Go not up, for the LORDis not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
After their rebellion upon the evil report of the spies, Israel was warned not to go up to take Canaan because the Lord would not go with them as their General and they would fall by the sword before their enemies. The favorable time had passed, for when first commanded the Lord would have held back the armies in Canaan and given the land if they had trusted and obeyed, but by unbelief, rebellion and delay they lost the opportunity and were judged to turn back and wander forty years. They went up anyway in their own strength as a disorganized company without the ark, without Moses, and without the cloud of God's presence, against prepared Amalekites and Canaanites waiting in ambush. The presumptuous advance ended in rout and great slaughter even unto Hormah, in contrast to later victories at Jericho and against Og and Sihon when Israel obeyed under appointed leaders with the ark and the cloud and God went with them. Their too-late repentance was false stubborn will, and the history was recorded for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, that to go forward when the Lord is not among His people brings smiting, while obedience with His presence carries through daunting obstacles.
Historical Setting and Warning
The warning belongs to Israel's rebellion after the spies' report, when the people believed the discouraging evil report, rejected the faithful testimony of Joshua and Caleb, wanted to return to Egypt, turned away from the Lord, and were judged to turn back, wander forty years in the wilderness, and die without possessing the land. The command not to go up came after that refusal to enter when divine presence was promised and after sentence to wander forty years, and late repentance did not undo the judgment. The favorable time to go up had passed, for when first commanded to go the Lord held back the armies in Canaan and would have gone with Israel's armies and given the land if they had trusted and obeyed. By rebellion, unbelief, and delay they lost the opportunity to make the right move at the right time, and the Lord refused to give victory and would not be with them.
Moses warned Israel, hastening after them with Aaron sounding alarm, not to go up to take Canaan because they had no permission. The Lord and Christ who was leading them would not go with them as their General, and they would be smitten and fall by the sword before their enemies. The enemies before them were the Amalekites and Canaanites in the valley, and news of the spies' visit had circulated so that they had heard of Israel and were prepared to resist. They would be on top of the hill before Israel and waited in ambush, and in mercy God sent Israel back toward the Red Sea because the enterprise could not prosper.
Israel went up anyway to the hilltop in their own strength and estimation as a tumultuous disorganized company relying on weapons, numbers, and power. They went without the ark containing the law as the symbol of God himself, without Moses as appointed leader, and without the cloud of God's presence. Their weapons and numbers could not make them ready for battle, and confident in their own estimation they were sadly deficient before God. The presumptuous advance ended in defeat: beaten, routed, struck down, discomfited even unto Hormah with great slaughter by the Amalekites and Canaanites. Those enemies became the instrument to punish guilty rebellion, showing God's withdrawal as His breach of promise caused by Israel's own rebellion though He had pledged to go with their armies to battle and had not planned this humiliation.
The defeat contrasts with later victories at Jericho and against Og and Sihon, when Israel went forward at God's command and promise under appointed leaders with Moses, the cloud, and the ark under divine direction. At Jericho God promised to go with them, and against Og and Sihon God led them as they obeyed, and they won. Obedience and God's presence made the difference.
Presumption and Present Application
To go forward when the Lord is not among His people brings smiting before enemies, for rebellion and unbelief forfeit His presence, protection and support and leave the advance to end in defeat. Weapons and numbers cannot make ready for battle, and God will not be trifled with when people act on their own terms without Him. The warning belongs to Israel's rebellion after the spies' report, when the people believed the discouraging evil report, rejected the faithful testimony of Joshua and Caleb, wanted to return to Egypt, and turned away from the Lord. It was placed in the account of the spying of Canaan after the people proposed sending spies and the Lord permitted it, and it followed the judgment that they would turn back and not possess the land, which their late repentance did not undo.
Israel's self-willed invasion was rash rebellion against God's command and the solemn prohibition of the leaders, a determination to disregard His will and presumption after refusing obedience. Their claim to go up and fight in obedience was darkness, for He had never told them to gain the land by warfare but by submission and unqualified obedience. The command to retreat tested whether submission was real, and their resolve to enter despite His direction showed hearts unchanged. Having no permission to go up, with the Lord and their General not among them, they went to the hilltop in their own strength and estimation as a tumultuous disorganized company without the ark of the covenant containing the law as the symbol of God Himself and without Moses.
Their repentance came too late and was false: after refusing to enter when urged, they were just as quick to go when forbidden. They said they had sinned and would now do what Caleb and Joshua had urged, expecting God to reverse His decision and give the land. They followed stubborn will and human impulse to avert judgment, trying to reverse the sentence to wander forty years by going up without Him, and were defeated before their enemies. One movement must therefore not be rushed upon the heels of another, and desire to leave an appointed place must not cut across the Lord's designs.
This history was recorded for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, and the warning not to go forward without His presence applies to His people today as well as to ancient Israel. The same cowardly complaining and drawing back when risks are to be encountered, unwillingness to heed faithful reports and true counsel, and repeated testing and failure to receive faithful warnings are re-enacted now. Darkness and unbelief do not decrease as Christ's second advent nears, truth becomes less palatable to the carnally minded, and hearts are slow to believe and tardy to repent. Long has the Lord borne with His people, forgiven their wanderings, and waited for room in their hearts, but false ideas, jealousy, and distrust have crowded Him out. Burden-bearing self-denying servants who practice self-denial and suffer privation are little appreciated, few stand boldly as Caleb did to stand firmly for God and the right and become targets for hatred and malicious falsehood, calling for spiritual nerve and stamina to resist Satan's artifices in the last days.
The verse teaches not to act at the wrong time on impulse through unbelief, but to give His outlined plan every advantage and fully carry it out until He indicates what to do next. The same condition exists now where doors are closed in some places in the South and work is not to be pressed, while work may still be done in other places where prejudice has not been excited. The contrast warns against acting presumptuously while teaching that God's people can move forward through daunting obstacles when they obey and trust Him, for later victories came as God led them and they obeyed under divine direction.
After their rebellion upon the evil report of the spies, Israel was warned not to go up to take Canaan because the Lord would not go with them as their General and they would fall by the sword before their enemies. The favorable time had passed, for when first commanded the Lord would have held back the armies in Canaan and given the land if they had trusted and obeyed, but by unbelief, rebellion and delay they lost the opportunity and were judged to turn back and wander forty years. They went up anyway in their own strength as a disorganized company without the ark, without Moses, and without the cloud of God's presence, against prepared Amalekites and Canaanites waiting in ambush. The presumptuous advance ended in rout and great slaughter even unto Hormah, in contrast to later victories at Jericho and against Og and Sihon when Israel obeyed under appointed leaders with the ark and the cloud and God went with them. Their too-late repentance was false stubborn will, and the history was recorded for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, that to go forward when the Lord is not among His people brings smiting, while obedience with His presence carries through daunting obstacles.
Historical Setting and Warning
The warning belongs to Israel's rebellion after the spies' report, when the people believed the discouraging evil report, rejected the faithful testimony of Joshua and Caleb, wanted to return to Egypt, turned away from the Lord, and were judged to turn back, wander forty years in the wilderness, and die without possessing the land. The command not to go up came after that refusal to enter when divine presence was promised and after sentence to wander forty years, and late repentance did not undo the judgment. The favorable time to go up had passed, for when first commanded to go the Lord held back the armies in Canaan and would have gone with Israel's armies and given the land if they had trusted and obeyed. By rebellion, unbelief, and delay they lost the opportunity to make the right move at the right time, and the Lord refused to give victory and would not be with them.
Moses warned Israel, hastening after them with Aaron sounding alarm, not to go up to take Canaan because they had no permission. The Lord and Christ who was leading them would not go with them as their General, and they would be smitten and fall by the sword before their enemies. The enemies before them were the Amalekites and Canaanites in the valley, and news of the spies' visit had circulated so that they had heard of Israel and were prepared to resist. They would be on top of the hill before Israel and waited in ambush, and in mercy God sent Israel back toward the Red Sea because the enterprise could not prosper.
Israel went up anyway to the hilltop in their own strength and estimation as a tumultuous disorganized company relying on weapons, numbers, and power. They went without the ark containing the law as the symbol of God himself, without Moses as appointed leader, and without the cloud of God's presence. Their weapons and numbers could not make them ready for battle, and confident in their own estimation they were sadly deficient before God. The presumptuous advance ended in defeat: beaten, routed, struck down, discomfited even unto Hormah with great slaughter by the Amalekites and Canaanites. Those enemies became the instrument to punish guilty rebellion, showing God's withdrawal as His breach of promise caused by Israel's own rebellion though He had pledged to go with their armies to battle and had not planned this humiliation.
The defeat contrasts with later victories at Jericho and against Og and Sihon, when Israel went forward at God's command and promise under appointed leaders with Moses, the cloud, and the ark under divine direction. At Jericho God promised to go with them, and against Og and Sihon God led them as they obeyed, and they won. Obedience and God's presence made the difference.
Presumption and Present Application
To go forward when the Lord is not among His people brings smiting before enemies, for rebellion and unbelief forfeit His presence, protection and support and leave the advance to end in defeat. Weapons and numbers cannot make ready for battle, and God will not be trifled with when people act on their own terms without Him. The warning belongs to Israel's rebellion after the spies' report, when the people believed the discouraging evil report, rejected the faithful testimony of Joshua and Caleb, wanted to return to Egypt, and turned away from the Lord. It was placed in the account of the spying of Canaan after the people proposed sending spies and the Lord permitted it, and it followed the judgment that they would turn back and not possess the land, which their late repentance did not undo.
Israel's self-willed invasion was rash rebellion against God's command and the solemn prohibition of the leaders, a determination to disregard His will and presumption after refusing obedience. Their claim to go up and fight in obedience was darkness, for He had never told them to gain the land by warfare but by submission and unqualified obedience. The command to retreat tested whether submission was real, and their resolve to enter despite His direction showed hearts unchanged. Having no permission to go up, with the Lord and their General not among them, they went to the hilltop in their own strength and estimation as a tumultuous disorganized company without the ark of the covenant containing the law as the symbol of God Himself and without Moses.
Their repentance came too late and was false: after refusing to enter when urged, they were just as quick to go when forbidden. They said they had sinned and would now do what Caleb and Joshua had urged, expecting God to reverse His decision and give the land. They followed stubborn will and human impulse to avert judgment, trying to reverse the sentence to wander forty years by going up without Him, and were defeated before their enemies. One movement must therefore not be rushed upon the heels of another, and desire to leave an appointed place must not cut across the Lord's designs.
This history was recorded for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, and the warning not to go forward without His presence applies to His people today as well as to ancient Israel. The same cowardly complaining and drawing back when risks are to be encountered, unwillingness to heed faithful reports and true counsel, and repeated testing and failure to receive faithful warnings are re-enacted now. Darkness and unbelief do not decrease as Christ's second advent nears, truth becomes less palatable to the carnally minded, and hearts are slow to believe and tardy to repent. Long has the Lord borne with His people, forgiven their wanderings, and waited for room in their hearts, but false ideas, jealousy, and distrust have crowded Him out. Burden-bearing self-denying servants who practice self-denial and suffer privation are little appreciated, few stand boldly as Caleb did to stand firmly for God and the right and become targets for hatred and malicious falsehood, calling for spiritual nerve and stamina to resist Satan's artifices in the last days.
The verse teaches not to act at the wrong time on impulse through unbelief, but to give His outlined plan every advantage and fully carry it out until He indicates what to do next. The same condition exists now where doors are closed in some places in the South and work is not to be pressed, while work may still be done in other places where prejudice has not been excited. The contrast warns against acting presumptuously while teaching that God's people can move forward through daunting obstacles when they obey and trust Him, for later victories came as God led them and they obeyed under divine direction.