirt in our lives. It is also giving up even the good things in our lives that may hinder us from loving and serving God.

The word entertainment literally means “to keep (tain from Latin tenere) someone in between (inter). To entertain someone is to keep someone preoccupied while waiting for the next task. Entertainments keep us from being bored until the next task comes. So basically, entertainment is something we do in between tasks. Entertainment keeps us distracted, excited, or in suspense. The problem is when entertainment becomes our life, when it becomes the center of our schedule, to the point of intentionally making room for it. Recreation and break is good, but we should ask ourselves: What are the things in my life, even the good ones, that are challenging my being consecrated in preparation for my God-given calling and task? Be consecrated. Think nothing but it. Do nothing but it. Hands off things that can distract. Stay focused until the job is finished.

Consecrate Yourselves I: Cleansing

Joshua 3:5 

Moses died at Mount Nebo, and after thirty days of mourning for his death, the Israelites moved their camp to Shittim. The events recorded in Joshua 1-2 all happened in Shittim. There, God spoke to Joshua. God reminded him that the conquest of the promise land is God’s work. God was about to accomplish His promises to the Abraham (Josh 1:6). But God was clear that the conquest of the promise land will not be achieved by divine fiat alone. God needed Joshua to lead the Israelites. So God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous (1:6-9).

Also, in Shittim, Joshua commissioned two spies to Jericho (2:1-24, including help from Rahab). Then they immediately left Shittim and went to the banks of Jordan (3:1). Upon arriving, they did not immediately cross. Rather, they stayed there for three days. On the fourth day, in preparation for the crossing of the Jordan river, Joshua gave instructions to the people. Yes – the people have a part in the conquest. In Shittim, God declared to Joshua that He is directly involved in the conquest. But God also had commands specific for Joshua the leader. But in the banks of Jordan, Joshua turns to the people and tells them that the conquest is not only the work of God and Joshua. The people had a role to do.

Entrance to the promise land is not something that God does for us, and we just sit back and watch God and our leaders do the work. We do not just wait for the news of the conquest. Right here, at the banks of Jordan, the promise land right before our eyes, God is telling His people: you have work to do. There are many instructions in Joshua 3, including things that the priests should do (3:6-8). But what I would like to focus on was the admonition of Joshua to all the Israelites in 3:5, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

To be consecrated to the Lord is not something that Joshua can and will do for them. Only they can do this for themselves. Joshua can pray for them. Joshua can preach to them. Joshua can guide them. Joshua can lead them. Joshua can do all sorts of ministry to them. But there is one thing that the Israelites should do for themselves: they must consecrate themselves. This is something they must do. This is something that is true in the church as well. The pastor can do many things for the congregation. But there are things that you should do on your own. No matter how the pastor leads you to where we must go, there are things that are up to you. We might be at the banks of Jordan, about to enter the promise land, but we must realize that crossing it and attaining the prize is a responsibility of the whole community.

Joshua commissioned the people to consecrate themselves. His statement is actually repeated several times in the Old Testament. The idea of consecration for the sake of something happening the next day or few days is quite common.

§  In Joshua 7:13, the Israelites were called to consecrate themselves in preparation for the judgment of the sinner in their midst the following day (sin of Achan story).

§  In Numbers 11:18-20, they were to consecrate themselves before the miracle of quail the next day. But they are to eat meat for a whole month, until they loathe it.

§  In Exodus 19:10-11, 14-15, they were to consecrate themselves because the Lord was about to meet them in three days. It is this passage in Exodus that I would like to deal with because it provides more material to work on, and matches the expected positive outcome in Joshua 3. Perhaps the reason Joshua did not need to elaborate the command was that the Israelites already knew what to do. So we need to go back to how the people consecrated themselves in Exodus 19 for us to understand what the command meant: “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes ¹¹ and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people…’ ¹⁴ After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ Then he said to the people, ‘Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations’.”

The clues to understanding what it means to be consecrated are found in the repeated statements in the verses. The first group is…“Have them wash their clothes… they washed their clothes” (19:10, 14).

To consecrate is to set apart. To consecrate ourselves to God is to offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices (Rom 12:1). It is to dedicate our whole to God. It is to devote ourselves to Him. When God said that they should wash their clothes, what did this mean? Was God mysophobic or germophobic? Was it about physical presentability? Does He care about how we look?

In one sense, it is about acceptable offerings. Contrary to the opinion of the world, God is actually choosy. If He has specific demands about animal sacrifices, would He not be strict about us when we offer ourselves to Him? In Malachi 1, it was precisely about terrible offerings that God complained about: “When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty (Mal 1:8). Reminding them about His commands in Leviticus 22:21-22 and Deuteronomy 15:21, God continued to complain: “When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the Lord. ¹⁴ “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations” (Mal 1:13-14).

It is important for us to realize that God desires the best from us. The world has its own view of God and who God should be. The world “acceptance” is used almost nonchalantly these days. People argue like this: “I am who I am. I do not want to change. I like who I am. I enjoy who I am. I am happy what I am. God will love me just as I am.” And so these people want to offer themselves to God and expect God to accept them, without the necessary cleansing required from them. The world wants a God who accepts “consecrated people who are full of dirt.” The world does not understand a God who requires transformation. The world does not understand a God who demands holiness. The world wants a God who accepts unconditionally.

But God’s commands are clear: Consecrate yourselves by getting rid of the dirt that you accumulated in your selves. Be clean. When we set apart yourselves to God, we should not carry our old dirt with us. The Israelites have been wandering the desert, and they have accumulated a huge amount of dirt in their clothing. In meeting God with Sinai, they were to purify themselves of the gods they have accumulated from Egypt. In the crossing of the Jordan, they were about to enter the promise land. It was time to get rid of the filth of the wilderness. They were to start anew.

The terms used for “washing” in Exodus 19 come from the Hebrew root word kabac. What’s interesting about kabac is that it is a washing that involves continuous beating. It is a term most appropriate to use when washing clothes in the river, in which the washer beats the clothes with a rock or a paddle. The idea is that the dirt is so entrenched in the fiber of the clothes that beating it out of clothes is the only way. When King David sinned against Bathsheba and asked for forgiveness, his prayer for cleansing used the same Hebrew term. When he prayed, “cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Ps 51:7), he was saying that sin has permeated his entire being that God would need to beat it out of him. Kabac is not washing or cleansing that is enjoyable; it is actually a painful experience. It is this kind of washing that was required from the Israelites if they were to consecrate themselves to God.

It is totally illogical to have already crossed into the new life while carrying our old accumulated dirt. Consecration is separation from sin and being cleansed. This cleansing is a painful experience, and demands from us the willingness to be placed under God’s rod. What are you willing to give up for the sake of experiencing the “amazing things” that has prepared for you? What old sins have you been keeping with you that need to be washed away? 

Changes and Crossroads

The Israelites left Egypt and after forty-four days, they arrived at the desert of Sinai. They stayed in front of Mount Sinai for eleven months and five days (Num 10:11), then they left to arrive at Kadesh-barnea (Num 20:1). Because of their sins (unbelief because of the spies’ reports), God proclaimed that none of them (including Moses who allowed the exploration), except Joshua and Caleb, would enter the promise land (Deut 1:19-46). So the Israelites spent thirty-eight years at Kadesh-barnea ( Deut 1:46). When they finally left Kadesh, they went around the Mount of Seir (Deu 2:1) until they were finally commanded by God to head north to the promise land (Deut 2:3). Just when they were about to enter the promise land, Moses died at Mount Nebo (Deut 3:21-29; 32:49-52; 34:1-14).

God appointed Joshua to be Moses’ successor (Deut 31:1-8), so when Moses died, we read that indeed, Joshua became the leader of the Israelites (Deut 34:9). After mourning for thirty days (Deut 34:8), the Israelites started to make preparations to enter the promise land. At Shittim, God spoke to Joshua:

“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. ³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.⁴ Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵ No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

⁷ “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Josh 1:2-9).

Joshua was told by God to be strong and courageous three times (1:6, 7-8, 9). If I were Joshua, and God told me the same things thrice within five minutes, I would have two things in mind. First, I would be terrified. The fact that God would need to remind me to be strong and courageous implies that there are a lot of challenges and dangers ahead. Secondly, I would do massive self-introspection and ask myself: “Am I really a sissy in the eyes of God?”

But actually, God’s repeated words to Joshua make a lot of sense. They are actually very helpful. Even though most of us are not leaders like Joshua, there is something about the experience of Joshua at the very beginning of his career that is very similar to us. The similarity is change. And we need the same advice that God gave him to face the changes that we decided for ourselves or we encounter in our lives.

A related word to “change” is “new.” Whenever there is a change, there is something new. And I honestly think that dealing with change and what is new is one of the greatest problems of Christians. It is when we face change and the new that our faith actually reaches an important crossroad. How we manage ourselves and respond to God’s voice when these new things arrive affect us at a much deeper level than we think it would. Examples are: 

• You are now in high school or college. What are you gonna do with your new freedom?
• You are now a college graduate. What are your plans in relation to God?
• You entered a relationship. How will that affect your life now? 
• You got a raise. What do you do with your extra money? 
• You have a new schedule (school or work). How is your Bible reading? 
• You have a new change in family affairs. How about your ministry? 
• You learned that you are sick. How are you going to respond? 
• You migrated. Will you find a new church? 
• Someone you love died. Do you still love God?

We all encounter new experiences. We always deal with change. We may not realize it, but majority of the compromises we make in our Christian lives are related and are in response to these new things and changes.

This is why I said we can resonate with Joshua’s experience. Joshua was facing something new in his life. A nation was looking up to him to work wonders like Moses did for them. People were relying on him. Let us also not forget that at this point, Joshua was a newbie leader. Compared to Moses, he was a bit inexperienced. Also, he was about to embark on a military journey. It would have been nice if Canaan was only filled with grapes and awesome fruit, but unfortunately, it was also a land of giants and fortified cities. Is it not true that our experience of changes and of the new is like that of Joshua’s? When we face the new in our lives, we are faced with many uncertainties. How we respond to our new situation will determine whether we are able to lead others, defeat enemies, and enter the promise land.

So how can we face the new, and still be brave and courageous?

Strong and Courageous: Believe in God’s Promises

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them” (Josh 1:6)

God’s command to be strong and courageous was accompanied by a promise. Yes, Joshua was in a new situation, but he was reminded about an old promise. He was in an unchartered territory, but with a clear destination. He did not know where to begin, but he already knew the ending. The promise of a good future can make us strong and courageous. It is easier to give up on a quest, mission, or goal if we do not have a clear picture of the future. God’s command to be strong and courageous is doable because He accompanies it with a promise. When God sets the future, the future is certainly set.

Joshua was about to face giants and fortresses but he can be strong and courageous because God Himself made a promise long ago, and God does not go back on His word. When God talks about the future, you bet it is a sure future. Joshua knew that God was a God who fulfills His words. He heard Moses once who said, “It was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deut 7:8). Joshua already experienced how God fulfilled His promises, so he knew that when God reminded him about His promise to lead them to the promise land, Joshua did not doubt God at all. God is faithful to His words (Deut 7:9). “God is not human that he should lie… Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Num 23:19). The fascinating thing is that before Joshua died, he reflected about his life, and this was what he said to the Israelites: “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you had failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed’ (Josh 23:14).

Strong and Courageous: Follow God’s Prescriptions

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it” (Josh 1:7-8)

These verses provide a good counterbalance to Joshua 1:6. We might be tempted to think that God’s promises for a good future will automatically result in a good future, regardless of what we do with our lives. It must be remembered that at the time when God spoke to Joshua, the Israelites were still at the borders of the promise land. It is true that God will accomplish His promises, but this does not mean that we are to idly sit and not become responsible. God’s promises must be accompanied by obedience.

Be strong and courageous. If you are feeling down and weak, remember God’s promises, but also meditate upon the Word of God and obey it. Strength is found not only in God’s promises but also in knowledge of the Word of God. Too many people have no good relationship with the Word of God that when they face new things in their lives, they easily fall away. We cannot hope to be strong in our faith and brave to face our Goliaths if we are not rooted in the Word.

Strong and Courageous: Remember God’s Presence

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Josh 1:9).

If we are to be strong and courageous in facing the new, we should not only trust in God’s promises and obey God’s prescriptions; we should also remember God’s presence. Perhaps this is the most important of these three. We must remember that we are not alone. Whatever new experiences we have—whatever new challenges we face, whatever new circumstances we are in, whatever new sinkhole have we stepped on, whatever new situation come our way—we must not forget the God is with us wherever we are and whatever we are going through.

At the end of the day, we cannot rely on our own strength and courage. We cannot rely on our own self-motivation. We cannot rely on our own resolve. We can only rely on God’s presence. Our courage can only come from the awareness that even though we are walking in the valley of death or that we are in the presence of our enemies, God is with us and His rod and staff comfort us. When we face new situations in life, we must remember that God is with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. These were Moses’ parting words to Joshua as well: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut 31:6), which he repeated, “Be strong and courageous… The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deut 31:8).

Conclusions

God does not wish that the changes in our lives become the means we separate ourselves from Him. Sometimes we think that our new circumstances give us some sort of a license to lie low or withdraw a bit or even have a cool-off with God. We use the changes in our careers as an excuse not to continue to serve. We use the changes in our financial situations as an excuse not to give our tithes and give generously. We use the changes in our schedules not to participate in godly activities.

We do not realize that these moments in our lives are the most crucial tampering moments, when we must place ourselves on the anvil of the Lord so that He can mold us. Changes in our lives are the most crucial crossroads in our relationship with God. How we respond to our new situation definitely mold us into who we are now and who we will be someday. If we are used to making excuses, then what can we expect from us someday? But if we can use these changes in our lives in order to have a “leap of faith,” then we are actually growing.

It is very easy for us to be tempted to rely on our own selves when we face the new. We think we can handle things. We think we can adjust. We underestimate change and do not think about it much. We do not think of the implications of our new situations, until we are already shocked that our inability to deal with the new has already given us drastic consequences. When the new comes, we have to be strong and courageous by remembering God’s promises, relying on His Word, and remembering His presence. 

How NOT to Enter the Promise Land

Deuteronomy 32:48-52; Numbers 20:2-12


In Change is Coming, one of the most important crossroads in the history of the Israelites happened. They have been wandering in the wilderness of suffering, punishment, and death for 40 years. The left Kadesh-barnea, stayed some more days at the periphery of Mount Seir, then finally God said: “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north” (Deut 2:3). With much excitement, the Israelites immediately obeyed, and in Deuteronomy chapter 2, we read that their journey to the promise land was quite glorious. They easily defeated Sihon king of Heshbon (2:24-37) and Og king of Bashan (3:1-9).

But when we come to Deuteronomy 3:21-29, we read a very sad passage. Moses declares to the assembly that although they were on the way to the promise land, Moses will actually be unable to enter it. And truly, when we reach the end of the book, we read Moses’ death at Mount Nebo just before the Israelites are about to enter the land flowing with milk and honey (34:1-8). Such a tragic story. Moses’ long career as a leader was brilliant. He is undoubtedly one of the most important people in the history of the Israelites. The book of Deuteronomy ended with a high praise for Moses: “No prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, ¹¹ who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. ¹² For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel” (Deut 34:10-12). And yet this good man was not allowed by God to enter the promise land.

After the mention of Moses’ inability to enter the promise land, the book of Deuteronomy continues to narrate the laws. Basically, Moses enumerates things that they should do and not do when they are already living in the promise land. Then near the end of the book, we come to the fulfilment of Moses’ words that he would not be able to enter the promise land. Deuteronomy 32:49-52 narrates:

“Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. ⁵⁰ There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people. ⁵¹ This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. ⁵² Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.”

This is really said, is it not? Deuteronomy 2 was a glorious way to start the book. The chapter exuded hope and good change in the state of affairs. Everyone, including Moses, was looking forward to enter the promise land. They were about to head north. But Moses was denied access.

There are many things that are important here. I believe that all of us want to head north. We do not want to live in the wilderness. We do not want to remain in the place of drought and death. As much as possible, we want to escape from a life of suffering. This is true both in relation to our physical and spiritual lives. We all want to head north, to the land of abundance. We are probably on the way there now. But the question is: Can we get there? Are we among the Israelites who will enter Canaan, or are we like Moses, who only saw the beauty of the land, but was never able to enter it? These are extremely disturbing questions.

Deuteronomy 32:51 says that Moses was not allowed to enter the promise land” because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites.” In order to understand what God meant here, we need to look at what happened at Meribah Kadesh, recorded in Numbers 20:2-12:

Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. ³ They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! ⁴ Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? ⁵ Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

⁶ Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ⁸ “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

⁹ So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. ¹⁰ He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” ¹¹ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

In Deuteronomy 32:51, there appears to be two reasons why Moses was unable to enter the promise land. In reality, however, these two are interrelated, and the first can be subsumed under the second. Moses’ primary sin is summarized in the statement: “because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites.”

How did Moses not uphold God’s holiness among the people? The answer is a bit tricky. The Hebrew word for holiness in the verse was qiddastem, which comes from the root word qoddesh. Literally, qoddesh means “to be separate,” and in the Old Testament, it has three layers of meaning: (1) the separateness of God, referring to His glory as the completely Other, (2) separation for God, and (3) separation from sin. In Deuteronomy 32:51, qoddesh is obviously more related to the separateness or otherness of God. Moses’ sin was that He failed to bring honor to the One God who is exalted among everyone. Moses neglected to bring glory to God. It is important to note that it was God’s holiness that was not upheld by Moses. It was not about Moses’ holiness; the offense is about God’s holiness.

The statement, “you broke faith with me” (32:51) actually explains how Moses did not uphold God’s holiness among the Israelites. The Hebrew word used in the verse is maaltem. The root word of maaltem is ma’al, which literally means “breach of trust” or “treachery.” It is to be entrusted with something but failing to accomplish or do it. In short, at Meribah Kadesh, Yahweh saw that Moses committed treachery against God.

But what are the evidence of Moses’ treachery in the story? Quite simply, in the story, Moses was entrusted a mission, but he used the mission to betray God and use the mission for his own good. His mission was to glorify God. It must be remembered that everything God did for the Israelites was so that God’s greatness will be made known to the world. We see this throughout the Old Testament:

“But this is why I have let you live: to show you my power, and to make my name resound through all the earth” (Exo 9:16)

“Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, so that he might make known his mighty power” (Ps 106:8)

Moses was given the privilege of being God’s instrument of performing a miracle in the midst of the Israelites so that His name is glorified. But Moses took the glory that should belong to God alone. Moses misunderstood when God said, “You will bring water out of the rock” (Num 20:8). When He faced the Israelites, he forgot God entirely. He asked the people: “Must we bring you water out of this rock?” (Num 20:11).

But how did this happen? What tempted Moses to do this? The answer is also found in the story. The story begins with the fact that Moses’ leadership was under attack: “The people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They quarreled with Moses…” (Num 20:2-5). They blamed Moses and Aaron for their miserable life in the wilderness. They accused Moses and Aaron as incompetent leaders, failing to provide good food for their subjects. And we read that Moses and Aaron became so discouraged. They “went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown” (Num 20:6). But when God gave the solution, Moses used God’s intervention to vindicate himself as the worthy leader of Israel.

As soon as he gathered the people, he rebuked them harshly, as if ridiculing them: “Must we bring you water out of this rock?” (Num 20:11). It was basically a sarcastic question meant to humiliate “rebels” (Num 20:10). He used the miracle to vindicate his own leadership. He forgot that he was only the instrument, not the doer of the miracle. When Yahweh said that Moses “did not uphold my holiness among the people” (32:51), He was saying that he did not give God the glory due His name (see Ps 29:2; 96:7-8; 1 Chron 16:29).

God’s complaint was “You did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites” (Num 20:12). In short, Moses was swept away by the momentary need to vindicate his own leadership so he was tempted to claim the glory that should belong to God. He did not trust God that God would honor him anyway, if he honored God first.

Moses’ temptation is common to us today. People today are characterized by very low self-esteem, maybe because we are prone to compare ourselves with others: with our classmates, friends, neighbors, colleagues, workmates. Because of this low self-esteem, we are prone to develop ways in order to gain recognition of others. Henri Nouwen was right: “The more constricted our self-confidence, the greater our need to be reassured. A low opinion of ourselves reinforces our desire to receive signs and tokens of love. In a world in which so many people feel lonely, isolated, and deserted, the longing for love can often take on “inhuman” proportions. People come to expect more of each other than it is possible to give. When loneliness and low self-esteem become the main source of the longing to be loved, that longing can easily lead to a kind of desperation.”[1]

Humility as a value has become an impractical ideal. Even the people we often admire are actually the mightiest attention-seekers. We admire the popular and the renowned, and we have very little regard and are suspicious about the less popular. This is why people can only compete in the dangerous game of self-promotion. We even have a show business saying: “Bad publicity is still publicity.” 

Indeed, Jesus was right. The kingdom of God does not belong to the haughty and the proud. The kingdom of God does not belong to those who think of themselves more highly than they ought to (Rom 12:3). “Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these’” (Matt 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16-17).

We may be tempted to bring glory to ourselves, but we must always say “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory” (Ps 115:1). When people start to give us glory, we should say “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant” (Rev 19:10; 22:9). We must always have the attitude of John the Baptist: “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).

Self-worth. Self-promotion. Self-worship. All of these are idolatry. What’s the danger? The worst thing is what happened to Moses. God became a tool for his own self-gain. But also, Moses received his earthly reward, which in turn disqualified him from the greater reward. In the words of Jesus: “When you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matt 6:2-4).

The tragic story of Moses’ disobedience is actually quite crucial, because it is alluded in the Scriptures several times (Num 20:1-13; 27:13-14; Deut 1:37; Deut 32:51; Ps106:32-33). It is not true that lifting up one’s self is the only possible reason why people cannot enter the promise land. Moses faced the temptation to glorify himself in the presence of people to the point of blatant disobedience. We all face different temptations based on our current circumstances. I am sure that there are many other sins that would hinder our entrance to the kingdom. Paul was clear: “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men ¹⁰ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor 6:9-10).

In any case, the story of Moses should prompt us to ponder about our own journeys to the promise land. We must honestly ask ourselves some penetrating questions: What sin would most likely prevent me from entering the land of rest? What sin would most likely hinder me from entering the land of abundance? What sin would most likely prevent me from entering the place where God dwells? What sin would most likely prevent me from experiencing what God planned for me?

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[1] Nouwen, Letters to Marc About Jesus, 56.