Posted by rfathers on December 21, 2009
In the previous post we looked at Deuteronomy 1:26-46 to see where Moses recounted part of Israel’s history in the desert. Moses described how the old generation of fighting men had failed and thus were not able to enter the Promised Land. That was a list of what we should leave behind – or eliminate from our lives today.
In those same verses in Deuteronomy 1, Moses also showed three points of what was acceptable to God for being able to go into the Promised Land. This is a list of what we need to keep.
Please read these two chapters to help get a full understanding of the notes below:
After God made it clear that the whole generation of fighting men had to die in the desert, He made three exceptions:
You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die. You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
You said your children would be carried off as plunder. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised. But as for you, you will drop dead in this wilderness. (Numbers 14:29-32 NLT)
Here are the three things we need to keep (See Deuteronomy 1:36-39):
- v. 36 – Spirit of Caleb – Caleb was obedient, he believed God, he had a different Spirit (v. 24) , followed God wholeheartedly (Numbers 13:30; 14:24, 30, 37);
- v. 38 – Spirit of Joshua – Joshua was a loyal servant, a fighter and a leader (Exodus 17:9-13; 33:9, 11), he was the future leader of Israel, he had boldness and was obedient, he believed God (Joshua 24:15)
- v. 39 – Be Like Children – innocence, not know good from evil, Jesus told us we should be like little child if we wanted to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 18:3-5)
In the next post we will discuss “Characteristic #3: Be Radiant – Like Moses.”
Did you gain anything from today’s post? Was it informative? Please pass this post along to others and please give us your comments and questions below.
Posted by rfathers on December 18, 2009
Continuing in this series GOD IS CALLING FOR A NEW GENERATION OF FIGHTING MEN, This is the first of seven posts on the characteristics of a new generation of fighting men.
In Deuteronomy 2:16, right after the last man from the old generation of fighting men had perished – God told Moses to prepare to go into the Promised Land. This was based on God’s promise that none of the old generation of fighting men would see the land of milk and honey (Numbers 14:26-32).
In Deuteronomy 1:26-46 Moses recounted some of the history of Israel in the desert. In those verses he explained what the old generation of fighting men did wrong. Here is that list with other notes and the scripture verses for us to see what we need to leave behind in our walk with God as we become a NEW generation of fighting men. It is helpful to read the scripture to better understand the notes.
Seven Things We Need to Leave Behind –
(Deuteronomy 1:26-46)
- v. 26 – Rebellion
- v. 27 – Murmuring – tongue (Proverbs 18:21, James 3:3-12, Philippians 2:14)
- v. 28 –29 – Discouragement/Fear (1 Timothy 1:7, Romans 8:15)
- v. 32 – Unbelief – Lack of Faith
- v. 35 – Evil Generation – as explained in …
- 5 Sins of the Wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:6-10)
- v. 6 – lust
- v. 7 – idolatry
- v. 8 – fornication
- v. 9 – tempt Christ
- v. 10 – murmur
- They failed the test – serves as an example to us today (Hebrews 3:7-19) – Unbelief is a sin
- Could not Enter God’s Rest – Promised Land (1 Corinthians 10:5-6, 12; Hebrews 3:7-19; 4:1-11)
- v. 43 – Disobedience/Going before God (Number14:40-45)
- v. 37 – Moses Sin – Mementary Failure In Leadership (Numbers 20:1-12) v 12 – Moses and Aaron – leadership team from the beginning – burning bush
- Anger (Ephesians 4:26) – struck rock instead of speaking to it, blamed the people for him not being able to go into Promised Land (Deu 1:37)
- Contempt for the People – lost proper love for the people, spoke down to them (Num 20:10, Deu 1:37)
- disobedience – struck rock two times instead of speaking to the rock, public act of disobedience
- unbelief – did not trust/honor God “enough” (Num 20:12)
- pride – dishonored God: took credit for miracle of water (Num 20:10), public disobedience, mis-represented God to the people
Do you agree with this list? Are you in the new generation of fighting men? Give us your comment below.
In the next post we will look “Characteristics #2 – What We Need to Keep” – things that were pleasing to God in those same verses.
Posted by rfathers on December 15, 2009
Today’s new generation of fighting men will distinguish itself by its devotion and commitment to Our Lord Jesus Christ. In this, they will be unlike the old generation of fighting men who suffered from a slave mentality when they were in the desert with Moses.
Let us clearly define the old generation of fighting men that God would not let go into the Promised Land before we discuss the new generation of fighting men that we need today.
That old generation of fighting men had its origin in the post-Joseph era in Egypt when Pharaoh sought to enslave the Israelites (Exodus 2:6-22). The Bible does not record any specific activities of the men or any organized resistance to Egypt’s enslavement effort. It is significant that the resistance of the Israelite women (midwives who feared God) is well-documented as they refused the command of Pharaoh to kill all newborn baby boys (v. 15-22). Were the men as steadfast as the women?
Perhaps they had become complacent during the privileged and protected years under Joseph and afterwards. That complacency gave way to bitterness (Exodus 2: 14) which continued up into Israel’s time in the desert possibly leading to their own destruction (Number 1439 NIV).
Nonetheless, in the post-Joseph era the old generation of fighting men does not appear to have been doing much fighting – or at least not victoriously. By the time that Moses was prepared to lead them to take the Promised Land they had clearly lost the will to fight in spite of assurances that God would deliver the land into their hands. Instead, they wanted to return to Egypt where they had been slaves (Numbers 14:1-4).
This is why God did not let them go into the Promised Land. God said they had to die in the desert and that their children would take their place in the Promised Land (Numbers 14:29-32).
Today a new generation of fighting men is needed to address the current challenges that our families and nations face. Today men need to change – not be eliminated. This is a transformational process. Every man needs to eliminate from within himself any lingering characteristic or attributes that doomed the old generation of fighting men that was lost in the desert.
To this end we have constructed seven points that describes the characteristics of a new generation of fighting men to help ourselves prepare for the challenges at hand.
In the next post we will discuss the first of those seven points, the things we want to leave behind as explained by Moses in Deuteronomy 1:26-46.
Posted by rfathers on December 12, 2009
Around 420 B.C. the Prophet Malachi warned in the last two verses of the Old Testament of a curse that would plaque the world should the heart of the fathers not turn to the children (Malachi 4:5-6).
Today we can see clear examples of what that curse could look like:
- Low standards of manhood, thus low standards for husbands and fathers
- Extreme father-absence
- High divorce rates
- Large percentage of children born outside of wedlock
- High rates of teen pregnancy
- High incidence of female headed households
- Ever increasing disrespect for elders and the rule of law
- Extreme sexual pervasiveness and promiscuity in society
- Weakening of the family and the authority of fathers in the family
These are just a few of the signs of such a curse – not only in the United States but also globally. One might argue which of these signs are effects of a curse and which are causes. The bottom line is that it is cyclical, that is, the more each problem persist – the more it helps to create and reinforce the other problems.
Nevertheless, Malachi’s warning (and the subsequent curse) shows the need for a new generation of fighting men equipped and prepared to face a different kind of enemy that impacts our manhood, our homes, our communities, our churches and more.
In the next post we will discuss the characteristics of the new generation of fighting men.
Posted by rfathers on December 8, 2009
God has impressed on me that He is calling for a new generation of fighting men to face the current challenges of the twentieth-first century.
This statement raises several obvious questions such as:
- What is a generation of fighting men?
- Why is God calling for a new generation of fighting men for today?
- What are the characteristics of this new generation of fighting men?
What is a generation of fighting men?
Fourteen months after Israel’s Exodus from the confines of slavery in Egypt, a census showed that there were 603,550 men who were 20 years old or more and could serve in Israel’s army (Number 1:44-46). Twelve of these men were chosen (one of the leading men from each of the 12 tribes) to explore the land of milk and honey that God had promised to Israel. Upon their return after 40 days of spying the land, 10 of the men gave an evil report that characterized the inhabitants as unconquerable giants. Although the land was plentiful and inviting, the 10 spies spread fear that caused most of Israel to long for a return to Egypt.
Only Joshua and Caleb believed in God’s power to deliver the land into Israel’s hands. The whole assembly of Israel wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb. God intervened and threatened to immediately destroy all of the men of Israel. This was the generation of fighting men that God said could not enter the Promised Land and had to die in the dessert (Number 14:29-30). It was not until the last of these men was gone that God told Moses to prepare the people to enter the land of milk and honey.
Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. The LORD’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp.
Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, the LORD said to me, “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar.
Deuteronomy 2:14-18 NIV
In the next post we will discuss why God is calling for a new generation of fighting men for today.
Please comment on today’s post below. Do you agree with this call?
Reconciled Fathers Network
Akili Kumasi, Founder
