We begin the book of Deuteronomy this week. This is Moses’s final words to the Israelites. What is said here is very important for them to take the land. It is key to how they should live and by extension how we should live. Moses begins explaining how they were only an 11 days journey away from the Promised Land. He then goes into detail as to why it took 40 years for them to get where they are at the time of his speech. He begins with him asking the people for leaders to step up to help him judge the people and carry the load. He then explains how the people asked him to send spies into the land to spy it out and bring a report. Moses agreed to send the spies. He then goes on to say they refused to take the land and retells what the punishment was for not entering the land. Moses said the Lord said only Joshua and Caleb would be allowed to go into the Promised Land.
Deuteronomy 1:37
“The Lord was also angry with me for your sakes, saying, ‘Even you shall not go in there.”
Notice how Moses never mentions that he struck the Rock twice. When we read in Numbers we think God is mad at the last thing Moses did in the 40th year. Moses is telling us his downfall was what happened in the 2nd year. Moses was not able to lead the people then so he will not be able to lead them now. They are about to go through a transition of trusting God literally for everything to doing things for themselves. Moses is not the leader the Israelites need in this new season. Moses was the leader in the supernatural season. They need a leader in the mundane season.
Deuteronomy 1:39
“‘Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.”
Do you notice the Garden reference? The children have no knowledge of good and evil. We have a pure generation who were taken care of every day by God. Just like Adam and Eve were in the Garden. God traveled with them. His Presence was in the Tabernacle which they saw everyday. This new generation had not made decisions on what they thought were good and evil. Like the spies did. The spies decided for themselves what was good and what was evil. Their decision cost a generation their promise. When the new generation messed up they quickly repented. Adam and Eve knew right from wrong. What they gained when they ate the fruit was the ability to decide like God what was good and evil. The problem was there would never be a standard to judge by. As they can change their mind from day to day. We see this everyday. Today eggs are unhealthy to eat. Tomorrow they are healthy. The next day only the egg white is healthy. The scale always moves. Now apply the same idea to abortion, hormone blockers, lying, sexual relationships, and the list goes on and on.
This generation is going into the Promised Land with a fresh start. Can the Lord say about us that we are children who do not have knowledge of good and evil? I have to say no. Maybe that is why Jesus says for us to come to Him as a child with childlike faith. Today I challenge you to approach your faith as a child who does not have knowledge of good and evil. Approach the Father with faith as a child. Just believe. Don’t try to figure it out. Trust Him like a child does when the Father picks him up and spins him around. The Father is not going to let go, The child knows he can trust his Father. Do you trust Him?
