A number of people know that the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years before reaching the Promised Land, but less in this majority recognize the significance of their delayed travels. It actually took the Israelites a mere two years to escape Egypt and reach Israel. Just before entering the land flowing with milk and honey, God asks Moses to send a representative from each of Israel's twelve tribes to survey the land. The committee goes into the land of Canaan, astonished by the sight of it. They feast their eyes on the gorgeous landscape of Israel, particularly its beautiful valleys and vast desert. To prove the goodness of the land to the others, the scouts return with the fruits of the land. The Israelites bring seasonable grapes almost too large for them to carry, and the people rejoice that God promises them such a wondrous land for their descendants. Unfortunately, the scouts find one fault in the Promised Land. While observing the beauty of Canaan, they notice that certain nations already inhabit the land. Ancient peoples, such as the Canaanites and Amorites, outnumber the Israelites. Hearing the news, the Israelites stop eating the delicious fruit, and the group enters a panicked frenzy. God stumbles upon the scene with disgust, for God promised them this land. The Israelites doubt God's covenant, and for that, they deserved punishment. For questioning God's power to bring the Israelites into the Promised Land, God commands Moses to lead the people toward the Red Sea. With the except of the scout who continued to believe in God's might, God allows no one of the first generation to escape Egypt to see Israel. Instead of entering Israel after two years of wandering, the Israelites travel for forty additional years.
Though God sentenced the Israelites to this fate, the eleven scouts who doubted God ultimately doomed themselves. After seeing a gorgeous landscape decorated with fruit, the scouts reported about their enemy. God offers so much to the Israelites by presenting them with the land of Canaan, and they thank God by fearing their settlement. Some suggest they return to Egypt, taking slavery over imagined death. Whether one believes in God or not, the passage offers a lesson in taking chances. The Israelites fear the Amorites and the Canaanites when they enter the land. During the portion, the other nations threaten the Israelites in no shape or form, yet they appear terrifying at first glance. Entering a new home is a frightening endeavor, but we need to push forward sometimes rather than retreating to what we know. The Israelites ask to return to Egypt, a familiar entity, even if that familiarity brings horrible bondage with it. The entire generation suffers as a result of the fear and doubt that exists among them. Worrying never solved a problem. Rather, it always dramatizes the issue, intensifying the emotion. In any moment of stress of nervousness, it is easy to retreat toward our comfort level, but we miss the thrill of accomplishment and adventure by taking this action.
The worst kind of fear is one that prevents us from taking a chance. The leap of entering Israel promised much more reward than escaping to Pharaoh. Like a runner overloading their system to earn their personal best time, all people need to strive to excel. The majority of people put in the adequate effort to succeed in an endeavor. It takes a special individual to soar beyond expectations, taking a risk from time to time. The effort it takes to excel is analogous to the strength of confronting nervousness. Sure, some risks are not worth the leap. Trying to survive a jump from a faraway height is not a smart choice without proper training, but we need to take our own jumps that match our personalities. Tomorrow, I celebrate the conclusion of my freshman year with a trip to Six Flags. I only went on my first roller coaster last year, and this year, I hope to conquer the tallest, scariest roller coaster in the park: Bizarro. Taking chances revolves around making sensible yet risky choices. I know my limitations, but riding this coaster is something I can overcome. The Israelites knew Israel was a risk worth taking. If the fear is assailable, face it. Otherwise, we find ourselves wandering in a world of sand for forty or more years.
No comments:
Post a Comment