IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Seeking God's Glory and Honor

Date: Nov. 4, 2016

Passage

Numbers 14:11-25  (ESV)

11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

13 But Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, 14 and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people. For you, O LORD, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, 16 ‘It is because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’ 17 And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, 18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.”

20 Then the LORD said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. 21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. 25 Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 14:17

And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying,

First, Moses wanted to bring glory to God (11-19). The Lord made an offer to Moses. He would destroy the Israelites and start over with Moses' family. He would make an even greater nation out of Moses' descendants. Moses did not accept God's offer. He wanted God to forgive the Israelites and continue to be their God (19). Moses had the right attitude. He was not seeking to glorify his own name. He knew that God's name and honor were at stake. He not only had a shepherd heart for the people, but more so, he loved God and vied for God's honor before the people of the pagan nations.

Second, Caleb had a spirit that pleased God (20-25). God had forgiven his people after Moses prayed for them. But God is very serious about the consequences of their sin. None of that generation would enter the land, except Caleb and Joshua. Caleb had a different spirit than the rest. He demonstrated that he was a man of faith and obedience, seeking to follow the Lord wholeheartedly, as did Joshua (32:12) He also lived for the glory of God.

Prayer: Lord, fill me with a strong desire to glorify your name and obey you with my whole heart.

One Word: Glorify God and follow him

Daily Bread

Jacob’s Struggle

Genesis 32:1-32

Key Verse: 32:30

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