NO VICTORY LAPS!

  Wide-eyed and unbelieving, the Israelites have traveled the distance from the land of Goshen, Egypt as freed slaves and now they are at the threshold of the Land promised by to God to them.  Even with the promise of the Land, God going before them, a land of "milk and honey", Moses and Aaron,  the  report is given and the people choose to believe the report of the majority of the spies, and rebel against the LORD GOD.  Moses intercedes in prayer for them, God forgives their rebellion, however the cost for rebellion and unbelief will be forty years..."a year for each of the forty days you explored the land..you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you."  HE reminds them that they have tested HIM and disobeyed against HIM ten times.  Upon hearing the consequences of their rebellion, they mourn, weep bitterly, confess they have sinned, and agree to go up to the place the Lord promised them. 

 Even though the cloud of the Lord nor the Ark of the Covenant has left the Tent of Meeting, the people
prepare to go up, regardless.   Moses gives them the grave warning:  You are disobeying the LORD in going up, the LORD is not going with you, you will not succeed!  When we are intent in operating in the control of our "flesh" rather than obedience and yielding to the control of the Indwelling Spirit, there will be no victory.  Scripture records, "Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the hill country"..they came down, in defeat of being attacked and beaten by the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in the hill country.  

Of course, the Israelites at this time did not have the Indwelling Holy Spirit, but they had God speaking and guiding them with His presence of the cloud and a pillar of fire, Moses and Aaron.  They had information!  Moving to you and me...in our presumption (pride), defeat or success, what have we done under the control of flesh?  What has been the cost to ourselves and our relationships?  Proverbs 13:15, says it so much more direct, "Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard."  Our Loving Father intends the way of the flesh to be hard/perpetual, rough so that we will turn away from those choices.  The danger of the flesh route for the Christ follower is that being unfaithful, a transgressor, a rebellious person can become my mindset or personae...the way I choose to operate which will affect my every relationship!   Oh Holy Spirit of God finger the presumption!  Forever learning.  In process.  #IHAVETHREESONS.   How I desire to make a victory lap!