Confessional Lutheran Ministerium

Psalm 106:37-48 NKJV

³⁷ They even sacrificed their sons
And their daughters to demons,
³⁸ And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with blood.
³⁹ Thus they were defiled by their own works,
And played the harlot by their own deeds.

⁴⁰ Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people,
So that He abhorred His own inheritance.
⁴¹ And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
⁴² Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were brought into subjection under their hand.
⁴³ Many times He delivered them;
But they rebelled in their counsel,
And were brought low for their iniquity.

⁴⁴ Nevertheless He regarded their affliction,
When He heard their cry;
⁴⁵ And for their sake He remembered His covenant,
And relented according to the multitude of His mercies.
⁴⁶ He also made them to be pitied
By all those who carried them away captive.

⁴⁷ Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.

⁴⁸ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the Lord!

In the wickedness of their idolatry, the Israelites sacrificed their children to false gods, an abomination that grieved the heart of the Lord. This is not just a moral failure; it is a rejection of the one true God. It’s a picture of the total corruption that can happen when people forget God’s covenant and turn to idols.

As we hear about the shedding of innocent blood, we are reminded of the significance of sin, which often comes with consequences that defile not only the sinner but also the land and the people around them. The wrath of God is kindled, and His people are handed over to their enemies. Their distress becomes unbearable, but even in the depths of their rebellion, God does not abandon them.

Just as Israel turned to idols, so do we. While we may not sacrifice our children to Canaanite gods, we sacrifice our time, resources, and hearts to the idols of our modern world – whether they are money, power, or pleasure. We, too, are often bent on rebellion, and our sins are like the ones described here: grave, distressing, and deserving of God’s wrath.

But notice the mercy of God. Even in the midst of His people’s sin, when they cried out to Him in their distress, He responded with compassion. “Nevertheless, He regarded their affliction, When He heard their cry” (verse 44). God’s people were delivered not by their own strength or goodness, but by the mercy of the Lord. In the same way, we have been delivered through Jesus Christ. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s covenant promises. His blood was shed, not to appease idols, but to cleanse us from the guilt of sin and restore our relationship with the Father. In our baptism, we are joined to Christ’s death and resurrection. Through faith in Him, we receive forgiveness, and God’s mercy triumphs over judgment. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we have placed idols in our hearts, and we have not followed Your commands. Have mercy on us, forgive our sins, and renew a right spirit within us. We thank You for Your great love shown to us in Christ. We trust in His sacrifice for our salvation. Hear our cry, O Lord, and deliver us for Jesus’ sake, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Numbers 16:26-50 NKJV

²⁶ And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.” ²⁷ So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children.

²⁸ And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. ²⁹ If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. ³⁰ But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.”

³¹ Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, ³² and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. ³³ So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly. ³⁴ Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also!”

³⁵ And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.

³⁶ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ³⁷ “Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to pick up the censers out of the blaze, for they are holy, and scatter the fire some distance away. ³⁸ The censers of these men who sinned against their own souls, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. Because they presented them before the Lord, therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.” ³⁹ So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned up had presented, and they were hammered out as a covering on the altar, ⁴⁰ to be a memorial to the children of Israel that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the Lord, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, just as the Lord had said to him through Moses.

⁴¹ On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.” ⁴² Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. ⁴³ Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting.

⁴⁴ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁴⁵ “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”

And they fell on their faces.

⁴⁶ So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun.” ⁴⁷ Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. ⁴⁸ And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped. ⁴⁹ Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident. ⁵⁰ So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

Our reading for today brings a conclusion to the people’s rebellion against Moses and Aaron, God’s appointed leaders. Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and 250 men rose up to question God’s authority, leading to a deadly confrontation. For their part, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were swallowed by the earth as the ground beneath them split asunder. Verse 35 tells us that fire came forth from the Lord to consume the other 250 men of the rebellion. God commanded Moses to warn the people to distance themselves from the rebels, lest they too suffer the consequences of sin. Yet, the rebellion continued, with the congregation of the people of Israel murmuring against Moses and Aaron and ultimately God prompting an outbreak of a plague which led to the death of 14,700 people. This section of Scripture serves as a grave reminder of the seriousness of rebellion against God’s authority. It’s a sobering picture of God’s holiness and justice.

Yet, amid the judgment, there is also God’s mercy. In verse 50, we see that after Aaron made atonement, the plague was stopped. God provided a way for the Israelites to be saved, even in the face of their disobedience. This foreshadows the ultimate atonement made by Christ, who stood in the gap for us by dying on the cross to take the punishment for our sins. Although we deserve judgment for our rebellion, Christ’s atoning work on the cross brings us peace with God. Through His death and resurrection, we are spared from the eternal consequences of our sin. His grace covers all our failings.

God is holy and just, and He will not tolerate rebellion. But He is also merciful, offering us forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We, like the Israelites, are called to heed His Word, trust in His mercy, and live according to His will.

Let us pray: Almighty God, we confess that we have often rebelled against Your Word, just as the Israelites did. Forgive us for the times we have disregarded Your authority and walked in our own ways. Thank You for sending Jesus, our Savior, who atoned for our sins on the cross. Through His sacrifice, we are reconciled to You, and we have eternal life in His name. Help us to live in obedience to Your Word, trusting in Your justice and Your mercy. Strengthen our faith, and guide us in all things to Your glory, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Numbers 16:1-25 NKJV

16 Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; ² and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. ³ They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”

⁴ So when Moses heard it, he fell on his face; ⁵ and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him. ⁶ Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company; ⁷ put fire in them and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!”

⁸ Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi: ⁹ Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; ¹⁰ and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also? ¹¹ Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord. And what is Aaron that you complain against him?”

¹² And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up! ¹³ Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should keep acting like a prince over us? ¹⁴ Moreover you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”

¹⁵ Then Moses was very angry, and said to the Lord, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I hurt one of them.”

¹⁶ And Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow, you and all your company be present before the Lord—you and they, as well as Aaron. ¹⁷ Let each take his censer and put incense in it, and each of you bring his censer before the Lord, two hundred and fifty censers; both you and Aaron, each with his censer.” ¹⁸ So every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the tabernacle of meeting with Moses and Aaron. ¹⁹ And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.

²⁰ And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ²¹ “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”

²² Then they fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?”

²³ So the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁴ “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’ ”

²⁵ Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

Rebelling against authority is a common occurrence in many facets of our lives. It happens in families, schools, government, and even in the church. In our reading for today, we hear of a serious act of rebellion against God’s appointed leadership. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, along with 250 men of Israel, challenge Moses and Aaron, questioning why they have been chosen to lead God’s people. They wanted power and position, claiming that all the people of Israel are holy, but they fail to recognize the authority of God’s chosen leaders. Their accusation isn’t just against Moses and Aaron; it’s against God Himself. They forget that God, not man, establishes authority.

Moses responds with humility. Instead of defending himself, he falls on his face, recognizing that it is God who will reveal His chosen leaders. This is a key lesson for us. In a world that promotes self-assertion and pride, Moses’ humility teaches us that leadership, authority, and greatness in God’s eyes come through service and submission to His will.

In our own lives, we may also feel tempted to challenge authority, to question why things are the way they are, or to desire control. Like Korah, we can sometimes struggle with pride, wanting to elevate ourselves above others or question God’s perfect plan for us.

This passage serves as a reminder to us about humility and trust in God’s sovereignty. God is sovereign, and He has appointed leaders and authorities for our benefit. Our role is not to seek to control or question, but to follow with a humble heart, trusting that God’s plan is always for our good and His glory.

As we reflect on this, let us examine our own hearts. Are there areas where we challenge authority or fail to trust God fully? May we surrender our pride and ambitions to God, remembering that He is in control, and He leads us with wisdom and love. Let us follow His guidance with humility, knowing that His ways are always best.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, forgive us for the times we’ve resisted Your authority. Help us to trust in Your plan, to walk in humility, and to submit to Your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Numbers 15:22-41 NKJV

²² ‘If you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses— ²³ all that the Lord has commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day the Lord gave commandment and onward throughout your generations— ²⁴ then it will be, if it is unintentionally committed, without the knowledge of the congregation, that the whole congregation shall offer one young bull as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one kid of the goats as a sin offering. ²⁵ So the priest shall make atonement for the whole congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them, for it was unintentional; they shall bring their offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their unintended sin. ²⁶ It shall be forgiven the whole congregation of the children of Israel and the stranger who dwells among them, because all the people did it unintentionally.

²⁷ ‘And if a person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring a female goat in its first year as a sin offering. ²⁸ So the priest shall make atonement for the person who sins unintentionally, when he sins unintentionally before the Lord, to make atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him. ²⁹ You shall have one law for him who sins unintentionally, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel and for the stranger who dwells among them.

³⁰ ‘But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the Lord, and he shall be cut off from among his people. ³¹ Because he has despised the word of the Lord, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.’ ”

³² Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. ³³ And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. ³⁴ They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.

³⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” ³⁶ So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.

³⁷ Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ³⁸ “Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. ³⁹ And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, ⁴⁰ and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. ⁴¹ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.”

Today’s Word presents us with a profound reminder of both the seriousness of sin and the grace of God. Even when we sin unintentionally or unknowingly, we remain accountable to God. The law required an offering for atonement, pointing to the reality that sin—no matter how unintentional—separates us from God and requires restoration. This may seem like a heavy burden, and it is. God is holy, and His commands are not to be taken lightly. Yet, for us as Christians, we know the full story. Our atonement is no longer made by bringing a physical offering, but by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, even those sins we may not consciously be aware of. In Him, we are forgiven.

In verses 32-36, we encounter the story of a man who intentionally broke the Sabbath. This incident illustrates the seriousness of transgressing the law of God. While we may not always feel the weight of our sin, Scripture reminds us that God’s commands are not arbitrary, and His holiness is not something we can casually disregard. We cannot live according to our own rules. Yet even here, the law leads us to Christ, who fulfilled the law on our behalf and bore our punishment on the cross of Calvary.

Today’s word concludes with the command to wear tassels on the corners of their garments (vv. 37-41). These tassels were to serve as a physical reminder of God’s commands and to live in holiness. As Christians, we may not wear tassels, but we are reminded daily through God’s Word and the sacraments to live in faithful obedience. We are called to remember that we belong to God and that His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your mercy and grace. Forgive us for the times we have sinned unintentionally and for the moments we have chosen disobedience. Remind us daily through Your Word, that we might live lives that honor You. Strengthen us through the work of Your Holy Spirit, and help us to live in faithfulness, looking always to the cross of Christ, our Savior. In His name, we pray. Amen.

Numbers 14:26-45 NKJV

²⁶ And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ²⁷ “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. ²⁸ Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: ²⁹ The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. ³⁰ Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. ³¹ But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. ³² But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. ³³ And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. ³⁴ According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. ³⁵ I the Lord have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’ ”

³⁶ Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, ³⁷ those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord. ³⁸ But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land.

³⁹ Then Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. ⁴⁰ And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we have sinned!”

⁴¹ And Moses said, “Now why do you transgress the command of the Lord? For this will not succeed. ⁴² Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you. ⁴³ For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.”

⁴⁴ But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop. Nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp. ⁴⁵ Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah.

We read today how the people of Israel faced the consequences of their lack of faith and disobedience. After the Israelites had heard the negative report from the ten spies, they grumbled and rebelled against God’s plan to take them into the Promised Land. Despite God’s constant provision and promises, they doubted and were afraid to trust His guidance. As a result, God pronounced judgment upon them. Their generation would not enter the Promised Land, except for Joshua and Caleb. The Israelites would wander in the wilderness for forty years, one year for each day the spies spent in the land.

Yet, even in the midst of their rebellion, God’s mercy is evident. He listens to Moses’ intercession, showing that while He is just, He is also merciful. The sin of the people brings consequences, but God does not utterly abandon them. His promise of a future for His people, though delayed, still stands.

We, too, are often quick to grumble or rebel when God’s timing or plans don’t align with our own. We may question His goodness or power in moments of trial, forgetting the cross where God displayed the ultimate faithfulness to His promises. Jesus, the true Joshua, went before us, leading us not into an earthly promised land, but into eternal life through His death and resurrection. The wilderness of sin and death was defeated, and in Christ, we have an eternal inheritance that no disobedience can take away.

Though we, like Israel, fall short of God’s perfect will, God does not leave us in our sin. He disciplines us, yes, but He does not destroy us. Like Moses who interceded on behalf of the people, Christ, our mediator, intercedes for us before the Father. Through His sacrifice on the cross, He secures for us the promise of forgiveness and eternal life. Even in the midst of our failures, God’s mercy is greater than our sin. Let us pray: Gracious God, we thank You for the mercy shown to us in Christ Jesus, our Savior, who intercedes for us and assures us of Your unfailing love. Help us to trust You more fully and to rest in the hope of the eternal promised land You have prepared for us through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Psalm 106:24-36 NKJV

²⁴ Then they despised the pleasant land;
They did not believe His word,
²⁵ But complained in their tents,
And did not heed the voice of the Lord.
²⁶ Therefore He raised His hand in an oath against them,
To overthrow them in the wilderness,
²⁷ To overthrow their descendants among the nations,
And to scatter them in the lands.

²⁸ They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor,
And ate sacrifices made to the dead.
²⁹ Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,
And the plague broke out among them.
³⁰ Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
And the plague was stopped.
³¹ And that was accounted to him for righteousness
To all generations forevermore.

³² They angered Him also at the waters of strife,
So that it went ill with Moses on account of them;
³³ Because they rebelled against His Spirit,
So that he spoke rashly with his lips.

³⁴ They did not destroy the peoples,
Concerning whom the Lord had commanded them,
³⁵ But they mingled with the Gentiles
And learned their works;
³⁶ They served their idols,
Which became a snare to them.

Today’s reading is a powerful recounting of Israel’s repeated failures and God’s enduring mercy. The psalmist highlights how the Israelites, despite witnessing God’s mighty acts of deliverance and provision, continually rejected His goodness and strayed from His will. In verses 24-25 we read how the people “did not believe His word” and “complained in their tents, and did not heed the voice of the Lord.” This mirrors the way we often respond to the Word of God. God’s commands. Rather than trusting His Word, we distrust his faithfulness and are quick to grumble and complain when things don’t go our way, forgetting that God’s ways are always for our good. In our own lives, we may not bow to golden calves as the Israelites did, but we all have idols that take the place of God’s rightful rule in our hearts.

Despite Israel’s unfaithfulness, God remained faithful. He looked upon their distress and delivered them. Even when we fail, God’s grace is greater. He is patient, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. His faithfulness never depends on our performance but on His unchanging character.

As confessional Lutherans, we believe that this grace is found only in Jesus Christ, who took on the consequences of our rebellion, died for our sin, and rose again to give us new life. When we, like the Israelites, fail and wander, we can return to Him in repentance, knowing that in Christ, God forgives all our sins.

Let us then take heart, knowing that God’s promise is sure. We are His people, redeemed by the blood of Christ, and though we, like Israel, stumble and fall, we can always trust in His mercy.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we confess that we, like the Israelites, often forget Your goodness and doubt Your promises. Forgive us for our grumbling hearts and our wandering ways. Help us to trust in Your unfailing love and to live in the grace You freely offer us through Jesus Christ. Strengthen our faith, that we may follow You faithfully. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 106:13-23 NKJV

¹³ They soon forgot His works;
They did not wait for His counsel,
¹⁴ But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
And tested God in the desert.
¹⁵ And He gave them their request,
But sent leanness into their soul.

¹⁶ When they envied Moses in the camp,
And Aaron the saint of the Lord,
¹⁷ The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan,
And covered the faction of Abiram.
¹⁸ A fire was kindled in their company;
The flame burned up the wicked.

¹⁹ They made a calf in Horeb,
And worshiped the molded image.
²⁰ Thus they changed their glory
Into the image of an ox that eats grass.
²¹ They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done great things in Egypt,
²² Wondrous works in the land of Ham,
Awesome things by the Red Sea.
²³ Therefore He said that He would destroy them,
Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach,
To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.

Reading the catalog of Israel’s sins in the wilderness can be frustrating. It is tempting to think, “How could they have sinned again?” “Why won’t they learn and believe God’s promises?” But these things were written for our learning, not so that we might puff ourselves up, but so that we might see the rebellious, unbelieving Israelite that dwells in us—our sinful flesh.

Do we forget God’s works—the good things He has graciously given us—and lust exceedingly for things God hasn’t given us? Do we envy the office God has given to our pastor and imagine that we can be our own minister? Do we build idols in our hearts by trusting things of this life for our identity and security rather than the true God and His promises? Do we forget God our Savior by living as if we were our own God? Do we forget His wondrous works for us on the cross by continuing in our sins? Do we neglect His awesome work accomplished in us in Holy Baptism by living as a child of this world rather than a child of God? For our sins, we, like Israel, deserve punishment.

But like Isael, we have one who stands in the breach between us and God’s wrath. For Israel, that one was Moses, who interceded for Israel by reminding God of His promise, saying, “Let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, ‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression” (Num 14:17-18). For us, that one is the Lord Jesus, who earned perfect forgiveness for all mankind by His death on the cross. He is the advocate of all who believe in Him, standing between them and God’s wrath, covering them with His forgiveness and righteousness. Having one greater than Moses who stands in the breach for us, let us turn away from our sins as soon as we recognize them and turn to our advocate who is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.

Let us pray: Instruct us, O Lord, from Israel’s example, that we may not sin. And if we sin, teach us from Moses’ example to look to You for mercy, as our only mediator with God the Father. Amen.

Numbers 14:1-25 NKJV 14 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. ² And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! ³ Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” ⁴ So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”

⁵ Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

⁶ But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; ⁷ and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. ⁸ If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ ⁹ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

¹⁰ And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.

¹¹ Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? ¹² I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

¹³ And Moses said to the Lord: “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them, ¹⁴ and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people; that You, Lord, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. ¹⁵ Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, ¹⁶ ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’ ¹⁷ And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, ¹⁸ ‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ ¹⁹ Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

²⁰ Then the Lord said: “I have pardoned, according to your word; ²¹ but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord— ²² because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, ²³ they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. ²⁴ But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. ²⁵ Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.”

The whole congregation of Israel rebels against the Lord. They hold the ten spies’ negative assessment of the land to be true and the Lord’s promise to give them the land false. Their rebellion reaches its height when they say to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt” (4). Joshua and Caleb, the two faithful spies, plead with the rest of Israel to take heart. The Canaanites’ protection has departed, and the Lord is with Israel. But Israel refuses to hear, opting to stone the messenger of faith. For their persistent unbelief and rebellion, the Lord will kill all Israel and make Moses into a greater nation.

But Moses intercedes for the people. He asks God to be merciful to them, not for their sake, but for the sake of His reputation. He tells God that He can be powerful, but for mercy rather than judgment. Moses restrains God’s anger by recalling to the Lord what He had revealed to him in Exodus 34:6-7. The Lord hears Moses’ prayer and pardons Israel’s sin. He will, however, punish the rebellious generation by denying them entry to the Promised Land. This will instruct those men—and their children—that God indeed punishes sin; therefore, He is to be feared, and sin and unbelief are to be avoided. Of that generation, only Caleb will enter the land, “because he has a different spirit” (24), that is, a spirit who believes God’s word.

The unfaithful generation of Israel teaches us not to despise God’s promises. God punishes unbelief. If someone continues in unbelief—refusing to believe God’s word and promises—He will punish them by eternally barring them from the Promised Land of everlasting life. With this example, God would lead us to fear His judgment. Caleb, however, teaches us the kind of spirit God desires for us. He wants us to believe His threats against sin, His promise to be with us in temptation and strengthen us so that we do not sin, as well as His promises, especially His promise that if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ” (1 Jn 2:1).

Let us pray: O Lord, Your power is chiefly demonstrated in showing mercy. Forgive our sins for the sake of your Name and, by Your Holy Spirit, give us a different spirit which heartily believes Your promises as Caleb did. Amen.

Numbers 13:17-33 NKJV ¹⁷ Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, ¹⁸ and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; ¹⁹ whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; ²⁰ whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

²¹ So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near the entrance of Hamath. ²² And they went up through the South and came to Hebron; Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) ²³ Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs. ²⁴ The place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the men of Israel cut down there. ²⁵ And they returned from spying out the land after forty days.

²⁶ Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. ²⁷ Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. ²⁸ Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. ²⁹ The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”

³⁰ Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” ³² And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. ³³ There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

The spies bring back good fruit and bad fruit. The good fruit consisted of literal fruit, a cluster of grapes so large it had to be carried by two men on a pole, pomegranates, and figs. These fruits were a visible sign to Israel that the land into which God was leading them was good. The spies could not deny what God had told Israel on multiple occasions, “It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit” (27).

There are dangers, to be sure. The land of Canaan is full of Canaanites! They are strong, their cities are fortified. The sons of Anak are there, who are not physical giants but are like the Nephilim of old, tyrants who fall cruelly and violently upon others. God often allows challenges such as these to exercise faith. Caleb brings back the fruit of the land and the fruit of faith: his confession that, because of God’s promise, “we are well able to overcome it” (30).

Ten of the spies, however, bring back the fruit of the land and the fruit of unbelief. They speak against God’s promise. They do apply God’s word to the challenges that come with obtaining the Promised Land. They allow what they see with their eyes and experience within themselves to be truer than God’s promise to give them the land. They did not believe that God could defeat the Canaanites even though they had seen the Lord’s victory over the Egyptians with their own eyes. They only saw the strength of their opponents and their own insignificance.

God’s gifts often bring challenges with them. God allows these challenges so that our faith might be exercised. He wants us to view His word and promises as true and walk by faith in them so that we view all things in life through His word, as through a lens. When we are confronted with challenges, temptations, trials, or afflictions, we walk by faith, not by sight, trusting that, with God’s promised help and salvation, whatever the challenged, “we are well able to overcome it.”

Let us pray: Grant us Your Holy Spirit, O Lord, that we walk by faith in Your promises, and not by what we see in the world and experience within ourselves. Amen.