Presumptuous
Because of the pride that naturally comes from not seeking the Lord as we should; it’s easy to become presumptuous based on how things appear. This is what Israel did. Those who came back with the negative report in Numbers 14 were killed by a plague. After those remaining saw this; they took it upon themselves to go up to Canaan themselves to attempt to inherit the land. This they did without seeking the Lord. They were used to being presumptuous and making choices off of what appeared to make sense instead of seeking the Lord. This is also a result of the broken. Sometimes, we can get so busy, even as believers, and fail from seeking the Lord, and in our presumption make poor choices. A little humility to stop, be still, listen to wise counsel, and seek the Lord will prevent unnecessary mistakes made in presumption.
After ignoring the warning of Moses not to go up to Canaan because God was not with them in their decision; the children of Israel went up anyway and they simply got a beat down.
Nevertheless, in their presumption, they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah. – Numbers 14:44-45
Destroyed or Preserved
Ultimately, we all have a choice in how we will navigate uncomfortable circumstances that come to stretch us and build our faith so that we can handle promise. Moses, Caleb, and Aaron were in the same boat. They all were in a foreign land making passage to a land of promise by faith. Even though they were in the same boat facing the same circumstances, not all of them had the same outcome.
Some were destroyed due to lack of faith, unbelief, competition, control, contempt toward the Lord, and all-out rebellion. All of the negative things mentioned were a choice. Just like Caleb, Moses, and Aaron chose to have faith–so can we. Now Moses, Caleb, and Aaron were not perfect by any means, but they trusted in the Lord. That is the lesson that has to come out of this whole series. We have to be able to recognize when we are exhibiting characteristics of one who is broken, and address those characteristics with the things that make us whole such as humility, seeking the Lord, faith, the Word of God, and having the right perspectives. We do not have to be destroyed while we are in transition from one place of faith to the next. We do not have to allow ourselves to remain broken when we do face challenges that break us, but we can by God’s grace and our choice be preserved to enjoy life in the next season of our personal promised land.
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