For us to attain the goal of God’s calling, the enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ to bring in God’s kingdom and become His building, we need to beware of an evil heart of unbelief.
In Num. 13-14 we see that, as a result of the evil report given by the ten spies who went to see the land and as a conclusion of their wandering through the wilderness, the people of Israel had an evil heart of unbelief.
Therefore, God came in and, of all the children of Israel who came out of Egypt, only two – Joshua and Caleb – entered the good land.
We need to learn from Joshua and Caleb what it is to represent God’s interest in this age and what it is to fight down God’s enemy.
Caleb especially is a good example, a type, and as seen in Rev. 3 and 5, the real overcomer is Christ Himself, and He wants to reproduce Himself as the Overcomer in any one of us who would pray for this and open to Him for this.
There was a contrast between the ten spies and Joshua and Caleb, for the ten spies saw the same land that Joshua and Caleb did, but they brought a negative and evil report to the people. They admitted that the land is flowing with milk and honey, but they also said that the people in the land are strong, the cities are large and fortified, and there are giants in the land (Num. 13:27-28).
They measured themselves against the enemy, and they saw themselves as being unable to go and take the land. They even said that they were like grasshoppers in their sight (v. 31-33). What kind of spirit is this?
So the people of Israel murmured against Jehovah, asking Him why would He bring them out of Egypt to this land to fall by the sword and their little ones as plunder….and they even suggested to appoint a captain for themselves and return to Egypt.
Joshua and Caleb, however, had a positive speaking; in 13:20 Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, Let us go up at once and possess the land, for we are well able to overcome it.
And in 14:7-9 they said that, if Jehovah is pleased with the people of Israel, He will bring them into this land and give it to them; only they should not rebel against Jehovah or fear the people of the land, for they are able to possess the land. In front of such a situation, Joshua and Caleb were fearless. Overcomers are fearless; they see the giants in the land, but their point of reference is God Himself.
After the twelve spies gave their report and after the people of Israel murmured against Jehovah with an evil heart of unbelief, God came in and exercised His judgement, and He promised that none of these men who have seen His glory and His signs in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tried Him for ten times, will enter into this country, except Joshua and Caleb.
Caleb had a different spirit, and he fully followed the Lord, so he was allowed to enter into the land, and his descendants took possession of it.
This is the kind of spirit we should have: a spirit of faith, a spirit of believing God’s word and not doubting it. We should therefore beware of an evil heart of unbelief and have a spirit of faith in God’s word, and He will bring us into the good land!
Not having an Evil Heart of Unbelief but having a Spirit of Faith in God’s Word
According to the record in Num. 13-14, the people of Israel had an evil heart of unbelief (see 13:31-33; 14:1-3, 9, 11). Paul refers to this in Heb. 7:4, 7-9, when he said, Do not harden your heart as in the day of the provocation, as in the day of trial in the wilderness.
The problem was the heart; the people of Israel tested and tried God ten times, and they had an evil heart of unbelief, so He was displeased with this generation, for they always went astray in their heart, and they did not know His ways.
No heart is more evil than a heart of unbelief, and nothing insults God more than an evil heart of unbelief.
For example, David committed a gross sin – he had a man murdered so that he could marry his wife, but God did not give up on him. However, the unbelief of the children of Israel in the wilderness caused God to give them up, for unbelief insults and offends not only God’s righteousness and holiness but God Himself.
Our God is a living God, and unbelief insults the living, faithful, and almighty God. If we don’t believe in God, in His work, and in His ways, we insult Him; we must therefore beware of an evil heart of unbelief.
There’s a difference between knowing God’s acts and His ways; the people of Israel knew God’s acts, His miracles, and the things He did to give them food, drink, and protection, but Moses knew God’s ways (Psa. 103:7).
God’s acts are His activities, and His ways are the principles by which He acts. The people of Israel enjoyed a daily miracle – manna, the food from heaven, but they didn’t know God’s ways, so they were always complaining and murmuring against God.
When they lacked food and water, they complained and murmured, and God acted on their behalf; therefore, they were happy temporarily, but didn’t really know God’s ways.
We may be the same – one night we may praise the Lord in the meeting, and the next morning we are complaining against God, murmuring against Him. How we need to know God’s ways and realise what are the principles of what He does!
Our God will never deny Himself; He is able, almighty, and faithful, and He will always keep His promises and fulfill His word. We need to beware lest that in any one of us there would be an evil heart of unbelief in falling away from the living Lord.
We today have the good news announced to us, even as the children of Israel also did, but this didn’t profit them, for they didn’t mix it together with faith (Heb. 4:2).
Everything depends on our heart; whether we can believe with our heart, or whether our heart has unbelief.
We may see so many difficulties and evil things arising before us to stop us from entering into the full enjoyment of Christ, and if we measure ourselves against them, we may feel hopeless and thus have an evil heart of unbelief.
But if we believe into the Lord and trust in His word, knowing that He is faithful to keep His word and do what He has promised, we cooperate with Him and He will bring us into the full enjoyment of Christ.
If we focus and center on ourselves, we will have an unbelieving heart and thus we insult God; but if we focus on the Lord and have a spirit of faith in God’s word, the Lord will bring us into the fulfillment of what He has promised.
Lord Jesus, save us from having an evil heart of unbelief. We come to You, Lord, and we believe into Your word. We believe that whatever You have promised, You will do! We trust in Your promises even when we see “giants” and great problems in our way. Lord, may we know not only Your acts and the miracles You do for us to meet our needs, but Your ways, the principles according to which You act and do things. Save us from hardening our heart as in the day of provocation, and save us from having an evil heart of unbelief! Amen, Lord Jesus, grant us to have a spirit of faith in Your word, believing that what You have promised, You will do!
A Heart of Unbelief Insults God, but our Belief in God and His Word Honors Him
Why is unbelief evil? Having an evil heart of unbelief is evil because unbelief insults the living, faithful, and almighty God; if we don’t believe in God, in His work and in His ways, we insult Him.
Yes, there may be giants and great problems in our way, and there may be even some unnaturally big enemies and problems – but is God not able to deal with these? Is God intimidated by the giants in the good land and the fortified cities? No, He is not.
He spoke to us, He called us, and He wants us to NOT focus on our self, our capacity to deal with things, and our strength in dealing with the enemy.
We need to look to the Lord, not be focused on our self, and believe into Him, for He is able to do what He said He will do.
Having an evil heart of unbelief means that our heart is hardened against Him (Heb. 3:8-9); such a heart may be very reasonable, for it reasons a great deal, but actually it is stubborn and without reason, for it is hardened.
A heart of unbelief departs from the right track, goes astray, doesn’t know God’s principles or ways, and it tries God by putting Him to the test; eventually, such a heart is self-deceiving and will be deceived (3:13).
If we allow our heart to be hardened toward God and His word, we may have an evil heart of unbelief, which insults God and brings in His judgement. How dangerous it is for our heart to be hardened!
We need to pray to the Lord again and again that our heart may be softened, and we should not rebel against God or doubt His word.
An evil heart of unbelief insults God, but our belief into Him honors Him. Nothing insults God more than our unbelief, and nothing honors Him more than our believing in Him.
We need to read the word of God and mix it with our faith, saying Amen to God’s word and not paying attention to our situations and environments.
We may have a difficult situation, our spouse may give us a lot of trouble, and our children may be very demanding of our time and being, but when we say Amen to God’s word, our heart is being softened and the Lord can do in us what He said He will do.
First, we say Amen to the Lord’s word, then we admit that in ourselves we cannot do what He said, and then He comes in to do in us what He said He will do.
May the Lord put in us a spirit of faith; what we need is not to be spiritual giants or heroes but those who are well-able to overcome because we have God and His word! The enemy may be more fierce, but the Lord is speaking, He is leading us, and we go in His name and with His authority!
Lord Jesus, have mercy on us; soften our heart and never allow it to be hardened! We say Amen to Your word – we say amen to Your promises, to Your desire to bring us into the good land where we can bring in the kingdom of God and be His corporate expression. But we can’t do this in ourselves, Lord; we need You to come in and do it in us. Amen, Lord Jesus, do in us what You have promised in Your word. Accomplish Your heart’s desire in us. We turn our heart to You; keep our hearts open and soft toward You, so that You may work in us what You need to work for the fulfillment of Your purpose!
Read this article / blog post in Romanian – puteți citi acest articol și în limba română la următorul link – Feriți-vă să aveți o inimă rea de necredință – aveți un duh de credință în Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, the message by Ron Kangas for this week, and portions from, Life-study of Hebrews, msgs. 25, 47 (Witness Lee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallisation-Study of Numbers (1), week 11, Partners of Christ Fighting for God’s Interest.
- Hymns on this topic:
# Nothing between, Lord, nothing between; / Unbelief disappear, / Vanish each doubt and fear, / Fading when Thou art near—Nothing between. (Hymns #373)
# Begone, unbelief, / My Savior is near, / And for my relief / Will surely appear; / By prayer let me wrestle, / And He will perform; / With Christ in the vessel, / I smile at the storm. (Hymns #716)
# Remove this hardness from my heart, / This unbelief remove; / To me the rest of faith impart, / The Sabbath of Thy love. (Hymns #424)
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