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Seeing Life Through Scripture

These chapters challenge us to find a balance between common sense and divine guidance. I’m turned off by those people who solve all issues by saying, “The bottom line is this . . .”—and by the “bottom line” they mean the expedient, the politically advantageous, the financially beneficial. But I’m equally troubled by the person who says, “The Lord told me to. . . .” Now where is the middle ground?

The Israelites were led miraculously. “Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, resting upon it, the Israelites would remain in camp and would not set out; but when it lifted they would set out” (Numbers 9:22). When they were near their destination, they did a commonplace thing: They appointed a committee to do a research project. And this was no act of the doubting and the unduly cautious; they did so because “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Send men to spy out the land’ ” (13:1). This committee action went wrong, but it isn’t because the idea was flawed—only its execution.

So when do we use our common sense, and when do we wait for the indefinable prodding of the Holy Spirit? To what degree does God expect us to compile data and use the brains we’ve been given, and to what degree do we expect a cloud or a pillar of fire? And even when we’ve collected the data, where does faith enter the picture?

The Sum of It All

“The land that we went through as spies is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey” (Numbers 14:7-8).