The Book Of Numbers Series 3-The Grasshopper Mentality

Numbers 13:1-2 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. (12) 

Genesis 15:13-16 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. ¹⁴ But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. ¹⁵ You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶ In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure. Grapes—PIC-–40 Days

Vs26-33 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. ²⁷ They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. ²⁸ But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. ²⁹ The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” ³⁰ Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” ³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” ³² And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. ³³ We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

Numbers 14:1-10 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. ² All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! ³ Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” ⁴ And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” ⁵ Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. ⁶ Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes ⁷ and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. ⁸ If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. ⁹ Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” ¹⁰ But the whole assembly talked about stoning them.

We are here to seek God’s wisdom, God’s comfort, and to Behold our God. Let’s hear the living Word that God has so graciously given us, as a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

Read: Numbers 13:33 “We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

This passage, is often a mirror to our own lives. How often do we see ourselves as grasshoppers? We see the challenges, the obstacles, the ‘giants’ in our lives and we feel small, insignificant, and incapable. How often do we forget the omnipotence of our God, who can make the impossible–possible?

Here are the Israelites standing on the edge of the Promised Land. They had been delivered from the bondage of Egypt, led through the Red Sea, and sustained in the wilderness. Now, they were on the verge of entering the land flowing with milk and honey that God had promised them.

But instead of stepping out in faith, they hesitated. Why? Because they saw giants in the land and considered themselves as grasshoppers in comparison.

This grasshopper mentality comes because we look at our own abilities, our own strength, and we feel like grasshoppers. But this is not how God sees us, and it’s not how He wants us to see ourselves.

Please understand that our perception of ourselves matters. How we see ourselves affects how we behave, how we interact with others, and definitely how we face challenges. If we see ourselves as grasshoppers, we will act like grasshoppers. We will shy away from challenges, we will feel overwhelmed by obstacles, and we will doubt our ability to receive what God has promised us.

This is how God sees us: We are His children, heirs of His kingdom, more than conquerors, and God has given us His Armor to wear. And when we truly see ourselves as God see us: that will change our perspective. We will face challenges with courage, we will overcome the obstacles of life by faith, and we will make a difference in the world around us.

So, how do we change our perception? How do we reject the grasshopper mentality? We do it by renewing our minds with the Word of God. We do it by meditating on His promises. We do it by reminding ourselves of His faithfulness in the past. We do it by looking at our circumstances through the eyes of faith, and not fear. We do it by trusting in God’s strength and God’s ability, not our own.

Sometimes we find ourselves standing at the same place as these Israelites, a crossroads of PERCEPTION AND REALITY. The Israelites saw themselves as grasshoppers and because of that they’re unable to take a hold of what God has promised. Unable to see the reality of who they were and who God is.

In the face of adversity, it’s easy to focus on our own limitations. We see the size of the problem, the height of the mountain, the depth of the valley, and we feel overwhelmed. But when we shift our focus (Caleb-Joshua) from our ability to God’s ability, we see things from a new perspective.

The problem may be big, but our God is bigger. The mountain may be high, but our God is higher. The valley may be deep, but God keeps every promise he makes. That’s the reality!

The story of Moses and the Red Sea: The Israelites were trapped between the sea and the Egyptian army. From a grasshoppers perspective, they are doomed. But Moses didn’t rely on his own ability. He relied on God’s ability. He said to the people, Exodus 14:13 “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.” Moses recognized God’s ability in his situation, and the sea was parted.

The story of David and Goliath. David was a young shepherd boy, not a trained warrior. Goliath was a giant, a seasoned fighter. From a grasshoppers perspective, David didn’t stand a chance.

But David didn’t rely on his own ability. He relied on God’s ability. He said to Goliath, 1 Samuel 17:45 “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty” David recognized God’s ability in his situation, and he was victorious.

God never promised these Israelites an easy journey. He never promised them that they wouldn’t face giants. But He did promise them that no matter what they faced He would be with them, that He would fight for them, that He would deliver them.

In the face of life’s giants, it’s important to embrace our identity as children of the Most High God. This rejection of the grasshopper mentality is a conscious choice to believe in the promises of God, to trust in His ability to fulfill His word.

God’s promises are not meant just to be heard, but they are meant to be lived out, God’s promises are meant to be woven into the fabric of our everyday lives, to be the foundation on which we build our lives.

We serve a God who is bigger than any giant we may face. He’s not a God who is distant or uncaring, but a God who is intimately involved in our lives, who sees every struggle, every tear, every moment of doubt.  He’s not just watching from a distance, He’s right there with us, walking through the fire, carrying us when we can’t go on.

We’re not grasshoppers, friends. We’re not insignificant. We’re not alone. We are children of the King, loved beyond measure, and equipped with everything we need to face the giants in our lives.

So, let’s walk out of here today with our heads held high, not because of who we are, but because of who we belong to and because of who He is. Let’s remember that the same God who parted the Red Sea, slayed Goliath, brought down the walls of Jericho, raised Lazarus from the dead, is the same God who walks with us today. He’s not changed.