by A.W. Tozer
During the early days of the wilderness journey of the Israelites an odd and significant transaction took place between Moses and an in-law named Hobab.
Now Moses said to Hobab "We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, `I will give it to you.' Come with us and we will treat you well." He answered, "No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people." But Moses said, "Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the desert, and you can be our eyes. If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord gives us." (Numbers 10:29-32)
Imagine! Moses hired a guide to lead Israel through the wilderness! The circumstances being what they were, this seems almost incredible, but Moses was a man capable of making mistakes like the rest of us. And hiring Hobab was a serious mistake. Here is why.
God had already told Moses that He himself would lead Israel into the promised land. "See, I am sending an Angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared" (Exodus 23:20). God had also provided the wondrous cloud and fire to lead them (Numbers 9:15-23). Furthermore, in the very chapter that tells of Moses' effort to enlist Hobab's aid it is written, "So they set out from the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them those three days to find them a place to rest" (Numbers 10:33). So through the divinely appointed angel and by means of the ark and the cloudy pillar God Himself was guiding Israel through the wilderness. What need then had they of Hobab's eyes?
Hobab was not to blame for his part in this strange doing, but his presence added nothing to the safety of the marching army; and there is reason to believe that he may have been a spiritual stumbling block both to Moses and to the nation of Israel. The more they trusted to Hobab the less they trusted in God. And that was bad for Israel.
The Church also has her appointed Guide to lead her in her earthly journey. "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26). "Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans 8:14). These and a wealth of other Scriptures assure us that we are under the direct care of the Holy Spirit. Safety and fruitfulness require only that we accept the leadership of God. Blessing lies in the way of submission and obedience.
What need do we have of Hobab's eyes? Surely none at all. Yet the Church has a whole army of Hobabs to which it looks eagerly for guidance and leadership. That Hobab has no place in the divine plan never seems to matter at all. That Hobab is an intruder, that his eyes are not sharp enough to search out the path, that he is altogether superfluous and actually in the way is passed over by almost everyone. God seems so far away, the Bible is such an old book, faith makes such heavy demands upon our flesh, and Hobab is so near at hand and so real and easy to lean on – so we act like men of earth instead of like men of heaven, and Hobab gets the job.
Now, who is Hobab? and how can we identify him? The answer is easy. Hobab is anything gratuitously introduced into the holy work of God which does not have biblical authority for its existence. At first this new thing may seem innocent enough and even look like an improvement over the biblical pattern; and because it is new it is sure to catch on fast and spread quickly among the churches. We Christians are soon playing "follow the leader," trotting along docilely behind Hobab and justifying his presence by appealing to his popularity. Anyone as popular as Hobab cannot be wrong, no matter how far he may be from the Word of God.
Hobab is not an individual. He is whatever takes our attention from the cloud and fire; he is whatever causes us to lean less heavily upon God and look less trustfully to the guiding Spirit. Each one of us must look out for him in our own life and in our church. And when we discover him we must get rid of him right away.
( Article taken from The Price of Neglect, Chapter 5 )
[ Back ]
Place on line by the Neve family. We'd like to hear your comments : click here