Hesitant Faith

No hand may touch the person or animal that crosses the boundary; instead, stone them or shoot them with arrows. They must be put to death.’ However, when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, then the people may go up on the mountain.” [Exodus 19.13]

God does not like hesitant faith! Faith is obedience and calculated (hesitant) obedience is no obedience at all. I will prove it here.

In the context of the verse above, God was very specific about timing on Israel's approaching Him. He said to mark off a boundary at the foot of the mountain that, if any living thing crossed, it should be put to death immediately. However, as the verse above indicates, there would be a ram's horn blast to signal when the people might ascend up the mountain.

Here's what happened instead (underlines mine for emphasis):

On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. [Exodus 19.16-17]

The conversation that follows, between God and Moses reveals God's attitude then about hesitant faith (notice my underline again).

As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply. The LORD came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain. Then the LORD told Moses, “Go back down and warn the people not to break through the boundaries to see the LORD, or they will die. [Exodus 19.19-21]

God had previously said when the ram's horn blast was heard that the people were to come up the mountain (Hebrews 9.13 above). However, instead of ascending at the sound of the ram's horn, the people just stood there terrified, as did Moses also until God called him to come up.

Hebrews 12.20-21 confirms this (mind you, Hebrews 12 is follow-up of Hebrews 11 - the faith chapter):

They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.” [Hebrews 12.20-21]

Hebrews 12 warns that we have not come to this terrifying scene, but instead unto Jesus. However, the obedience of faith is still to be our response!

Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! [Hebrews 12.25]

So, what did Jesus tell us to do? For the sake of time and space here, I will simply paraphrase all that Jesus commanded us to do in this one sentence, "Do as I do."

At the onset of my time with God today, I found myself stuck on Mark 11.22-25. 

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” [Mark 11.22-25]

As I fixated on these words of Jesus today, I began to ask myself why people today are so far from what Jesus said there. From all the Bible teaches, from Mount Sinai to Mount Zion, I believe the same kingdom principle applies: once we hesitate to obey, that moment of faith that pleases God is lost. We will see this same principle when Israel hesitates to enter and take Canaan only later to have a change of heart and then rushed in to an overwhelming defeat.

Then they got up early the next morning and went to the top of the range of hills. “Let’s go,” they said. “We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land the LORD has promised us.” But Moses said, “Why are you now disobeying the LORD’s orders to return to the wilderness? It won’t work. Do not go up into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the LORD is not with you. When you face the Amalekites and Canaanites in battle, you will be slaughtered. The LORD will abandon you because you have abandoned the LORD.” But the people defiantly pushed ahead toward the hill country, even though neither Moses nor the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant left the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills came down and attacked them and chased them back as far as Hormah. [Numbers 14.40-45]

We simply cannot retort, "Yeah, but that was Old Testament - Old Covenant!" because Hebrews 12.25 glaringly refutes such nonsense! Hesitant faith is abandonment of God!

Again,

Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! [Hebrews 12.25]

Jesus, the One from Heaven, has given us specific commands to approach life as He approached life - He sent us as He was sent.

Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”  [John 20.21]

And once again we come to Hebrews 12:

Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! [Hebrews 12.25]

IF OUR LIVES DO NOT LOOK LIKE JESUS' LIFE ON EARTH, WE HAVE REJECTED THE ONE WHO SPEAKS FROM HEAVEN AND WE WILL THEREFORE NOT ENJOY THE ASSOCIATED POWER AND BLESSINGS.

I hate to shout, but does the gravity of this situation not require it?

Father, I have hesitated so many times - so much of my life. Forgive me for even questioning (You) as to why blessings and power seem so out of reach in my life! And yet, as Peter and the disciples failed on numerous occasions, they still came back and walked in demonstrated power and Christlikeness. Help me to do the same!