Eyes of Faith

Verse of the day: Numbers 27:4 Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.”

It is very easy to overlook a very important perspective in reading this passage relative to the daughters of Zelophehad. As we discussed yesterday, Zelophehad had no sons, and his daughters now go to Moses to request that their father’s name not be removed from among the family because of this fact. They desired that his name live on by way of them receiving the inheritance of land that would have gone to their brothers (had they had any), once they entered the Promise Land. The key perspective that can be easily overlooked in this passage is that they approached Moses with eyes of faith. They had not yet inherited the land in Canaan; yet, they inquired about their inheritance with certainty that it would happen. This kind of faith is what we need to exhibit in our walk with Christ. We must live our Christian faith as if God’s promises are true…because they are (and whether or not we believe it does not change the certainty of His promises). I recently saw someone post a meme regarding faith that read, “God said it, I believe it, that’s it.” I would say, “God said it, that’s it.” Our belief in what God says is not the basis for the validity of His promises. However, His promises are what gives validity to our faith. These daughters of Zelophehad approached Moses with the certainty that there would be an inheritance, because God said there would be, and they did not want to be left out. The bottom line is that obtaining salvation and living the Christian life is all about faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Nothing that we have done, or can do, will ever earn us eternal life. Titus 3:4-7 puts it plainly, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” As born again believers, who have trusted Jesus for eternal life, we must run the race set before us by faith. These daughters demonstrated what faith is as defined by Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Our greatest desire should be to live a life that not only honors God, but one that is pleasing to Him. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” It was faith that caused God to call Abraham His friend (James 2:23). It was faith that granted Moses the privilege of having God speak to him as a friend speaks to a friend (Exodus 33:11); and it was faith that made David a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). In the Book of Hebrews, chapter 11, many of God’s servants are recorded as men and women of faith, because they believed and served God completely trusting that He would fulfill His promises to them (even though some of them did not actually see those promises fulfilled in their lifetime. Are we truly living our lives for the Lord by faith, or are we living out our “faith” as Thomas, the disciple of Christ who said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe”, John 20:25? If so, let us remember Jesus’ response to Thomas in John 20:29, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Although this example of faith by the daughters of Zelophehad may seem small in comparison to other examples in Scripture, let us not forget that Jesus said that faith as small as a mustard seed will move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Let us serve God, face adversity, and live our Christian life, knowing that regardless of what God allows to come our way, by faith in Christ we can overcome, knowing that our inheritance we look forward to in Christ is sure, because He is our Living Hope (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).