Week of March 30 – April 5
Lessons from Failure — Man as Instructor
“‘See, the Lord your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’ … Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 1:21, 26
Some of you may remember the famous opening of ABC’s Wide World of Sports: “The thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat.” No video clip captured that agony more than ski jumper Vinko Bogatej flying off the ramp and crashing in spectacular fashion. For years, his failure was replayed again and again.
Obviously, most men don’t want to be remembered by their greatest failures. I know I don’t. Yet the Bible often highlights real people’s failures to teach us valuable lessons. The apostle Paul wrote, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction” (1 Cor. 10:11).
Before the Israelites finally entered the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering, Moses reminded them of a defining moment in their history—not of triumph, but of failure. God had done everything for His people. He had delivered them from Egypt, guided them through the wilderness, and provided for their needs. When they first reached the edge of the Promised Land, He had given them a simple command: “Go up and take possession … do not fear” (v. 21).
However, the Israelites failed to trust God and let fear take over. As a result, they refused to obey Him: “You would not go up, but rebelled” (v. 26). The consequences were devastating: 40 years of wandering, wasted lives, and a lost generation. This failure was not a passing moment; it became a lasting legacy, one that is referenced in both the Old and New Testaments. Much like Vinko’s failed ski-jump was played repeatedly on Wide World of Sports, the Israelites’ failure plays on loop throughout the Bible.
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