Introduction

The entire Book of Numbers describes a group of Israelites, most of whom either longed to return to Egypt or preferred to dwell in the wilderness, eventually dying there. Only a small fraction desired to remain on the east bank of the Jordan River.

The human heart is truly peculiar, and I find it difficult to comprehend those who prefer to retreat. Is retreating truly better than advancing? Yesterday, while ministering to a sister, she expressed her reluctance to move forward any further. Indeed, there are many like her who hesitate to press on. Recently, we have been studying the New Testament Book of Hebrews, whose author also disapproves of those who do not advance. We must be certain that God does not favor those who retreat. He favors those who strive diligently. Regardless of your current level, you must continue to press forward. God delights in those who wholeheartedly follow Him, and whose minds are continuously being renewed.

The previous chapter discussed the twelve thousand elite soldiers among the Israelites, who received a great number of livestock, cattle, sheep, and donkeys. This chapter tells how the Reubenites and Gadites possessed exceedingly great herds of livestock. When they saw the land on the east side of the Jordan River (which they had recently conquered), they realized it was suitable for grazing their livestock and came to Moses, saying:

If we have found favour in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan. (Numbers 32:5)

Choosing the Best vs. Choosing the Second Best

Human choices are truly fascinating. Many people prefer to choose the best, while others are content with the second best, with the mindset that this is good enough. This mediocre mindset is not pleasing to God. They thought that having land to graze their livestock was sufficient, failing to continue striving diligently because of their faith in God's faithfulness. Many people enjoy staying in their current state. Today, I give you a very strict requirement: Seeing what God has accomplished in your life and seeing His faithfulness, regardless of your level, you need to strive diligently.

Those who strive diligently have one characteristic: God will take the blessings from those who do not strive diligently and give them to those who do. Do not be greedy for comfort. These people had just seen the Israelites dividing the spoils of war in Chapter 31, clearly understanding the benefits of being elite soldiers, yet what was their choice? They asked for this land to be given to them so they could live there, not wanting to cross the Jordan River. What kind of mindset is this?!

The promises God gives us are all excellent, but many people stop in their tracks after walking a short distance. Why do they stop? Because what they see and think about is, I need to raise my children, or I have so much work to do, or Don't you see how busy I am? They forget that everything comes from God. All that we have comes from God. This is the decision we must make in our hearts: to choose the best or the second best? You must know that even if you choose the second best, you may not necessarily get it.

Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them? (Numbers 32:6-7)

These descendants of Reuben and Gad really did not want to go. If Moses had not reminded them, they would have remained on the east side of the Jordan River, that is, requesting, Do not take us across the Jordan. How deadly are people's perspectives and thoughts!

Striving Diligently to Enter God's Heart

Our church inherits my character, and I have a heart that strives diligently. Striving diligently is what it means to wholeheartedly follow God. I know that I have a certain perspective and way of thinking: life is vanity of vanities. If people recognize that their lives are empty, and do not care about their cattle, livestock, or property, God will surely provide. No matter what state you are in, as long as you enter into God's heart, He will surely solve our many problems. Therefore, my perspective and thoughts are not according to the flesh, but according to the promises and revelations God has given us in the Bible. I act according to what the Bible says.

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 1:2)

The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10)

Seeking and fearing God is the beginning of wisdom. What does it mean to fear God? It means to hold fast to God's word when we see it, and to follow God's thoughts closely when we understand them; to imitate God's perspective and no longer walk according to our own. Because God's perspective is the true perspective, and God's thoughts are the true thoughts. May God enable me to live in His will all my life, with His perspective as my own and His thoughts as my own. This is what it means to wholeheartedly follow God.

The Israelites went from Egypt to the wilderness, and then were to enter the Promised Land. One group discouraged the Israelites, but only two people wholeheartedly followed God: Joshua and Caleb. They did not follow human logic, but rather God's power and promises. If they had followed human logic, the giants would have looked like grasshoppers to us, and we would have looked like grasshoppers to ourselves. How could we have fought this battle? But they followed God's power and promises. It does not matter if we cannot defeat the giants; God can cause people to be victorious.

God Does Not Delight in Those Who Turn Back

Brothers and sisters, we must all change. When I was ministering to a sister, she told me that she really did not want to move forward anymore. Was it really necessary to keep moving forward like this? It was so tiring! But my logic is simple: it is even more tiring not to move forward! Those who did not want to enter Canaan, the ten spies who brought bad news to the Israelites, the Lord caused plagues to break out and they died before the Israelites, and later the Israelites died out in batches. When a new batch arose, why did they not learn their lesson? At this point, they still preferred to retreat.

People used to want to return to Egypt, and later some wanted to return to the wilderness. And these people? They wanted to retreat to the east side of the Jordan River. Originally, God's promised land to the Israelites was on the west side of the Jordan River! That was a land flowing with milk and honey, which the Israelite spies had seen. These descendants of Reuben and Gad saw that their livestock was extremely numerous, and they forgot everything. It turned out that they thought that these extremely numerous livestock were the basis of their lives. But in fact, people do not live by livestock, nor by money, nor by business, nor by work.

He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:3)

Imitate Joshua and Caleb, Wholeheartedly Follow God

Are you and I like these Reubenites, or like those who died in the wilderness before? Or like the ten spies who brought bad news? If we are to learn to wholeheartedly follow the Lord today, we must imitate Joshua and Caleb:

Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me—none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord. (Numbers 32:11-12)

These are the words of God. How I hope that God can say to each of our brothers and sisters, that each of our brothers and sisters is wholeheartedly following Him in God's eyes. In the past years, I have ministered to many, many people, but they have all retreated. Their retreat made me very sad and very surprised. Some brothers and sisters, I have ministered to them not for a day or two, but for many years, solving many problems, and they have experienced many graces. They found a job with a very good salary, and then the job became their god. What the Israelites saw was that as long as there was a place to graze livestock, it was a good place. That was their perspective.

Those who cannot wholeheartedly follow God and those who wholeheartedly follow God see different things. Those who wholeheartedly follow God see the wonderful promises in the Bible and know that there are still many promises that have not been fulfilled, and they continue to strive diligently. Those who do not wholeheartedly follow God, as soon as they see that the livestock is extremely numerous, they begin to live their little lives, and their little lives are not good either.

Recently, I saw a very interesting thing on the internet. A few pictures described a person's life. A person's life has four vehicles: a baby carriage at birth, a bicycle second, then a car, and then when old, it becomes a wheelchair on wheels. The four wheels are over. People need four beds in their lives: a crib at birth, a single bed later, then a double bed, and then a sickbed, and then they die in the sickbed. It turns out that this is how people live their lives. Even if you have extremely numerous livestock, so what? In the end, what can you get?

Are you relying on money, work, or ability to live today? If we are relying on God to live, then start choosing to challenge your own perspective and thoughts. Are our thoughts still like those of the Reubenites and Gadites? Just seeing those elite soldiers fighting and dividing extremely numerous livestock, the whole faith is built on livestock again, saying Do not lead us across the Jordan River. What is this?

Moses was furious on the spot, presenting two types of people: Joshua and Caleb, who wholeheartedly followed God, and those who discouraged the Israelites, namely the descendants of Reuben and Gad. See, the people who discouraged the Israelites have all died. Are you going to follow in their footsteps?

If you turn back and do not follow God, He will be angry with you in the same way, and you will be the ones who cause the people to perish. There was a generation of Israelites who spread bad news and wandered in the wilderness for forty years, and then died in the wilderness. Are the people of Reuben and Gad so forgetful today? Can't you emulate Joshua and Caleb? Are you confused just because you see a lot of livestock?

People need to face a great temptation: when they have no money, they like to trust in money because money can solve many problems; when they have money, they also like to trust in money. When one is rich, if he is not willing to serve the Lord your God with a joyful heart, God will send your enemies to attack you.

Backsliding Leads to Perdition

Today, we must not be confused. Are you the ones who discourage the Israelites? Do you think the land is good just because you see a lot of livestock? This is a good place to live; there are enough sheep and donkeys. It's better than the land flowing with milk and honey. The Promised Land is yours; I'll give it to you. You go and take it; I'm fine here. This is backsliding into perdition.

God is not pleased with those who backslide into perdition. He does not like those who do not move forward; He wants each of us to fulfill all of God's promises. Are you really satisfied with the four beds and four cars you have now? What awaits us in the end is a hospital bed and a paralyzed wheelchair. Is that what we want?

I want to live in the house of God all my life, to behold His beauty, to serve my God all my life, and to strive to run the race, still longing to serve God on the day before I breathe my last. Sometimes I say to myself in secret, on the day before I die, I am still a demon-chaser! Isn't it good to be Joshua and Caleb? Isn't it good to be such a person? Must you be the ones who discourage the Israelites?

Make the Right Choice: Strive to Pursue

Can you make the right choice today, without needing people like me and Moses to remind you? You must choose to have God's perspective and mind, to have Abraham's perspective and mind, and then strive to enter into God's promise. Striving to pursue will be tiring, but not striving to pursue will be even more tiring.

Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, Shall your brethren go to war, and will you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and had seen the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. The Lord’s anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more when they came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob— not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone. And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. If you stop following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction. (Numbers 32:6-15)

In our church, I really cannot tolerate those who backslide. I struggle every day. Yesterday, I was discussing something with a group of leaders: Can we lower our requirements for everyone? After discussing it back and forth, it's not that the requirements are too high, but that the requirements are not high enough. Backsliding is perdition. As a leader, I dare not relax at all. If I relax a little, I worry that the brothers and sisters will make the wrong choice, thinking that God's standards have been lowered. In fact, God's standards have never been lowered. Can everyone start making a decision without listening to Moses' words: I will strive to run forward until I enter the land of promise given to Abraham and Jacob.

Make the right choice and choose to be strong. As a sober leader, start boldly pointing out the problems of the brothers and sisters. I want to be as bold as Moses, not pleasing anyone. Even if you don't like me, I will tell you that you are far from God's standards (of course, I include myself). It was Moses who boldly demanded these things from these people, and these people were embarrassed when they heard it. If you were a descendant of Reuben and Gad, would you wake up when Moses said such things?

Then they came to him and said, We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. But we ourselves will be armed and ready to lead the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Then our women and children can live in fortified cities, safe from the natives of the land. (Numbers 32:16-17)

You should have said that earlier! Only now do you say that you want to build cities for your women and children and put your livestock in pens. Some brothers and sisters, because they have strong and sober leaders, can help them turn back and not be backsliders. These Israelites made the right choice. We will take knives and guns and go with our brothers to the land of promise, and then we will return here. Is this worthwhile? We stay on the Jordan River and still have to fight. Is this the best decision? This is to covet temporary benefits and not be able to obtain the best blessings.

Moses knew very well that the Israelites were saying this in an embarrassed situation, so Moses called all these priests and elders to make a decision: the descendants of Reuben and Gad will cross the Jordan River with you armed. If they do not cross over with you armed, they will have no inheritance in the land of Canaan. They calculated the cost in their minds and felt uncomfortable. If we go in to fight and get the land of Gilead, but do not go in and get the land of Canaan, then there will be no inheritance in Canaan. We want to backslide.

But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23)

People die in sin, and the wages of sin is death. Don't be a backslider. Since we have already come into this world, let us live out a flourishing life. Since it is hard work anyway, let us work hard in victory and wholeheartedly follow God. Why backslide? I remind everyone that many of us are sick. Why are we sick? If I challenge you, you will be a descendant of Reuben and Gad; if I don't challenge you, you will backslide. Can you not get sick like this? Start waking up and making a smart decision: Coveting ease often does not lead to ease. Staying in Egypt means death, and dying in the wilderness also means death. There is only one way: strive to run and enter the land of God's promise. This is the best decision and the best blessing.

Although the wheelchairs these days are quite advanced and electric, I definitely don't want to be in a wheelchair when I'm old, and I don't want to be lying in a hospital bed either. Everyone, don't live in that kind of state. We must understand God's will and wholeheartedly follow God. What God has prepared for those who love Him is beyond imagination. If we do not see through life, we cannot serve God; if you love the world and the things in the world, you cannot love God, because the love of God is not in you. If a person loves the world and loves money, then sorrow will pierce you, and sin will find you out. What will you use to resist at that time? Can living a small life resist sin?

Conclusion

Be someone who wholeheartedly follows God, don't choose the second best, and don't stay east of the Jordan River. This is not a worthwhile decision. We must fulfill God's promise, and we must know that we are still far from fulfilling God's promise. Wake up and don't be someone who dies in the wilderness. Determine not to backslide, not to be a sinner, not to increase the number of sinners, and not to have the mindset of living a small life. See through some things, follow God, and never give up until you obtain the promise. Living out God's glory, what a wonderful thing this is!

The Israelites like the character of backsliding, which is a natural choice within people. But we do not act according to natural choices, nor do we act according to the desires of the flesh. We act according to God's will.

Lord Jesus, I am determined not to be a backslider. I want to be someone who strives to pursue and follow You. May God accept my choice. I will be strong and enter the land of promise. In the name of Jesus Christ, I declare that I will completely trample on the devil and the enemy and be a good soldier of God in Jesus Christ, never backing down. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Yet because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. (Numbers 32:12)