Psalm 106 sums up the deliverance of the Children of Israel from Egypt, their journey through the wilderness and some of their subsequent history. In particular, the Psalmist states that they “despised the pleasant land, they believed not [God’s] word” (v 24). Canaan was this “pleasant land” – literally, “a land of desire”, a land that they should very much have desired. And they would have desired it if they could have conquered it without having to face up to the difficulties that they assumed were involved in conquering it. They should have looked on such a land, flowing with milk and honey – referring to its productiveness – as altogether desirable. But they despised it, and in doing so, they despised the God who gave them the opportunity to live there.
When they approached the borders of the land, God directed Moses to send out 12 spies – Caleb and Joshua among them – who would search Canaan and bring back a report on the land, the people and the cities where they lived. They did as they were directed, but they did not agree on the significance of what they saw. On the one hand, there were Caleb and Joshua: faithful, believing men, trusting in God and His word. On the other hand, there were the other 10 men, who did not believe God’s word and despised the pleasant land. And, sadly, the people as a whole accepted the report of the 10 unbelieving spies.
The majority agreed that the land did indeed flow “with milk and honey”, but they focused on the strength and the height of the people and the very great walls of the city. “We saw the giants . . .”, they said, “and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight”. They disbelieved God’s promises and despised the pleasant land, so that the people wished that they had died in Egypt or in the wilderness.
Caleb and Joshua had a completely different set of attitudes; they believed God’s word and accordingly they had a sincere desire to enter the “pleasant land”. They believed that God would be faithful to His promises to Abraham – promises such as, “I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it” (Gen 15:7), and that He was
able to fulfil these promises. Caleb and Joshua assured the people: “If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey”.
They knew that He was able to bring them into the promised land. They went to the heart of the matter when they insisted, “Only rebel not ye against the Lord”, for to refuse to take possession of the land that God had promised was sheer rebellion against Him, for He had shown His power and His faithfulness in taking them safely out of Egypt and bringing them to a point where they were so very close to the promised land. With that view of the reality of their situation, Caleb and Joshua added, “Neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not” (Num 14:8,9).
In a similar way, we ought to contemplate heaven as a pleasant land, a land that is worthy of being desired. It is a place where “there shall be no more curse” (Rev 22:3), because there will be no sin there, and those who are brought there will be freed from all the consequences of sin – the sorrow, the difficulties and the concerns of life in this world. It is a place of perfect blessedness, in the immediate presence of God, and all this blessedness is for the sake of Christ, who has purchased such a glorious inheritance for all who have begun to obey Him and to submit to the call He has made to sinners: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).
Those who refuse the call to come to Christ – who refuse to believe in Him as the One who suffered and died for sinners – are not only despising heaven, but are also despising the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who endured so much in order to make such a wonderful provision for unworthy sinners. They have no desire for the holiness that believers display as they go along the narrow path, “the way of holiness”, that leads to everlasting life. These despisers want to go on in sin and to stay away from God and His grace. “Let us eat and drink”, they say; “for tomorrow we die” (1 Cor 15:32). They assume that they do not need to prepare for death today; perhaps many tomorrows will pass before death will approach them. They assume it is perfectly safe to disbelieve God and live despising heaven.
Eating and drinking are, of course, lawful; indeed they are necessary to preserve life. It is an exclusive focus on such things and the immoderate use of them, to the neglect of what is spiritual, that is sinful – and dangerous, for it is likely to keep one from wanting to walk in the way of holiness. So Christ pointed to questions about food and drink and clothing, and directed His hearers: “Seek ye first [first in importance] the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt 6:33).
The lessons which David Dickson, in his commentary on Matthew, draws from this verse are the following: (1.) “To be partaker of the kingdom of God’s grace here, and of His glory in heaven, is worthy of our chiefest affections and most intent endeavours.” (2.) “We cannot be sure to be subjects of God’s gracious kingdom here, nor of His glorious kingdom in heaven hereafter, except we also study to be sure of the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Jesus Christ, and of holiness and uprightness of life flowing therefrom.” (3.) “Whosoever do earnestly seek after the kingdom of God and His righteousness shall not only be sure to have what they seek, but also to have whatsoever is necessary for them in this life.”
Many people think they will get to heaven, although they do not wish to live the holy life that is necessary if they are to reach there. It is a narrow way that leads there and it is a strait gate that brings a sinner into that way. There is no room for the sinner to bring in with him the baggage of self-righteousness or anything else that would interfere with a living faith in Christ Jesus alone.
The majority of the children of Israel did not believe what God had told them; instead “they murmured in their tents” (Ps 106:25) rather than go forward to take possession of the land that had been promised to them. God had assured them, “I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt . . . unto a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex 3:17), but they did not credit His promise. Moses believed in God’s unlimited power, as did Joshua and Caleb; he prayed, “Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness, and Thy mighty hand”, not least in bringing Israel out of Egypt (Deut 3:24), and he knew that God was therefore able to bring them into Canaan, no matter how strong the giants and their cities were. Earlier generations in Britain and elsewhere were much more willing to believe Scripture testimony to God as the Creator of all things – to see creation as evidence of God’s unlimited power. But the theory of evolution has made more recent generations much less willing to accept God as creator and even to accept His very existence. Yet God has not changed, and His revelation remains totally reliable in spite of human theorising, which cannot be relied on.
So we are to receive the whole testimony of the Word of God as truth, entirely without error. We are to receive His testimony that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). And however unable we are, in our own strength, to believe in Christ, the Holy Spirit is altogether sufficient to bring us through the strait gate into the narrow way, which does indeed lead to everlasting glory. Christ still directs us: “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” (Lk 13:24).