Friday 1st September
Read Numbers 14:36-45
“So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it – 37 these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. 38 Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.
39 When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. 40 Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country, saying, ‘Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned!’
41 But Moses said, ‘Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! 42 Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, 43 for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.’
44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up towards the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp. 45 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.” (NIVUK)
Psalm 95 is an amazing psalm. The first half is sung in many and various ways throughout the ages and is at the heart of many a worship service filled with joy and exuberance. Those wonderful uplifting songs often stall halfway though. Very rarely do they continue into the last half of the psalm.
Yet that last half, a reflection on the disobedience of this generation condemned to die in the wilderness because of their rebellion, is equally important. The juxtaposition of outrageous joy with sombre warning is entirely appropriate. The psalmist’s point is a simple one. Those who disobey God cannot experience His joy, they are condemned to despair and death. Worship is only true if matched with obedience not presumption.
