Now revised as Chapter 8 of the book...
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Peter Wade.
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The Grasshopper Philosophyby Peter Wade
Self-image psychology has become popularized in recent years under a variety of names. A simplification of the principle might go like this: "You are what you think you are." It is not at all surprising to find that God's Word gives much more information concerning what we really are and what we think we are. One aspect of this truth is brought to life in an incident recorded in the Book of Numbers. It concerns the ever-present problem of people who will always speak and think less of themselves than they really are. There is a term for the condition: self-denigration. This basically means to blacken your own reputation. In the light of the record I want to share with you, I will use the more expressive term "the grasshopper philosophy".
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The record in Numbers chapters 13 and 14 concerns the nation of Israel immediately after their deliverance from Egypt. There are some matters in the record that are not applicable today in the Church age, but many things apply to every age or administration. I want you to keep your eyes open to the principles demonstrated, and to especially notice the consequences of the attitudes held by the various people.
"The Lord said to Moses, 'Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.' So at the Lord's command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites" (Numbers 13:1-4a). Why did God give Moses permission to send out men to search Canaan? God's command as declared by Moses was this: "See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged" (Deuteronomy 1:21). But the leaders of the people, the heads of the family, came to Moses and suggested that he should send some men ahead and find out what the country and its inhabitants were like. Then the whole nation would go into Canaan.
This did not agree with the concept Moses had of God's provision for the nation, and so he sought God's guidance regarding this request. God gave Moses permission to carry out the leader's suggestion. However, let us note that the sending of the spies into the promised land was actually a manifestation of the unbelief of the Israelites in the Word of God. This is the first of ten occasions they queried God's Word, from the time they left Egypt to when they turned back into the desert again.
"When Moses sent them to explore the land of Canaan, he said, 'Go up the Negev and on into the hill country. See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.' (It was the season for the first ripe grapes [about July])" (Numbers 13:17-20).
None of the items listed for checking were of any importance, since God had declared they should go up and possess the land. Did it make any difference to God whether the people were strong or weak? Did it worry God if the people were few or many, if the crops were good or bad, if the people lived in tents or in fortified towns? Of course not. Then the desire of the leaders of the people to check out the land in this way was nothing less than unbelief. God has already provided for the nation in their journey from Egypt. They had been fed by the biggest quail hunt in history and by manna [bread] from heaven. The people had no problems, there was no sickness in their midst, and yet, in the face of abundance, they wanted to check out first if what God had said was a certainty. We cannot experiment with God's Word, but we should accept His gracious invitation to experience and enjoy all that He makes available to His children.
"So they went up, and explored from the Desert of Zin as far as Rehob... When they reached the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs... At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land" (Numbers 13:21, 23, 25). Forty days of unbelief, searching to see if God's Word was true. There is surely a parallel in modern times, for some of us have taken far longer than forty days to discover that God's Word is true.
The report of the spies "They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. They reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 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' " (Numbers 13:26-27). Here we have the only statement on which the twelve spies could agree: it was a land that flowed with milk and honey, and hanging from the staff was proof in the form of a magnificent bunch of grapes. Then they continue with the report: "But..." Have you noticed how often people are inclined to first say something good about a person or situation, but before long they come out with a negative statement that cancels out the good? "Yes, he's a good man, but..." "Sure, he's alright but I don't like the way he combs his hair (or something)." Remember Naaman the leper? "Naaman was a mighty man... but he was a leper." The fruit is marvelous... but you should see the people.
"But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw the descendants of Anak there" (Numbers 13:28). Certainly the people might have been strong, but how strong is God? And the cities may have been fortified, but did that make any difference at Jericho? And the descendants of Anak may have been considered giants in relation to their own height, but height was no problem when David overcame Goliath! Yet that is not all. In verse 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." Oh yes, the neighbours. Whenever there is a choice between believing God's Word or following the dictates of sense knowledge, a barrage of little "ites" will surround us with negative ideas. What will my family think, what will my friends think, what will the neighbours think? Yet what did God promise? He promised them the land, He said that wherever the soles of their feet were placed it would be theirs, yet they were concerned because there happened to be a few people around.
Although all twelve spies had covered the same ground and seen the same sights, two of them did not share the negativism of the majority. When it is a matter of truth, the majority is not always right. "Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, 'We should go up at once and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it" (Numbers 13:30). Isn't that beautiful? At last we have a positive statement that aligns itself with God's Word about the situation. Now we have two denominations: on the one hand the cold First Church of the Refrigerator with its majority proclaiming a negative viewpoint, and on the other hand the Church of Action with a positive message in spite of its minority. Yes, it does take courage and conviction to stand against any majority and proclaim what you consider to be right. Perhaps the greatest need today is for believers to take a stand for the truth, the integrity of God's Word.
However, the ten negative spies pressed their majority to have the final word: "But the men who had gone up with him said, 'We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are' " (Numbers 13:31). There is nothing unusual about unbelievers being stronger than negative Christians, for Satan has delighted in staging this situation throughout Church history and even to this present day. Yet the people of Canaan were not stronger than God. A positive and believing nation of Israel would have run all over the Canaanites.
"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' " (Numbers 13:32). Did you notice how the negative attitude of verse 28 has now grown until the people are now viewed as giants? Doubt and worry breed unbelief, and unbelief snowballs until it dominates the person. "All the people... are men of great size... " This is the figure of hyperbole, exaggeration; and here we see it taken to the fullest measure. Unbelief always exaggerates; belief always stand on the truth.
" '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 13:33). There is the Grasshopper Philosophy! Self-denigration, low self-esteem, inferiority complex! It did not matter what they were in the sight of the Canaanites, the Amalekites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, or the Amorites. And it is still the same today. It does not matter what my neighbours think of me, what the people I work with think of me -- all of this has very little to do with my making a success of life. The one thing that does count is what God thinks of me and whether I believe it or not. The spread of negatives What started as a low attitude regarding their abilities and resources has now spread like a bushfire at the height of summer. "That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud" (Numbers 14:1). It was a night of howling, frustration and depression. And guess who got the blame! Not their own unbelief but the man of God. "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 desert! 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?' And they said to each other, 'We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt' " (verses 2-5).
It must surely be the depth of unbelief to want to die rather than follow the guidance of God's Word! God did not bring them to the border of the land in order for the inhabitants to stomp on them like they would on grasshoppers. His desire for His people was that they might enjoy the rich and fertile land, and have a prosperous and happy life. However, if they consider themselves to be grasshoppers, they will soon start acting like grasshoppers, and will experience the results of their unbelief. Believers are not to react to circumstances, but to act upon God's Word regardless of limiting circumstances.
We now have a third denomination: the Back to Bondage Church. "Let's elect a new leader who is in step with the times. We didn't realize how well off we were back in Egypt. Oh, if only we could have the 'good old days' again -- 'the fish... the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic' " (Numbers 11:5, 14:4). Unbelief drags people down, lowers their sights, destroys their initiative. The people now thought that bondage in Egypt was good and that milk and honey in Canaan would spell disaster! They were by now so accustomed to hearing negative statements that they thought positive statements were false.I have even had this reaction from believers today when I have dare to suggest that God has provided for them a successful, abundant life, that they are blessed with heaven's best, that they are complete in Him. In fact, some cannot even take the truth that they are sons of God with power. Humans do not seem to have changed much since the days of Moses!
When the positive spies once again attempted to give their viewpoint, they got into trouble. " '...The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 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. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.' But the whole assembly talked about stoning them..." (Numbers 14:7-10). The people's reaction was not very nice, but unbelief seems to go to almost any length to ridicule and fight a positive word of truth. What a difference in the two viewpoints! On the one hand "we were like grasshoppers to them" and on the other hand "we will swallow them up; their protection is gone". The two positive spies, Joshua and Caleb, are saying that the inhabitants are just like the manna they picked up every morning, without shade (the Hebrew word for "protection" in verse 9) they will turn bad and melt away. Above all, they said, "The Lord is with us. We have the guarantee of God's presence and God's power, provided you do not rebel against the Lord." And for this positive advice they were to be stoned!
Before the people had time to carry out their threat against the two positive spies, "... the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites" (Numbers 14:10b). God does not guarantee do display His power every time His people have a disagreement, but on this occasion a phenomenon was necessary to catch the people's attention and remind them that God was still in business. "The Lord said to Moses, 'How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they' " (Numbers 14:11-12). However, Moses interceded with God on their behalf, and he reminded God the effect such an action would have upon the Egyptians and the Canaanites. " 'In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.' The Lord replied, 'I have forgiven them, as you asked' " (Numbers 14:19-20).
Just prior to the final march into the promised land forty years later, Moses was guided to remind the nation of past events. After describing the journey of the spies and the varying report they brought, Moses said, " 'Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place" ' " (Deuteronomy 1:29-31). One piece of additional information is given to us in this record. Not only did the two positive spies press for an immediate possession of the land, but Moses also spoke on their behalf and encouraged the people to rise up and possess all that God had promised them. The principle of believing The principle of believing can be simply stated: whatever you believe, you receive. Positive believing will produce positive results; negative believing will produce negative results. If you believe you are a grasshopper, then you will approach life from a grasshopper's viewpoint. If you believe what God says you are, you will approach life from His viewpoint. What a difference that will be!
The nation of Israel received the results of their believing... and Joshua and Caleb received the results of their believing also. God made this quite clear when He said, " 'Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers, except Caleb... He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly... You [Moses] shall not enter it, either. But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it' " (Deuteronomy 1:35-38).
God had allowed the nation to send spies into the land to check up on His Word. Three times the positive report had been given by Caleb and Joshua, with Moses defending their statements, and yet the people wanted to stone them. They had made up their minds, and now they must endure the results of their negative believing. For forty years -- one year for each day the spies were in the land (Numbers 14:33-34) -- the Israelites went around in circles on a desert merry-go-round until the whole generation of unbelieving adults had died out. Forty years on the roundabout of unbelief! Positive believing had declared, when only a few days away from abundance and prosperity, "Let us go up at once and possess it" (KJV). A few days compared to forty long years in the desert wilderness! Such is the power of negative believing!
Forty-five years later, when the promised land had been occupied and the twelve tribes were being assigned their portion, Caleb came to Joshua, now leader of the nation. " 'Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years... I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day... ' " (Joshua 14:10-12). "Give me this mountain... " (KJV). What a testimony to the power of positive believing! What possibilities it suggests to us who claim to be believers! "Give me this mountain. When I was forty I said we could lick them, giants and all. Now I am eighty-five and my believing and strength have not changed. Give me this mountain... and all the giants who live there!" I suppose that today there would be someone who would advise Caleb, "Come on, Caleb, you're an old man now. Why don't you settle for some of that rich earth down by the river, where it is nice and flat." But Caleb was made of different stuff. His philosophy was: God said it, I believe it, that settles it!
Perhaps you can now see the futility of the grasshopper philosophy. Unbelief will have you running around in circles; positive believing will have you climbing mountains! Unbelief will say you cannot do it; positive believing will say you can do all things through the Christ in you. Unbelief will say you are a failure; positive believing says you are God's living enterprise and God cannot fail! Throw out the grasshopper philosophy and say what God's Word says about you!
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