What Do You Hope For? / The Principle of Visualization [Heb 11:1-2] ​/ Priscilla's Preaching

New Zealand / West Side                                         Moru

 

What Do You Hope For?

/ The Principle of 

Visualization 

 [Heb 11:1-2] 

 

​/ Priscilla's Preaching

 

/ By Priscilla

 

Hymn 382

/ We are Bound for

Canaan  Land

 

"Now faith is being sure 

of what we hope for and 

certain of what we do not see. 

 

This is what the ancients 

were commended for."

(Heb 11:1-2)

 

1. What do you hope for?

 

Do we see the environment 

and situation we are in?  

 

The invisible situation in faith is reality. 

In reality, it does not seem to exist, 

but the world of the 4th dimension,

that is, the spirit world, does exist. 

(Num 13:26)

 

After reaching Kadesh in the 

Desert of Paran, the 12 men after

40 days of spying reported to

Moses, Aaron, and the whole

Israelite community.  

 

See how they reported to them.

 

"They came back to Moses

and Aaron and the whole Israelite 

community at Kadesh in

the Desert of Paran.

 

There they reported to them and

to the whole assembly and showed

them the fruit of the land.

 

They gave Moses this account:

"We went into the land to

which you sent us, 

 

and it does flow with 

milk and honey!

Here is its fruit." 

(Num 13:26-27)

 

2. How do you see it?

 

Looking at their views 

of God's Promised Land, 

 

we can see two distinctly 

different views: a positive 

view and a negative view.

(Num 13:28-33)

 

As we can see in Numbers 13:28 

and 29, the way they faced the

 problem is the view from the 

 negative rather than the positive. 

 

Their thoughts are as follows. 

 

1) The people who live there are powerful,

2) The cities are fortified and very large

 

If we look at the scriptures, we can 

see conflicting claims at this very point.

 

Caleb, who went out on spying 

with them, spoke the opposite way 

(Num 13:30),

 

but 10 out of 12 men

strongly developed the story

in a negative view.

 

The problem is that those 

with a common negative opinion

of the majority actively make

strong arguments.

 

Caleb’s opinion,

‘we should go up and take

possession of the land,’ 

was completely ignored, 

 

and many reported negatively 

and strongly expressed their 

opinions as follows. 

(Num 13:31-33)

 

1) The land is bad.

2) Resident people are tall (giants)

3) 'We are nothing more 

than grasshoppers.'

 

Thus, the conclusion they

reached is the confession, 

'We cannot do it...'. 

 

They lost the authority of God

they believed in, and without

a sense of chosen people, 

 

they criticized the land of Canaan, 

the promised land of God,

flowing with milk and honey.

 

If God's chosen people had had

a sense of trust in God under 

any circumstances, would they

have shown such an attitude?

 

If the same situation applies to us,

sending us there and asking us 

questions like they did, 

how will we respond?

 

Do you want to do what 

He tells you to do, like 

Caleb and Joshua, 

 

and try to overcome your 

circumstances by obedience?  

 

Or would you raise opinions 

that insist on opposing arguments, 

such as the opinion of 10 men?

 

If we trust in God, we must obey Him

even when God gives us excessive

words and commands.

 

That's because God's thoughts 

are broad, great, deep, and high. 

Therefore, even though it looks

impossible with our thoughts, 

there is one thing we must

remember: 

 

'God gives life to the dead 

and calls things that are not

as though they were.'

 

The people of Israel heard 

the men's negative reports, 

 

and the negative viewpoints 

motivated the concerns in their

consciousness, creating a 

sense of insecurity.

 

Before they knew it, the thought of

losing their trust in God took root 

in their consciousness, 

 

and the Israelites eventually

wept bitterly against God.

 

"That night all the people of 

the community raised their

voices and wept aloud...

 

... Why is the LORD bringing us to 

this land only to let us fall

by the sword? 

 

Our wives and children will be

taken as plunder. 

 

...Wouldn't it be better for us 

to go back to Egypt?"...

 

...Then Moses and Aaron fell

facedown in front of the whole 

Israelite assembly gathered there. 

(Num 14:1-5)

 

Through the ten men who 

expressed negative views, 

the negative seeds in the 

Israelites' hearts and minds

gave birth to doubts and anxiety,

 

and eventually, the congregation 

gathered and wept and cried ou

t to bring them back to Egypt.

 

Seeing this situation, 

why did Moses and Aaron 

fall facedown in front of the 

whole Israelite assembly 

gathered there, a flock of sheep

entrusted to them by God?

 

In the past, Moses, who was

powerful, strong, and energetic 

in battle, was called by God 

 

and went through harsh training 

in the wilderness to become

Moses full of humbleness

at that time.

 

As a result, Moses' love for

the people was so great that

he even fell facedown in front 

of the whole Israelite assembly 

 

in order to convince those who

disobeyed God's commands

and had doubts and rages. 

 

We cannot help but appreciate

his humble leader's attitude. 

 

Then, when they saw the leaders 

who were trying so hard to

convince them, 

 

Joshua and Caleb were outraged

in front of the congregation.

 

They were the next leaders 

who would later lead the Israelites

into the Promised Land after Moses.

 

"Joshua son of Nun and Caleb

son of Jephunneh, who were 

among those who had explored

the land, tore their clothes and said

 to the entire Israelite assembly,

 

 "The land we passedthrough and 

explored is exceedingly good.

 

If the LORD is pleased with us, 

he will lead us into that land, 

a land flowing with milk and 

honey, and will give it to us.

 

 Only do not rebel against the LORD.

And do not be afraid of the people 

of the land, because we will

swallow them up.

 

Their protection is gone, 

but the LORD is with us. 

Do not be afraid of them."

(Num 14: 6-9)

 

Today, we must return to 

that attitude, as Caleb exclaimed:

(Num 14: 6-9)

 

1) Do not rebel against the LORD.

2) Do not be afraid of the people

of the land.

3) We will swallow them up.

 

"But the whole assembly talked 

about stoning them. 

 

Then the glory of the LORD

 appeared at the Tent of Meeting

 to all the Israelites."

(Num14:10)

 

In anger, God made up his mind

to kill all his chosen people. 

(Num 14:11-12)

 

At that time, Moses offered

intercession for the people before

the angry God and earnestly

asked for relief.

(Num 14:13-19)

 

God, who was relieved of his anger,

granted a reward to Joshua and Caleb.

 

 "But because my servant Caleb 

has a different spirit and follows

me wholeheartedly, 

 

I will bring him into

the land he went to, and his 

descendants will inherit it." 

(Num 14:24)

 

However, besides them, 

God disciplined the Israelites who 

had doubts and resentments

at his command as follows.

 

Ten men who had instilled 

negative thoughts in the Israelite

community were killed.

(Num 14:20-23, 25-29, 31-35).

 

They could have entered the 

Promised Land in four days 

and completed their journey 

in the wilderness, 

 

but it was the moment when they 

entered the wilderness training 

that took 40 years due to 

their antipathy.

 

The cry of the people who suffered 

as a slave reached God's ears 

and when finally God's time came, 

 

God planned to lead them 

to the promised land of Canaan 

by using Moses as their savior,

who had been trained and

prepared in advance.

 

However, they rebelled against 

God and cried out to the people 

to return to Egypt together.

 

In the end, the Israelites were 

skeptical and resentful with negative

thoughts in the face of the Promised Land, 

the Land of Canaan, and missed the

decisive opportunity.

 

And didn't they end up going 

through the harsh trials of 40 years

in the wilderness on a journey 

that would be enough for 4 days?

 

  Those who denied God's work 

had already died in the wilderness.

 

It is truly heartbreaking that they,

who had sworn with tears before

Moses to obey God in the Desert of Zin,

 

followed in the footsteps of their

 forefathers who disobeyed 

God's command in the sight 

of the Promised Land.

 

We, too, should not judge the visible

situation through our own eyes.  

 

We need to know that the priority 

is to get rid of our grumble 

and ask for what God's will is.

 

Also, we should have a 

positive view in everything.

 

Therefore, at this time today,

it is necessary to ponder the essential

parts of the Bible as to why the people 

of Israel had been living in the

wilderness for 40 years.

 

“The part where we can see 

the heart of God” (Num14:11-35)

 

We must not become a rebellious 

people before God.  

 

We should be thankful that God 

has made us His children, 

and never let Him down.

 

"The LORD said to Moses, 

How long will these people

treat me with contempt? ...

 

...How long will they 

refuse to believe in me,

in spite of all the miraculous signs

I have performed among them?...

 

...For forty years--one year for each

of the forty days you explored the land

--you will suffer for your sins and

know what it is like to have

me against you...."

(Num 14:24-35)

 

This is the big difference between 

those who have a negative view

and those who have a positive view.

 

They started out the same. 

But what did they see? 

 

We must clearly remember that 

their views and opinions differed

so much in the results.

(Num 14:36-38)

 

"...Of the men who went to explore

the land, only Joshua son of Nun and

Caleb son of Jephunneh survived."

(Num 14:38)

 

The above scriptures are 

heartbreaking passages

 

that show that there is no use 

in missing out on the opportunity God

has given to us by grace and no matter

how much we regret it. (Num 14:39-45)

 

Therefore, no matter what

circumstance we are in, we 

must not doubt God's will, 

 

and we must not complain 

or grumble that we are in 

a difficult situation.

 

Just like Caleb and Joshua, 

let's be children who trust, obey,

and humbly follow God's will, 

commands, and promises! 

 

 

Amen

 

 

2022/08/20

 

 

/ By Priscilla