More on Faith and Presumption

I rececently posted on this topic a couple postings ago. Soon afterwards, my Bible reading plan had me in Numbers. I got to the account where Moses sent spies into the land of Canaan. God had promised the people of Israel that He would give them the land. He had performed great miracles to bring them out of Egypt to prove that they could trust him.

When the spies came back, two of them, Joshua and Caleb, told the people that the LORD was with them and would deliver the people of Canaan into their hands. The other 10, however, gave a bad report, saying that the people were too strong for them and that they would not be able to take the land. The Israelites believed the bad report. God was very angry with the Israelites for treating Him with comtempt and refusing to believe in Him. In His displeasure, He vowed that they would not be able to enter the promised land for 40 years:

Number 14:11 The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?...20 The LORD replied, "I have forgiven them, as you asked. 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, 22 not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times- 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.

Then the Israelites were grieved and decide they would go and try to take the land after the LORD told them not to because He would not go with them:

Numbers 14:39 When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. 40 Early the next morning they went up toward the high hill country. "We have sinned," they said. "We will go up to the place the LORD promised."

41 But Moses said, "Why are you disobeying the LORD's command? This will not succeed! 42 Do not go up, because the LORD is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, 43 for the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the LORD, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword."

44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the LORD's covenant moved from the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.

Here's what I have learned: If the Lord has made a promise and I don't believe that He will keep it, it is sin--the sin of unbelief. However, if God has not promised to do something or warned that He won't do it and I assume He will, then it is presumption. So if I am convinced by reading Scripture that God promises something to me, I must not treat the Lord with comtempt and refuse to believe Him. Instead I must consider Him who promised faithful to fulfill His word.