Presumption is Living in the Word Out of Context

Unbelievable stupidity! Not only did they not believe the Lord’s promise to give them the land of Canaan, now they do not believe the Lord’s pronouncement that they will not be allowed into the Promised Land. They have the wrong faith, at the wrong time, and are going to the wrong place, with the wrong attitude.

When the Israelites tried to enter the land in their presumptuous, disobedient attitude they were actually continuing in unbelief instead of faith because they were told:

1. The Lord was not with them, but they acted as if he was
2. Moses told them not to go, and they again acted in disobedience when they went into the land.
3. Moses told them the Lord would not be with them, so they acted without the Lord…and, without Moses…and, without the Ark of the Covenant.
4. That they had turned away from the Lord, so he will not be with you.
5. The Israelites will fall by the sword, because God is not with them

Notice that the Israelites in presumption quote the Lord’s previous words and his previous plans, but they quote them out of context. They use God’s own words out of context to come against his command in an attempt to nullify God’s will and justify their own desires when they say:

            “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised.”

It is the land God has promised, but it is also the land he said they would never see! Presumption is living in the Word out of context.

“The Jews no longer have prophets of miracles. Yet, traces of those things are still found among Christians to a considerable extent. Some of these miracles are more remarkable than any that existed among the Jews. I have witnessed these myself.” – Origen 248 AD