Soon after breaking camp at Mt Sinai, Israel headed towards the promised land. They soon arrived at the southern border of the country. They sent spies to check out the land. After 40 days of spying the land, the 12 spies reported back to the camp. Unfortunately, people believed the 10 spies who had conspiracy theories. The problem with conspiracy theories is far worse today than then. It is counter information, which is more believable than the facts. Today, conspiracy theories flourish in politics, business, even on Covid 19. The church is not exempted! Conspiracy theories destroy our trust, our confidence, and our faith. I believe many people will lose heaven because they believed conspiracy theories. Beware of conspiracy theories. Lies! You can kill somebody because of conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories led Israel into rebellion and they robbed people of the hope to enter Canaan. They rejected the truth from 2 spies, Joshua and Caleb. Things went bad in the camp. People were about to stone Moses and Aaron.
Then God appeared on the scene and there was quietness in the camp. God said enough is enough, I am going to destroy everybody here. Moses pleaded with the Lord for the life of those who wanted to stone him. He pleaded for God’s forgiveness and compassion. God relented. People started bidding for going back to Egypt. God said no. God told Israel that the spies had spent 40 days spying the land of Canaan. Building on the 40 days of spying the land, God said a day for a year. Keep moving in the wilderness for 40 years. So, they knew it would take them 40 years before they get into Canaan. The 40 years’ time period was to allow every sinful person who was 20 years and above, to die before reaching the promised land. Only Joshua and Caleb, the good boys, were allowed to survive and get into the land of Canaan. So, the wandering in the wilderness began at that very moment. And round and round, they went into the wilderness. For 40 years they were going somewhere but not to Canaan. We may be thinking that we are on our way to heaven when we are not. Wandering in religious wilderness!
Close to the end of 40 years, God came to direct Israel the way to go. Deut 2:1-3. Now Moses reports of their wilderness journey. We “skirted Mt. Seir” for many days. Now to skirt is to go around the hilly country of Seir. This was done in hardship. It was a struggle. What I want us to envision is this: Israel was moving, carrying their personal luggage, driving their animals, going round and round the wilderness, but believing they were going to Canaan. Could it be, that we are also in a similar situation, wandering in spiritual wilderness but not really going into heaven. The real reason for wandering was to give time for some people to drop dead.
All the walking in the wilderness was not going to Canaan. It was wandering. We may continue consistently our religious activities while we are on a stand still spiritually. Most of us confuse being spiritual and being religious. We may be very religious and do our religious activities very well but without being filled with the Holy Spirit. We can only be spiritual when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. When Paul came to the city of Athens, as we read from Acts 17, he saw that the city had idols everywhere, idols on the streets, idols in the public places, idols in the market places, idols in the homes, idols in the temples. And people bowed down to these idols, they were worshipping these idols all the time. Paul was disturbed to see all this religiosity which was not leading them anywhere. Paul told them in Acts 17:22-23 “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.” Now here are the people of Athens, worshipping, but an unknown god. You do not know the god and yet you are worshipping that god!
“Are we hoping to see the whole church revived? That time will never come. There are persons in the church who are not converted, and who will not unite in earnest, prevailing prayer. we must enter upon the work individually. We must pray more and talk less.” Last Day Events, 195.
What I like is what happened after 40 years of wandering. God comes with a directive to Moses: “You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward.” Deut 2:3. When they turned northward according to God’s word, they travelled straight until they came to the east side of the Jordan River. And they entered the land of Canaan from the east side. When we follow God’s directives in our lives, we will arrive where we are going!
Turn northward, turn northward in your prayer life, in your generosity, social life, devotional life, to the will of God. The break through in our spiritual struggles comes when we turn northward. It is exciting when we walk in the Lord and do His good will, trusting and obeying on our journey to heaven. On our journey to heaven, turn northward! Turn northward in the study of God’s word, Turn northward in prayer, Turn northward in sharing your faith! You have been going and round and round for too long, turn northward, that is the right direction to go now.
If you feel like you are in a spiritual wilderness, you are not alone. If you feel like you are on a spiritual journey but not going anywhere, you are not alone. Almost everybody is struggling, even though many deny being in a spiritual wilderness. In a little we are going home. Let us rise and walk the walk of faith, presenting ourselves as living sacrifices to God, surrendering ourselves, baptized daily by the Holy Spirit, having victory over trials and temptations, our eyes fixed on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. In a little while, we will be going home, turn ye northward!
“You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward!” Deuteronomy 2:3
“Are we hoping to see the whole church revived? That time will never come. There are persons in the church who are not converted, and who will not unite in earnest, prevailing prayer. we must enter upon the work individually. We must pray more and talk less.” Last Day Events, 195.