We have just entered 2025, and in two weeks, many of us will be celebrating another new year, this time based on the lunar calendar. Traditionally, this has been a period of profound reflection and great hopes for good things in the coming year. Early in January, Chairman Elder Liew Hoi Foo shared in his message in Full Gospel Assembly (FGA) KL that as we step into the threshold of another year, the journey of the Israelites in the wilderness speaks volumes to us about faith, unity, and obedience.
The account concerning them as recorded in two books, Exodus and Numbers, are a tale both of blessing ensuing from the faithfulness of trusting God and of rebellion and its consequences at not trusting Him. For Christians, there is a powerful undertone in this. Just as the Isarelites stood at the very threshold of the Promised Land, we are standing at the beginning of new opportunities but there are also challenges that require faith and courage to face them squarely.
God’s Faithfulness in Deliverance
The account of the journey which the children of Israel undertook to the land of Canaan started with their deliverance out of Egypt after 430 years of slavery. They had cried out to the Lord for deliverance from a tyrannical pharaoh, and there they saw His mighty hand, through ten plagues, culminating on the Passover night when the Pharaoh finally released them (Exodus 12). Now they were going towards a land full of milk and honey, carrying with themselves the promise of God’s covenant. However, the journey ahead of them was to prove a test in their trust of His faithfulness.
In Numbers 1, God instructed Moses to take a census of all the men above 20 years who were to be drafted into the army. The total came to 603,550, testifying to the mighty nation that God had raised. Later, in Numbers 13, Moses sent 12 leaders into the land of Canaan to spy out the land. The spies had viewed the abundance of the land for 40 days, but they also saw its challenges – the fortified cities and powerful inhabitants.
When the spies returned, Caleb and Joshua alone encouraged the Israelites to trust God and take possession of the land. Caleb said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it” (Numbers 13:30). Again, fear and doubt crept into the camp as the people murmured against Moses and Aaron and wanted to return to Egypt. This rebellion against what God had ordained and this yearning to go back to a land where they were in bondage reflected a degree of unfaithfulness and ingratitude. Because of this rebellion, the Lord’s anger blazed against the Israelites.
Because Moses interceded for the people, God softened His heart and rather than wiping them outright, He made a judgment that no men above 20 years who had murmured against God would enter the Promised Land, apart from Caleb and Joshua who had followed totally after God. The rest would wander in the wilderness for 40 years – one year for each day the spies explored the land – until the older generation died off. The Israelites later sought to enter the Promised Land without God’s blessing in their rebellion. They were defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites, a sobering reminder of the futility of acting apart from God’s guidance. Their rebellion brought unnecessary suffering and delayed the fulfillment of God’s promises.
Lessons to Be Learned from the Israelites
As we reflect on this story, three important lessons emerge to guide us into the opportunities and in tackling the challenges of the new year. These are:
1. Faith in God’s Promises
Caleb and Joshua stood out because they trusted God. Whereas others focused on the obstacles, they saw the power of God to fulfill His promises. Their example reminds us that challenges provide opportunities to trust God’s plans. Sometimes fear and doubt may well be the obstacles preventing us from stepping into the blessings of God.
May it be with us as it was with Caleb and Joshua: with our faith operating in practice when God’s purposes seem daunting on the path we are to pursue.
2. Unity in Purpose
The disunity and grumblings of the people of Israel caused them to lose the chance to receive God’s blessings. The fear in some divided the community and brought them to a standstill. In order for us to accomplish God’s purposes, we have to work together in unity, encouraging one another and standing firm on His promises.
Psalm 133:1 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” When we stand as one, the power of God is magnified through us. Unity makes it possible to go through challenges collectively and emerge stronger with faith and a sense of purpose.
3. Obedience and Submission
Disobedience to God led the Israelites to miss opportunities and enter into needless suffering. Their independent actions outside of God’s will brought defeat. Obedience to God is not optional; it is a requirement for walking in His blessings.
In submitting to God’s leading, we come into alignment with His plans, where we will experience His faithfulness. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep My commands.” Through obedience, it shows that we trust God and want to honor Him.
Moving into the New Year
As we enter this new year, the story of the Israelites reminds us to look at our own journey of faith. Sometimes, like theirs, our journeys are filled with uncertainties and obstacles, but just as it was in their case, there’s always that reminder that God is faithful to His promises.
In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30), Jesus commended the good servants who invested what their master had entrusted to them. God has entrusted each one of us with gifts and responsibilities. It is our privilege and duty to use them for His glory, trusting Him to bring the harvest.
The harvest is among us, in the children, youth, young adults, adults, and seniors that we interact with every single day. Every one of the generations represents an open door or doorway into lives to be impacted positively for the sake of Christ’s Name. Coming into 2025, there are many opportunities in unity, faith, and obedience that we can accomplish corporately for God’s glory and for us to enter into the promises He has in store for us as His people.
An Action Call in 2025
May 2025 find us confidently marching on in confidence of God’s faithfulness, declaring the Lord as our guide. Let us, as Caleb and Joshua did, follow and obey the word of God in boldness and faith in our hearts, knowing He will bring us into the fullness of His plans.
Chairman Elder Liew encouraged, “May we also commit to unity in standing together, to encourage and lift each other in our common purpose. In obedience to His commands and submission to His will, we put our will in harmony with His will, and we will encounter His blessings.”
May this year be a reminder to us of Jesus’ words in Matthew 9.37–38, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Together, we can trust God for the harvest. Let us rise, united in faith and purpose, to accomplish His will. May this year bring us forward with confidence, knowing that God is with us every step of the way.
This is a coverage article on a sermon preached by Chairman Elder Liew Hoi Foo at FGA KL on the 5th of January 2025, written from the lens of the impartation the writer has received from the sermon. It is an independent initiative and is not directly affiliated with FGA KL.
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