Medieval mapmakers would often embellish the edges of their maps with illustrations of dragons or other mythical creatures, especially on maps that charted only regions that had been explored. On a few such maps there has been found the phrase “Here be dragons,” indicating that what lay beyond the edges of the map was unknown. While there are many ancient stories of wild, untamed lands and seas beyond what had been explored, we are likely safe to assume that most of those stories grew out of accounts from sailors who were experiencing something unknown for the first time. Whether those stories were hyperbole or simply made up, the fear of the unknown was real.
When God led Israel to the edge of the Promised Land, he told Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites” (Numbers 13:2). Certainly, they were on the edge of the unknown. Even though the twelve men reported, “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!” (Numbers 13:27), the people of the land frightened most of them, “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them” (Numbers 13:33). Basically, they found that they were off the map; they were in uncharted territory.
We can relate, can’t we? Even when we have high expectations for what is to come, good resources to achieve our goals, and leaders and others who are able and willing to work together to get where we hope to go, fear of the unknown can stop us in our tracks. That’s exactly what we see happened among Israel. God promised that he was giving the Promised Land to them. God had demonstrated his power to fulfill his promise – he had freed them from slavery in Egypt, protected them from enemies, and provided for their needs. God had given them leaders – Moses and Aaron – who not only told the people what God expected of them but even interceded on their behalf when the people ignored or rejected God’s commands and provision. Yet with all the evidence that they could, should, and would be successful in the anticipated conquest of the Promised Land, the people were afraid and rejected God: “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” (Numbers 14:4).
While the evidence convinces some that following God is “easy,” like Joshua and Caleb, who tried to convince Israel saying, “If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us” (Numbers 14:8), for many others, going off the map is terrifying and defeating. There’s no doubt about it, doing what is familiar, doing what is “safe,” makes us feel better, but it usually leads us away from God.
Going off the map requires faith. Hebrews 11:1-2 defines faith: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” Then the writer gives us a great example: “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). It’s easy to be wary of “blind faith,” but even though Abraham didn’t know precisely where he was going, he wasn’t following God with his eyes covered or closed. Abraham knew God, so he followed God in faith, even off the map. That’s “all” God expected of Israel, but they didn’t have faith. So God continued to train them, to help them grow in faith by leading them for 40 years through the wilderness, where the rebellious generation died.
As the events of this bizarre and frightening political season have emphasized, we’re headed off the map, but the upcoming election is hardly our primary concern. Confronted with the uncertainty of the future, we must be certain about who we’re following – and that had better be God and not some other leader. God may be leading us into, through, or out of the wilderness, but as long as we’re following faithfully, even if fearfully, we can be confident that we will reach him.