Unbelief Manifest

Sin leads to more sin, and even the most subtle sin will reveal itself openly.  As Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  The source of our problem with sin is not measured by words we say or things we do but fundamental aspects of who we are as a person living in a body of flesh marred by pride and unbelief.  Even a person who is born again with genuine faith in God has a soft-spot toward these subtle, sometimes latent sins that we are unable to recognise in real time.  It is only by God's grace conviction of these sins comes and we are strengthened by faith to confess them, repent of them and do what pleases God instead.  Salvation is of the LORD.

A good illustration of the consequences of unbelief are seen in Exodus 6 when Moses went to speak to the children of Israel.  The almighty God told Moses to speak to the Hebrews and inform them God heard their groaning and remembered His covenant with them.  He would bring them out from the burdens the Egyptians placed on them, rid them of bondage, redeem them, and would take them as His own people.  God promised to bring them out of bondage and the land of Egypt, bring them into the land of Canaan, and give them the land as an inheritance.  One would think God's chosen people would rejoice to hear such promises from their God, but this was not the case.  Exodus 6:9 states, "So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage."  The Hebrews experienced anguish and cruel bondage so long they did not believe even God could change their awful circumstances.

On the heels of God's people refusing to hear Moses, God said to him in Exodus 6:11-12, "Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land." ¹² And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, "The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?"  Moses did not jump at the chance to go and speak to Pharaoh,  and he cited his inability to convince the Hebrews as a reason not to do so:  why would Pharaoh listen to him when God's people would not?  Moses was burdened by failure of convincing the Hebrews when it was not his job or responsibility to make people listen or to change them:  God told Moses to speak!  The same unbelief observed in God's people who refused to listen resided in Moses who refused to speak and would also be seen in Pharaoh who refused to obey and let God's people go.  Later in Exodus we observe belief was so persistent that God's people refused to enter into the land after God delivered them with a mighty hand (Hebrews 3:19).  The writer of Hebrews makes this personal for us, for it is possible it is our unbelief that prevents Christians from entering God's rest.

See the terrible consequences of unbelief:  refusal to hear God, go and speak for God, obey God, enter the land of promise or His rest!  Praise the LORD that despite the folly of man He worked miraculous wonders to change hearts, gave His people ears to hear and hearts to obey.  God freed them from bondage and cruel oppression, and the words He told Moses to say came true.  Pharoah initially refused to let God's people go and later relented, and the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt and received their inheritance in Canaan in due time.  Real, lasting rest remains for God's people.  How faithful God was to love, provide, speak and save His people despite their unbelief and hardness of heart.  If it was up to us we would prefer to groan under a heavy burden or remain silent when it is God's will to deliver us from the bondage of sin and speak forth His praise for the wondrous salvation He has wrought by faith in Jesus.