Romans 11:19-20, Be Not Highminded But Fear

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Romans 11:19-20 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Israel was set aside by God because of her faithlessness. She did not take God at His Word. Just like the Israelites who were on the brink of entering the Promised Land. God’s instruction was to enter the land. But when Israel heard the faithless report of giants in the land by the ten spies sent to survey the land. They capitulated, frightened by the prospect of encountering these seemingly formidable foes –  Numbers 13:32-33 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. 

They hearkened not to the truthful words of faith given by Joshua and Caleb – Numbers 14:6-10 6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: 7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

Only Joshua and Caleb from that generation of men did enter the Promised Land, the rest perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief. Joshua and Caleb from a young age followed the Lord wholly. Humility and the fear of God characterised their lives setting for us good example of men who by faith served God, receiving God’s blessing at the end of their lives. Amen.