“How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel! Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. Numbers 24:5-6 NIV
What a beautiful picture this passage of scripture depicts. To hear the writer describe it, one would think it was a vacation destination in the tropics. Let’s go!
The truth is a little less exciting to our short sighted natures. This was the picture of Israel wandering in the wilderness for 40 years after they had sinned against God by refusing to believe and obey His commands. They were in a hot, barren wilderness waiting for all of those 20 years and over to die before God would give them another opportunity to enter into His promise. It sounds pretty bleak, but that’s not how God viewed it. Let’s consider three points of interest.
1. All Israel wanted to do was get to the Land of Promise, but God saw beauty in the journey. He was enjoying the relationship He was building with His chosen people.
- Anytime you’re in the will and timing of God, there is something beautiful happening.
- In the Kingdom of God, it’s never just about the destination. The journey is always important and worth enjoying.
- If you don’t learn the enjoy the journey with Jesus, there’s a good chance your won’t be prepared to enter into God’s promises when you get there.
2. Israel was unaware that anyone was even watching. All they could think about was what they didn’t have.
- It never dawned on them that their journey was intended to impress the nations around them with the power of God.
- There is always somebody watching to see how God’s people respond to trials and wilderness times.
3. The people of Israel, who were in the valley, were not capable of seeing what their enemies saw from the mountain top.
- They were so mired in their narrow minded, short sightedness that they didn’t stop to realize that they were walking, breathing miracles. They were provided with free water and food daily, their clothes never wore out, they lived in nearly perfect health, they were divinely protected from harm, and the glory of God was among them.
- They saw themselves as oppressed, wandering, and insignificant in the eyes of the surrounding nations. Just 10 chapters earlier they had given up the Land of Promise because they failed to see themselves the way that God did, as mighty through Him.
- Interestingly, the verses of scripture above were the words of a heathen prophet name Balaam as he tried to curse Israel for king Balak. All he could do, as he looked out over the camps of the Israelites, was speak blessings and describe what a lovely sight it was! While Israel was busy complaining in the camp, their enemies were standing far off in awe of God’s provision for His people.
Pastor Phil Lemke
