By Leo Sekoere
In simple terms let me define the fullness of time as the right time for God to fulfill his
promise. This time is totally kairos and not dependent of any variants in the
natural time frame as we know it. Don’t be fooled by the long wait, God always fulfills
what He promises and it is His desire for every one of us to be at the right
place in our minds, hearts and spirits when He fulfills.
Many chapters before Numbers
13 we see a transition from receiving a promise then waiting while developing
the right character and finally getting to fulfillment. One last stop before fulfillment
is a period called “foretaste”. Everyone needs to have a foretaste, that’s how
God does it most of the time. During this period we see a sifting, it
distinguishes the people who are ready to go where God is taking them from
those who are simply complacent and unwilling to step into fulfillment. Foretaste
can be defined as: a sample or suggestion of something that lies ahead.
Joseph had many “foretastes”
of leadership until he finally got to be prime minister of Egypt and it was the
foretastes that catapulted him into the fullness of time. Through visions and
encounters Abraham had “foretastes” of the increase that God had promised him
and he believed. That promise survived generations and finally it reached
Israel’s generation. The Israelites had to get their own “foretaste” of the
promise land so that they can make it to the fullness of time. In Numbers 13
God instructs Moses to send out men from each tribe of Israel to spy out the
land of Canaan. So Moses sends the heads of the tribes and they get to the land
to discover that it is all that God had promised it would be, they even come
back with fruits as evidence of the richness of the land. They also tell the
rest of the people that they saw giants in that land. Now Caleb (one of the
spies who got his foretaste of the land) was so excited that he couldn’t wait
no longer. I always imagine crazy enthusiasm when I read verse 30, Caleb tells
the people that they should just go now because they will be able to overcome. By
the way this is the guy who also saw the same giants as did the other spies BUT
(let the church say BUT) the “foretaste” brought out a different reaction in
him.
Do you know that there are people in the church who never go
past the “foretaste”? People who are satisfied with always talking of God-encounters
in the past tense. Since the spies are leaders, can I just tell you of this one
pastor I know? This good man of God stands before the congregation every Sunday
and tells of wonders he saw when he was 17 years old. First time I realized this
I felt sorry for the congregation because they probably think God died when the
pastor turned 18. C’mon! There’s more after the foretaste man!
These heads of the tribes went from verse 31-33 TILL THE
NEXT CHAPTER , discouraging the people and giving them reasons to be
complacent, even inspiring them to go back to the land where they were slaves (as
I spit on the ground). Hasn’t God showed up for Israel before? Hasn’t God
proven enough that when He promises to get them through, He will deliver? Yet
here is a congregation of people unwilling to trust God. Joshua and Caleb try
to convince them that there is fullness of time waiting beyond the “foretaste”
but the congregation would rather listen to the voice of timidity. “Stone them”,
they shouted.
This reminds me of Elijah’s story, he was out there outnumbered
(in the natural realm) trying to convince people to get ready for the fullness
of time, giving them “foretastes” of this great God that was calling them out. Yet
they rejected him. They will reject you too (some of them) but you just carry
on saying what God has told you to say. Whether they listen or not, they will
know that a prophet of God was in their midst. (Ezekiel 2:5-8). When they
wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb the glory of God showed up (Numbers 14:10), Oh
may the glory of God show up in the midst of your persecution when the Spirit
of God in you is stirring up anger and hatred in others. It is right there when
the sifting took place. There are some things and people that God has to sift
out of your life because they don’t deserve to be there when He fulfills His
promise to you. Pray for the wisdom to see who and what those things are and
stop crying over them. In verse 24 God identifies a different spirit in Caleb,
He acknowledges that he had followed Him fully and that is why Caleb and Joshua
were to be the only ones to inherit the land.
The “foretaste” happens for you to get your priorities straight.
You are not meant to live forever in the “foretaste”. Some of you had a time when God was constantly showing you what is to come and you became
excited about that. Now He has stopped giving you the “foretaste” and you think
He is through with you. No! this is time for you to prepare spiritually, mentally
and physically for what God has shown you. You are still in the race to the fullness of time.
