Spurning His Word

Spurning His Word

When Israel was gathered together against Yahveh (the Lord) and heard they would be destroyed in the wilderness, “the people mourned greatly” (Numbers 14:39). Of course they mourned, they just received a death sentence. “In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, ‘Here we are; we have indeed sinned, but we will go up to the place which Yahveh God has promised.’ But Moses said, ‘Why then are you transgressing the commandment of Yahveh, when it will not succeed?’” (Numbers 14:40-41). It was too late. They had tested Him too many times and even their repentance did not bring His favor.

Moses said, “Do not go up, or you will be struck down before your enemies, for Yahveh is not among you” (Numbers 14:42). The Almighty had departed. Remember the good report from Caleb was, “Yahveh is not with our enemies, He is with us” (Numbers 14:9). Now it is completely reversed, Yahveh is with their enemies to destroy them; He is no longer with them. They went up anyway, and then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill county struck them and beat them down as far as Hormah (see Numbers 14:45). They were defeated.

Yahshua (Jesus) says to the multitudes, “I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from me, all you evildoers” (Luke 13:27). “Depart from Me, you hypocrite, you evildoer, you do not do the will of My Father” (see Matthew 7:21-23). Whether He departs or you depart from Him, there is a chasm, an impassable chasm, between the rebel and Yahveh (the Lord). They have spurned His word, spurned His Commandments, and whitewashed His Word. “Therefore this iniquity will be to you like a breach about to fall, a bulge in a high wall, whose collapse comes suddenly in an instant” (Isaiah 30:13) and all evildoers will be crumbled under it.