Numbers 14:41-45: a reflection

41Moses said, “Why now do you disobey the commandment of the LORD, since it shall not prosper? 42Don’t go up, for the LORD isn’t among you; that way you won’t be struck down before your enemies. 43For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and you will fall by the sword because you turned back from following the LORD; therefore the LORD will not be with you.” 44But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. Nevertheless, the ark of the LORD’s covenant and Moses didn’t depart out of the camp. 45Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down even to Hormah.

After the people of Israel had refused to enter the promised land in fear, and God had told them they would not enter it, they suddenly changed their minds and presumed to go up and take it after all, without God. Moses warned them plainly: Don't go up, for the LORD isn't among you; that way you won't be struck down before your enemies. But they went up presumptuously, without the ark, without Moses, without God's presence, and they were beaten back and defeated. Their problem was not too little zeal but a fatal presumption: they tried to do what looked like God's work, but without God, after they had refused him when they should have obeyed. To go forward without God's presence, presuming to accomplish his purposes in our own strength, is futile; the LORD was not among them, and they fell. Whatever we attempt without God's presence, however zealously, cannot succeed as his work.

Notice the futility Moses names: they went up without God, and could not succeed. The LORD was not among them; Moses warned them of exactly this. Yet they presumed to go up anyway, trying to seize the land in their own strength after they had refused to trust God when they should have. And they were struck down. Their zeal was no substitute for God's presence; without him, their effort was futile. This exposes a real danger: to try to accomplish what looks like God's work, but without God, in our own strength, presuming on a success he has not promised. Such effort, however earnest, cannot succeed as his work; without his presence, we go up only to be beaten back. The work of God cannot be done without God; to presume otherwise, to go forward without his presence, is futility. What matters is not the strength of our zeal but whether the LORD is among us. Effort without God's presence is effort in vain.

That is worth taking to heart, for it is futile to try to proceed without God's presence, however zealous we are. We can try to accomplish what looks like God's work in our own strength, going forward without his presence, presuming on a success he has not promised; but Israel went up without God and were beaten back, for the LORD was not among them. Zeal is no substitute for God's presence; without him, our efforts are futile. What matters is not the strength of our resolve but whether God is with us. Do not presume to go forward without God's presence, trusting your own strength; the work of God cannot be done without God, as Israel learned when they went up without him. Do not presume to proceed without God's presence, trusting your own zeal, remembering that Israel went up to take the land without God and were struck down because the LORD was not among them; for the work of God cannot be done without God, and effort that goes forward without his presence, however earnest, is futile, so that what matters is not the strength of our zeal but whether the Lord is with us in what we attempt.

Lord, after the people of Israel had refused to enter the promised land in fear, and you had told them they would not enter it, they suddenly changed their minds and presumed to go up and take it after all, without you. Moses warned them plainly: don't go up, for the LORD isn't among you; that way you won't be struck down before your enemies. But they went up presumptuously, without the ark, without Moses, without your presence, and they were beaten back and defeated. Their problem was not too little zeal but a fatal presumption: they tried to do what looked like your work, but without you. To go forward without your presence is futile; the LORD was not among them, and they fell. Show me the futility Moses names: they went up without you, and could not succeed. The LORD was not among them; Moses warned them of exactly this. Yet they presumed to go up anyway, trying to seize the land in their own strength. And they were struck down. Their zeal was no substitute for your presence; without you, their effort was futile. This exposes a real danger: to try to accomplish what looks like your work, but without you, presuming on a success you have not promised. What matters is not the strength of my zeal but whether you are among us. Take that to my heart, for it is futile to try to proceed without your presence, however zealous I am. I can try to accomplish what looks like your work in my own strength, going forward without your presence; but Israel went up without you and were beaten back. Keep me from presuming to go forward without your presence, trusting my own strength; your work cannot be done without you, Lord, as Israel learned when they went up without you and were struck down.