FEARING GIANTS MORE THAN GOD

The children of Israel rebelled and disobeyed God because they did not fear Him. Without the fear of God in their hearts motivating them, they could not obey God. God had purposed in His heart to have a people who would fear, love, serve, and obey Him all the days of their lives. The type of fear He planned for them to have was not one that would cause them to run or hide from Him in terror.

When God met with Israel on Mount Sinai and talked to them with an audible voice out of the fire, He wanted them to see His power and glory so they would have a reverential fear, a sense of awe at seeing His manifested Presence and hearing His voice.

When He punished them for their disobedience in the wilderness, He wanted them to learn to fear Him as a holy and righteous God who is not only long-suffering, kind, and merciful, but who is also a God of wrath and judgment who will not allow the wicked to go unpunished. He wanted them to have a holy fear that would create a wholesome dread of displeasing Him.

When the children of Israel reached the border of the Promised Land and heard the negative report concerning the giants in the land, they were afraid. The entire congregation wept and cried aloud that night. They were so afraid of the giants that they decided to go back to Egypt.

Joshua and Caleb pleaded with them: “… do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them” (Numbers 14:9-10, NIV).

Because of their fear, the people rebelled and disobeyed God. They feared the giants more than they feared God. They were more concerned about falling into the hands of their enemies than they were about displeasing Almighty God and reaping His wrath.

As a father dealing with a rebellious son, God punished them for their acts of disobedience and yet — even after they reaped all the judgments, curses, famines, diseases, captivity, and death they refused to yield under the mighty hand of God. Knowing the wrath of God and the punishment for their disobedience, they chose to rebel and follow their own way.

On the threshold of each new day, we have the same choice. You can fear the giants or you can walk in the reverential fear of God. What will be your decision?