Wed.’s Devo - God of Mercy and Judgment

Read: Numbers 14-15
The children of Israel are still complaining and planning treason against Moses and Aaron. They wish they had died in Egypt instead of coming out to the wilderness and being killed by the enemies here. Joshua and Caleb stood up for Moses and Aaron and told the people that the promised land was everything God had promised and that God would help them take it. So the people turned on Joshua and Caleb and talked about stoning them. God show up to defend his leaders and his word. He wanted to do away with the whole lot of people. Moses interceded for the people. What would all the people of the earth think? Everyone had heard of their great deliverance from Egypt and everyone was watching to see if their god could deliver them to their land. If God killed them all then the enemies would think God had lost. Moses gave God an earthly perspective and God listened. But God did exact judgment. The people who complained would not enter into their destiny…their children would. But for punishment, their children would have to wander in the wilderness for 40 years while their parents died off. The 8 spies who brought back an evil report all died immediately of a plague. God said, “… you will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.” What a statement. We don’t want to have God as an enemy!
Some of the people refused their punishment and tried to take the land in their own strength without the presence of God and were devoured by their enemies. We are powerless without God, but with God…all things are possible!
God gave them a way to make offerings to him to atone for their sin. This was an act of mercy on his part. Even if they sinned unintentionally, once they found out, they could repent for the whole nation and be forgiven. That was good news and it is good news for us. We can repent for our nation also and we will be forgiven.
Lord, we do repent for our disobedience as a nation. Forgive us for following after other gods and not obeying your Word. We are powerless without you. We need you! Forgive us and bless us once again.