Following Christ wholly

Numbers 32:8-12 (ESV)
Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. [9] For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the LORD had given them. [10] And the LORD's anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, [11] ''Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, [12] none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.''

Moses solemnly warns Reuben and Gad of the danger of discouraging the heart of their brethren from entering into the promised land. He compares them to the 10 spies who brought evil report of the promised land and spread unbelief among the congregation. He names them 'your fathers', reminding them that this did not happen many generations ago. We also fool ourselves if for some reason we think we won't do the same evil things that our earthly fathers did. We fool ourselves if we think we are more righteous than they. In fact, a generation sins more boldly and callously than the previous generation. We all have been falling deeper into perdition since Adam, and we are mistaken if we think we are not vulnerable to the same, if not worse, error that our fathers committed. Remember it was the Pharisees, who thought if they lived in the days of the prophets they wouldn't have killed the servants of God like their fathers did. But their self-assurance led them to kill the beloved Son of God. Moses is warning these two tribes as though to say: 'Don't be so naive to think that you are not like those rebels, because those rebels are your own fathers that bore you'. We also ought to take warning, and forsake the tradition of unbelief that is handed down from our earthly fathers. Sure we are to honour our fathers, but we are to honour our Father in heaven infinitely more. We are to instead uphold the tradition of faith that is handed down from Abraham, our father in the faith. Let us not be like the Jews who sat idly by in their self-righteousness and became the murderers of God Himself. This is what happens if we do not watch out for the hereditary sin that is being handed down from our fathers. Let us honour them, but only in the Lord, and know that now we are children of our Heavenly Father, and He does, we shall also do.

When they ... saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people. This is a tragic thing, as their fathers saw the land, and saw the fruitfulness of it, yet still disbelieved. Seeing is not believing. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of God alone. Joshua and Caleb saw, just like the rest of the spies, but that's not what gave them faith. Their trust was on the promise that God had made to Abraham many years before. They heard God's voice, and believed that no matter how tall the inhabitants were, God could bring them in. In fact the giants appeared to them like grasshoppers, contrary to what the other spies thought, because they believed in God's word. Likewise faith distorts our fleshly vision, for our good. Mountains seem movable and devil seems weak, salvation appears possible and dead hearts appear to have the hope of living. Why? Only because God can do all these things. But what happened to these 10 spies? They SAW, and they were afraid. They SAW and their hearts were discouraged. And so they discouraged others. Their trust was in what they saw, and to them they themselves appeared like grasshoppers compared to them. Their trust was in their own power, their own strength. So the spies were cursed, as it is written:
Jeremiah 17:5-6 (ESV)
Thus says the LORD:"Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. [6] He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come.He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
And how this word came true for them, their bodies being wasted in the wilderness. Let us therefore be reminded that seeing does not help our faith, because faith is the evidence of the things unseen. Only if they saw through faith God's army surrounding them to protect them from the giants. Only if they believed in God's mighty hand, which is able is destroy all things and save to the uttermost. They lived not by faith in God, but by their sight, and thus their hearts were discouraged to enter in. Gospel is likewise being preached forth to all creatures, but not the hearers will enter in to heaven, but only who believe in God's good news. Everyone has all heard that Christ has rose from the dead, but not all believe, and thus many still remain dead in their sins. Many saw the risen Christ when He ascended into Heaven on mount of olives, but not all believed it was real, and only a few were gathered to pray at Mark's upper room. It must be by hearing of faith, because God's word and testimony needs no other evidence but the witness of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer. They who disbelieve God's word therefore greatly offends God's truthfulness and faithfulness. And how about if we reject His testimony about His own Son? Such deserve the wrath of God and shall never see heaven nor set foot in it.

Lord's anger was kindled on that day, and he swore. God is angry with the wicked every day against those who live by sight and not by faith in God's promises. Nothing makes Him furious more than unbelief and hearts that judge by what they see. And see how angry He was against their unbelief, that our patient, longsuffering God determined on that very day that they shall not enter in to the promised land. And how fierce was His wrath, that He even swore an oath that they would not enter. As God is faithful to save to the utmost those who believe, so is He faithful to destroy those who believe Him not. This is why Moses is angry with these tribes, for they were choosing to live by their sight, saying, 'This land is great for cattle, and your servants have cattle'. By preferring this wilderness before their eyes over the land God has promised to them, they were filling up the measure of their father's sins, and provoking God's wrath again.

And see what God said to their fathers "surely none of them shall see the land". Those who live by sight in this world shall not see at all the world that is to come. But those who choose to be blind in this world and choose to be led by the voice of the Holy Spirit shall see the Land, and also see the King of the Land as He is. Let Him that sees in this world become blind, lest His eyes be blinded forever in everlasting darkness. It was for this reason that Christ came into this world:
John 9:39-41 (ESV)
Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." [40] Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, "Are we also blind?" [41] Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ''We see,'' your guilt remains.

And why did they become blind to this promised land? Because they did not "follow Him wholly". Let's examine this phrase for a moment. Does this phrase suggest that it is possible to follow Christ partially? It appears so. And this also suggests that those who follow Christ partially are not in danger of losing their rewards, but are in danger of not being able to enter into the Kingdom of God at all. So what is this partial following? We see the kind of following that Christ wants in His own words:
Matthew 16:24 (KJV)
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
There were surely disciples in those days and also today that follow Christ, but ignore His prerequisites. Christ does not stop them from following, but His own words shall judge them on the last Day. A prime example of one who followed Christ partially would easily be Judas. How was he partial in his following? He never denied himself. His thought was always, 'what's in it for me if I follow Christ?' He perhaps thought Christ would become King of Israel like David, and thought if he followed Christ, perhaps He would grant him a good position in His kingdom. He was a thief, and helped himself to the money bags, and was the first to complain when Mary broke the expensive jar of perfume. Always it was about what he could gain from Jesus. And this was the heart of the first generation who followed God in the wilderness. They had zero concern about the glory of God or fulfilling God's work in pouring out His vengeance upon the nations. All they cared about was 'what's in it for us?' Such an attitude comes from not realizing of God's grace through salvation. If the first generation that came out of Egypt knew the significance of the Passover, and considered how the just God had mercy upon them by the blood of the lamb, they would not have cared so much about what was in it for them. They would have lived for Him who spared them over the Egyptians.

And the second prerequisite to wholly following Christ is taking up the cross. It is by dying. It is by dying to self, to sin, recognizing that I am deserving of capital punishment by God, dying to the world and its lusts, dying to self glory. It is dying altogether with Christ, that Christ alone might be magnified. And this is the lives that Joshua and Caleb lived. After the incident after the 12 spies, we hear almost nothing of the two until the book of Joshua. 40 years they carried the cross while wandering in the wilderness, no matter how much their brothers disbelieved, complained or sinned around them. They died to themselves, wholly following Christ, not wanting any glory for themselves. Joshua walked around the desert for forty years silently, believing in the promise of God that though all his generation die, he and Caleb will enter in, because that's what God said. They considered themselves as dead, but alive to God, knowing that on the Passover, all Israel ought to have died since God considered Israel His firstborn:
Exodus 4:22-23 (KJV)
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord , Israel is my son, even my firstborn: [23] And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
Joshua and Caleb realized that Israel were spared only because of the blood of the lamb and the mercy of God. This was the different spirit that they had within them, the spirit that knew of the grace of God. Therefore they cared not about themselves, but only for the glory of God. Such men God is pleased to give the land to.

Let us then deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Christ, wholly. Let us be counted worthy to be called the children of faith, that we may inherit the city that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob inherited. As Joshua and Caleb considered not those around them, but walked their own way of faith, let us also consider not the unbelieving world around us. Unbelievers shall perish in this side of the Jordan, but believers shall see the land that God gives. Let us wait upon God, though His promise tarry, for a thousand years is worth one day to God. For those who endure, and believe in Christ unto the end, His promises shall surely come to pass. Let us crucify all our doubts, and follow Him wherever He goes. Amen:
Revelation 14:4 (KJV)
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.