We are once again moving toward an election year. Already the candidates are stating their positions and challenging one another on those positions. In a short time, the people will choose the two top candidates; and the battle will begin for a new president.
It amazes me every time we go through the presidential election process how the candidates run each other down but then support one of the candidates they have opposed. The people do the same thing, and many times they support and vote for someone because the majority wants that particular person.
Majority rule is nothing new. We see it with children in what they want to play. We see it in teens in their behavior, and we see it with every other age group.
We can exclude a particular person from our “group” just because the majority doesn’t want them in the group. We can ostracize someone because of their social status, their color, their religion, or maybe just the clothes they wear.
There are several stories in the Bible that fit this same pattern. One in particular stands out to me.
Can you tell me who the following men are? Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, and Geuel were ten of the most important men in the Bible. Why? They made a recommendation, and the people followed the majority to destruction.
If you haven’t guessed the story, what if I add two more names? They were two that were in the minority, Joshua and Caleb.
In Number 13 Moses sent these men to spy out the land of Canaan. Each man represented one of the twelve tribes, and it was their job to get the following information:
“See the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein or not.” (Numbers 13:18-20)
So the men went out and searched the land. They cut down a cluster of grapes, picked pomegranates and figs. The grapes were so large that one cluster had to be placed on staff and carried by two men!
When the men returned after forty days, and this was the report of the majority of the spies:
“We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.” (Number 13:27-28)
“We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” (Number 13:31-33)
The report of the minority was very different:
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30)
The result of these reports was that the Children of Israel panicked. They cried all night! Then they murmured again Moses and Aaron, their leaders. They wanted to appoint new leaders and return to Egypt where they had been held captive and made into slaves.
Joshua and Caleb stood before the people and defended their position. They reminded them of the promises God had made to them about this land. It was to be theirs, but they had to show their faith in God. They knew that with God’s help they could take the land no matter how many giants there were, no matter how many walled cities there were, no matter how many armies they had to face.
The Israelites sided with the majority and turned on these men, Joshua and Caleb, and wanted to stone them; but these two men were spared. God was not happy with the ten men or with the people for their reaction. God determined that they would be sent back into the wilderness and would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land. He slew the ten men that brought back an evil report. The minority spies were rewarded by being the only ones to enter the land of Canaan (Number 26:65).
So, it doesn’t always pay to be in the majority. Sometimes the majority is wrong. Sometimes being in the minority is the place we need to be. Jesus said in Matthew 6:22:
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Many think that just calling on the name of Jesus is enough, but His every command must be obeyed. There is more to serving than just saying we believe in Jesus. Read the story of the wise man and the foolish man at the end of Matthew 6.
Doing the will of the Father sometimes puts us in the minority. Sometimes it is uncomfortable, but that is where we want to be in order to be with the Father.
Sandra Oliver