In the Book of Exodus, God brought His people out of Egyptian slavery to the banks of the Jordan River and said, “This land (the Promised Land) across the river is yours. I have already given it to you. Now go in and possess it.” (Paraphrased). But after they sent 12 leaders to go check out everything, to see if what God had said was true, ten of the men spread fear among the people with a report of giants in the land and only two had the faith to do what God said. There really were giants in Canaan, but God said the land had been given to Israel. Two of the Israelites, Joshua and Caleb, chose God’s word over what their eyes told them. They said, “We are well able to do it” because they had faith in what God said. Ten men spread fear to the whole nation; consequently the nation refused to go in and occupy the property that God had said was theirs. You can find the story in Numbers 13-14. The first generation that was miraculously delivered from Egypt never attained to the fullness of what God had for them.

I always say the Israelites were the Old Testament “church.” They were God’s people, the ones He chose to show favor to and to bless and protect.

1 Corinthians 10:1-5 says, “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ…” All were baptized, all had the same food, all saw the supernatural protection and deliverance of God. To my mind, they were all what we call today, “believers.”

This passage goes on to say about the group, “But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” Later it says that these things were written for our instruction to teach us to avoid the things they did. 1 Cor. 10:11.

Let this not be us in this time in history!

Hebrews 3:15 says, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”The rebellion”refers to that group of Israelites who would not obey the voice of God in the wilderness. Hebrews 4:6 refers to “…those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience….”

So what are the things that God tells us to do? What exactly is the “land” we are to “take”? What are the things He has promised us?

2 Peter 1:3 says “He has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness.” If He has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness, then why don’t we have them? Why aren’t we experiencing the good things that God has promised to us? We are promised peace, joy, blessings, provision, healing, freedom from sin. Why do many believers not experience these promises in their lives?

The promise in 2 Peter 1:3 is for all of us who are born again. All the promises of God are yes and amen. 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” God is not withholding from us. He is not the author of all the evil we see in the world. He is only good.

Are we today like Israel’s first generation who refused to believe the promise? Or are we like the second generation who went forward in faith and claimed the inheritance that God said was theirs? Just as the second generation of the Israelites made the decision to enter the Promised Land and do battle for it, we too must make the decision to “go get” the promises that God has given to us. We must decide to appropriate them just like they did. We appropriate the promises of God through prayer and faith and action.

Both generations made a choice: one to disobey in fear and one to obey in faith. The ones who disobeyed died without gaining their inheritance. The ones who obeyed conquered the land and got their inheritance. They saw victory.

We are not accustomed to making decisions based on what we cannot see with our natural eyes. We are not accustomed to exercising faith in many matters. Most of the church does not know how to overcome their own emotions and to stand in faith in order to receive their promises. We live by our feelings way too much. That is why we do not have victory in our lives. That is why we do not accomplish what God desires.

1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

God has wondrous things in store for us, things we have never imagined. Let us not be like the Israelites who refused to go in and inherit that land God had given them. Let us determine to receive everything He has for us.