Deuteronomy 1:42-46: a reflection

42The LORD said to me, “Tell them, ‘Don’t go up and don’t fight; for I am not among you, lest you be struck before your enemies.’” 43So I spoke to you, and you didn’t listen; but you rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill country. 44The Amorites, who lived in that hill country, came out against you and chased you as bees do, and beat you down in Seir, even to Hormah. 45You returned and wept before the LORD, but the LORD didn’t listen to your voice, nor turn his ear to you. 46So you stayed in Kadesh many days, according to the days that you remained.

When Israel had refused to enter the land at God's command out of fear, they then swung to the opposite error: presuming to go up and fight after God had told them not to. The LORD said, Don't go up and don't fight, for I am not among you; but they went up presumptuously, and were beaten. They had refused to go when God said go, and then insisted on going when God said don't; either way, they acted on their own terms rather than God's. The presumption of going ahead without God, when he had said he was not among them, led to their defeat; they went where God was not, presuming on a success he had not promised.

Notice the folly of going ahead without God. God had plainly said, I am not among you; do not go up. But the people went anyway, presuming to succeed without God, going where he had not sent them. Their presumption was not faith but its counterfeit: acting on their own initiative, going ahead without God's presence or promise, as though they could succeed by their own resolve. But God was not among them, and they were beaten. To go ahead without God, presuming on a blessing he has not promised, is not faith but presumption, and it does not succeed. The people learned that going where God is not, without his presence and promise, leads to defeat, not victory.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can presume to go ahead without God, and it does not succeed. We can act on our own initiative, going ahead in things God has not sent us to do, presuming on a blessing he has not promised, mistaking our own resolve for faith; but the people who presumed to go up without God were beaten. To go ahead without God's presence and direction is presumption, not faith, and it does not have his blessing. Do not presume to go ahead without God, acting on your own resolve where he has not sent you; seek his presence and direction rather than presuming on a blessing he has not promised. Do not go ahead in presumption without God's presence and direction, mistaking your own resolve for faith, as the people went up to fight when God had said he was not among them and were beaten; for to go where God has not sent us, presuming on a blessing he has not promised, is not faith but presumption, and it does not succeed without him.

Lord, when Israel had refused to enter the land at your command out of fear, they then swung to the opposite error: presuming to go up and fight after you had told them not to. The LORD said, don't go up and don't fight, for I am not among you; but they went up presumptuously, and were beaten. They had refused to go when you said go, and then insisted on going when you said don't; either way, they acted on their own terms rather than yours. The presumption of going ahead without you led to their defeat. Show me the folly of going ahead without you. You had plainly said, I am not among you; do not go up. But the people went anyway, presuming to succeed without you, going where you had not sent them. Their presumption was not faith but its counterfeit: acting on their own initiative, as though they could succeed by their own resolve. But you were not among them, and they were beaten. To go ahead without you, presuming on a blessing you have not promised, is not faith but presumption. Take that to my heart, for I too can presume to go ahead without you, and it does not succeed. I can act on my own initiative, going ahead in things you have not sent me to do, presuming on a blessing you have not promised, mistaking my own resolve for faith; but the people who presumed to go up without you were beaten. Keep me from presuming to go ahead without you, acting on my own resolve where you have not sent me; help me seek your presence and direction, Lord, rather than presuming on a blessing you have not promised, mistaking my own resolve for faith.