Are we really just grasshoppers?
You’ll remember from the Bible how the children of Israel, having reached the border of the Promised Land, sent spies to find out what it was like (Numbers, Chapter 13).
The spies came back loaded with fruit and other good things. It’s a land flowing with milk and honey, all right, they reported–but just forget about taking it! (Verses 28-32) Because it’s just chuck full of bad guys, and giants, and impregnable walled cities, and the Amalekites are waiting to crush us… What was God thinking of, to send us here? Like, man, we are just grasshoppers, compared to those people! (v. 33)
But one of those spies was Caleb. “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (v. 30).
Caleb trusted in God, and in God’s promises. God had promised to give the land to Israel. Caleb believed Him. He wasn’t scared of walled cities, giants, or Amalekites. To Caleb they were already slated for destruction: for the Lord had said so.
Do we need some of Caleb’s spirit shot into our veins, or what? We see Far Left Crazy running wild in the streets, and alleged polls showing Dozy Joe up 15 points–but are we supposed to lose heart? Give up? I surrender, BLM–please eat me last!
It’s not too late to put our trust in God and get to work like we mean it. Repent our sins and get busy!
Powerful post, Mr. Duigon!! Yes, we all need the faith that Caleb had, during these hard times and of course at all times.
I was wondering: Is pointing out false teachers, i.e. heretical teachers, a good thing to do? I’ve watched some YouTube videos exposing some of them and I thought I should share them on my website.
Yes, it is indeed a good thing to do. But we don’t want to get carried away and not be able to tell the difference between disagreement and heresy.
I understand. Thank you for your help, sir! It had been helpful for me. I might as well let the professionals do the “pointing out” job, although there are some teachers who are speaking blatant errors.
This has always been so. Read Paul’s epistles: he saw it happen in his own lifetime. Heretics always abound. Some of these errors have been around for 2,000 years.
I’ll study more from the epistles.
The problem with heresy is the definition. One denomination’s heretic is another denomination’s hero. The only reliable standard in this matter is the Bible.
If we confine our answers to what can be defined in scripture, we are on the most solid ground.
We like to think we’ve outgrown that burning-each-other-at-the-stake phase.
I have to remember that we are one in Christ.
Thank you, Unknowable! So, if a teaching goes against the true teaching of the Bible, then it should be pointed out as heresy?
For example, the prosperity gospel.
We may need to discuss such things with friends or family members who’ve been suckered in.
Yes, that’s a good idea!
That’s a perfect example of twisting scripture to send a message that people will want to hear, but isn’t accurate and doesn’t truly bring people to biblical Christianity.
Yes, God provides for us, be He doesn’t promise us mansions, speedboats or fine automobiles. There’s nothing wrong with having nice things, but keeping our eye simple makes life simpler and easier, in many ways.
The scriptures cover many subjects. It is possible, by taking verse out of context, to claim biblical support for all sorts of things, but that is abusing the scriptures. This practice is called “verse checking”.
Sometimes, people will use examples from the scriptures to justify wrong behavior. The Bible honestly reports the actions of any number of people, but that doesn’t mean that it endorses their wrongdoing.
For example, King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged to have her husband killed in battle. David paid a heavy price for his sins and the peace of his family never recovered. His grandson was King when the 10 northern tribes split away and Israel was never the same.
David is favorably remembered in scripture and was forgiven his sins, but that doesn’t mean that the Bible condones David’s sins.
2 Timothy 4:3 says: “ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,” (NASB)
There are people out there claiming to represent God’s word, whom twist scripture to support all sorts of badness. For virtually any sin, there are people claiming scriptural support exists. Such people claim to be spiritual leaders, but in fact, they are misrepresenting scripture.
Through the years, I’ve adopted a policy of taking scripture literally, unless there is scriptural evidence that it is symbolic. Doing this has helped the Bible to “come alive” for me, seeing that it is truly in harmony with itself and explains God’s purposes in dealing with mankind in a consistent way, from the earliest record in Genesis to the symbolic prophecies of Revelation. The accounts of Noah, Abraham, the Nation of Israel and the early Christians are all consistent.
Scripture is remarkable, in that we can see a common thread from the beginning of creation, all the way to our day. There is nothing else like it in existence.
Well said.
Thank you very much for explaining this to me, Unknowable!! I want to know more about the Bible and warn people about those false teachings.
Can I share your comment on my blog someday?
I’d be honored.
The best way to learn about the Bible is from the Bible itself. Let me give you an example.
It starts with creation, and tells of the fall of mankind. Chapter 4 of Genesis tells of Cain and Abel, then chapter five establishes the genealogy down to Noah. Chapters 6-8 are about the Flood and chapter 9 is mankind’s new beginning, after the flood. Important things are taught in chapter 9, such as the sanctity of blood and the sanctity of human life. Gen 9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. That one verse establishes a basic rule of civilization. In fact, I would consider this the beginning of civilization in the fallen world. Making human life sacred is the absolute cornerstone of civilization.
Chapter 10 is called the Table of Nations, and tells us of how the various people groups came to be. It talks about the overview of what happened, while chapter 11, Babel, tells about how it was accomplished. The very next thing, in chapter 12, is the story of Abram.
The rest of Genesis is the story of Abram/Abraham, his offspring and how they were miraculously preserved during a global famine. How bad was this? Genesis 41:57 tells us: Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.
This wasn’t some little hiccup in the economy; it was a full blown famine and, against all odds, a Hebrew slave had risen to be the second most powerful man in Egypt (which was the most powerful nation on earth, at the time) and, with God’s help, he saved untold numbers from starvation, by preparing for a famine. This also placed him in a position to insure the survival of his family, allowing the seed of Abraham to survive and fulfill its role in the messianic purpose.
The rest of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament, as it is commonly called), detail the establishment of the Nation of Israel, the failings of that nation and the prophecies related to that nation. It also established the lineage of Jesus and has allowed us to identify the Messiah.
Now this is a high-altitude overview, but it shows the value of just looking at scripture from an historical perspective. There is obviously much more to it than that, but what stands out to me is the fact that the bible is historically accurate. While mainstream science wants to portray human history as being very long, the Bible shows us a timeline of human history that makes a great deal of sense and explains much about the situation we find ourselves in.
To which I add–beware “reputable Bible scholars,” most of whom don’t believe the scriptures are true. We all need a teacher from time to time, and God bless the good ones; but the Bible itself far outranks them and must always be the ultimate authority.
There are things in the scriptures that I don’t understand. That’s my problem, not God’s. I keep reading, I ask the Lord to give me understanding, and I trust in Him to do so.
No one will ever understand every single thing that’s in the Bible. I think God wanted it that way, to keep us coming back for more.
Very true. Many “bible scholars” don’t believe the bible as being the word of God. Facts can be rendered meaningless by interpretation, if we allow this to happen. We have to struggle, at times, to prevent this from happening. I have seen religions literally reverse the meaning of a scripture in order to accommodate their doctrines. Once that happens, all bets are off.
Amen, Unknowable! Thank you for the overview of the Old Testament! The Bible surely gives us answers to all the questions we encounter in this wicked world.
Paul tells us they we are not to judge the world but that we are to judge our own (1Co 5). If they are false teachers, heretical, apostate, or whatever then they should be called out. Just make sure they truly fit the definition of these terms. I’ve seen some people called false teachers just for teaching a doctrine someone else doesn’t like.
Peter in his second epistle warned the Church of “damnable heresies” that would be brought in.
Now I’m beginning to understand this topic a little more! Thank you, Watchman!
I’m so glad that work like this can be done on my blog.
And I’m so thankful for people that can help me like you, Unknowable, and Watchman!
Just one more question (I apologize): If someone speaks something heretical (I don’t really like that word, but I have to use it because it exists), then should we think that person isn’t actually a Christian, or…?
By their fruits you shall know them.
Thank you for showing me that phrase from the Scriptures. The Bible puts it really simple.
Sometimes people are mistaken and don’t realize it — or sometimes the words they use don’t express what they’re really thinking. I’d say it’s usually a good idea to start by trying to have a discussion with the person you think is wrong, first asking what they really meant and why they think that way, and then, if you do think they’re wrong, explaining why you disagree. Of course, it’s awkward to do that as a student with a teacher, and teachers can get touchy when they think they’re being challenged by students. But it’s worth a try, as long as you’re sincere about wanting to know what they really believe and why they believe it.
I had teachers in high school who encouraged me to argue with them, as part of the educational process. That might have been the most profitable aspect of the whole four years.
Thank you very much for your helpful comment, Phoebe! It may be hard to ask questions to prominent teachers, e.g. Furtick, Copeland, Osteen, etc., but I think the Bible teaches us to talk about the problem man-to-man first, like you suggested. Thanks again.
I am reminded that in the Book of Judges when the people were opposed they out to God and He sent them a deliver. I pray that God raises up our own Gideons and Deborahs. Righteous leaders who will break this yoke of bondage and will not back down or be intimidated.
And when we find them–support them!
I’ll be praying for that!
Every day, in my morning prayers, I pray that God will raise up heroes for us — spiritual heroes, physical heroes, and even political heroes (if that isn’t an oxymoron). And I pray over and over about our Nation, “Save us from those who would destroy us in body and soul.”
For His own great name’s sake, so that the world will know that He is the Lord–amen!
It’s happened before. We were drain in 1979, and then Thatcher came in in Britain, followed by Reagan. 25 years of prosperity followed. We were a better people for years afterward.
“It’s not too late to put our trust in God and get to work like we mean it. Repent our sins and get busy!” ✔✔✔🙏🏼 RIGHT!!!