Do What You Said You’d Do

By Tonya Lee

Published: June 04, 2008

There is a passage in Numbers 32 that has always been a wake-up call for me. There were several tribes and families of Israel that wanted to stay in the land of Gilead, just short of the Promised Land. The ground was fertile and lush, they were cattle herders and it was perfect grazing for their cattle. They were comfortable, they could prosper there, and they would no longer have to raise up arms in battle. They believed it would be a better life for them and their families just to stay where they knew they would not have to struggle or fight any more.

Moses reminded them of what happened forty years before, when the twelve spies went out across the Jordan, ten came back and said the land was impossible to take yet two believed that God would be with them. Because of the ten, Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years and experienced the death of a whole generation. Because of the faith of the two, Israel was standing o¬n the brink of going home.

Now, some wanted to lay down their swords, forsake their brothers, and stay behind because they had found a comfortable life. After Moses reminded them of the past he told them, "And now here you are, just one more mob of sinners stepping up to replace your ancestors, throwing fuel on the already blazing anger of God against Israel. If you won't follow him, he'll do it again. He'll dump them in the desert and the disaster will be all your fault" (v. 14-15, The Message).

They thought about it and then told Moses that they would fight with their brothers, even take the front lines if they could leave their families o¬n this side of Jordan and return when the battle was won. Moses agreed but issued this warning:

"But if you don't do what you say, you will be sinning against God; you can be sure that your sin will track you down. So, go ahead. Build towns for your families and corrals for your livestock. Do what you said you'd do" (vs. 23-24, The Message)

Our nation was founded on the promise that we would spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is why many of the settlers came - to spread the Gospel to the Indians who had never heard the salvation message of the Gospel. We were founded to spread hope, grace, and life eternal through Jesus. Have we done what we said we'd do?

You may say, "Yes, America has sent missionaries all over the world, when anyone is in trouble we are the first to send help, and 200 years after our founding we are still considered a Christian nation." Yet, in the past century we've changed dramatically.

The seeds of change were planted in the 50's and rose to a feverish pace in the 60's. I realize that not every person in the 60's lived the hippie lifestyle, attended campus protests, or listened to Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones. But, those people who didn't are what Frances Shaffer called the "Silent Majority." They're silence left the tide of American culture to ride the liberal wave.

No longer were Universities places of open minds and higher learning but became a soapbox for the indoctrination of liberal ideals. No longer did the media report the news but it created a negativism toward anything that did not fit its liberal agenda. No longer did they make movies, but statements. The media became the "Screaming Minority" that drowned out what is good, decent, and right.

So, fast forward forty years - and here we are. Christians in America stand o¬n the promise made by our forefathers, but live in a wandering society created by our ancestors. We are comfortable. The grass is green and lush here. We can prosper here. Why take up arms in battle? Why put our families at risk? Why cross over into full commitment to what God has called us to?

Are going to be "...just one more mob of sinners stepping up to replace your ancestors, throwing fuel o¬n the already blazing anger of God..."? Or are we going to commit to fight for the promise of this nation to be a beacon of the Gospel to anyone who will here? Will we do what we said we would do when we gave our hearts and our lives to Jesus?

If not, the warning is as clear as it was centuries ago with the people of Israel - God will let us continue to wander in the wilderness and it will be all our fault. You can't fault those who don't believe in Christ - they are just doing what they know to do. If we fall - it will be the fault of the "Silent Majority" who did not do what they promised. Will we let that happen or will we stand and fight for the Judeo-Christian ethic to be the foundation upon which this nation stands?

Originally posted by Tonya Lee on May 28, 2008. Tonya Lee is the Director of Development for There's Hope Ministries; a broadcast partner of 316 Networks.