Several days ago, my friend and colleague, Pastor Shane Idleman, sent me a scripture with a question. The verse, speaking about Israel in the wilderness, said this:

Jeshurun [a name for Israel] grew fat and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior. (Deuteronomy 32:15)

Shane asked me, “How did they grow fat in the wilderness? The only thing could be too much quail?”

It’s a fascinating question. God fed the Israelites manna in the desert, and they didn’t kill and eat their cattle. So, aside from the one time when the Lord flooded the nation with quail, when they did have the opportunity to “grow fat”?

While it’s possible that the text was, in fact, referring to the Israelites gorging themselves on the quail (see Numbers 11), it’s also possible that the verse was using metaphorical language. In other words, God was speaking about Israel’s spiritual condition, describing it in physical terms.

What, then, does it mean to “grow fat and kick” and to become “heavy and sleek”?

Self-Deceived People

This would speak of a people becoming full of pride, full of the flesh, a people who became so satiated with worldly things that they lost their spiritual appetite to the point that they overtly rebelled against their King.

As explained by the 17^th-century Puritan commentator Matthew Henry,

They waxed fat, and grew thick, that is, they indulged themselves in all manner of luxury and gratifications of their appetites, as if they had nothing to do but to make provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts of it. They grew fat, that is, they grew big and unwieldy, unmindful of business, and unfit for it; dull and stupid, careless and senseless; and this was the effect of their plenty. …Yet this was not the worst of it. ….They kicked; they grew proud and insolent, and lifted up the heel even against God himself.

Did Israel realize it had grown spiritually fat? Did the chosen nation recognize its sin? Most likely not.

It is human nature to become used to the situation in which we find ourselves, comparing ourselves to ourselves. This is a major root of self-deception. We think we are healthy and thriving whereas in reality, spiritually speaking, we are morbidly obese.

As Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Revelation 3:17) What a searing indictment.

The believers in Laodicea actually thought they were doing well, that they were rich and self-sufficient. The reality is that they were spiritually bankrupt, described by the Lord Himself as “wretched, pitiful, blind and naked.” Talk about being deceived.

But I’m not here to talk about ancient Israel or about the church in Laodicea. I’m here to talk about us, especially as believers in America.

When Bigger Is Better…

Does any of this describe us? Have we grown fat and kicked? Have we become deceived by our riches? Have we mistaken outward success for spiritual health? Have we assumed that material abundance is a proof of the smile of God?

To be sure, in some cases, bigger is better.

Just think of the descriptions of the Jewish believers in Jerusalem as reported in Acts, as they grew in number from 3,000 to 5,000 to tens of thousands. This was a very positive development.

Or consider the multitude that no one can number described in Revelation 7, speaking of those ransomed by the blood of the Lamb “from every nation, tribe, people and language.” (Revelation 7:9) This is wonderful, glorious news, a perfect example of bigger being better. Thank God for a massive number of people saved and redeemed by the Lord. That is a cause for rejoicing.

And thank God for His financial provision, which is often a sign of His blessing and comes as a direct answer to prayer. “Thank You, Father, for abundantly meeting our needs!”

I have preached in some of the best-known mega-churches in the world and spent time with the pastors and leaders. For some, prayer and outreach were still priorities while holiness and purity were highly esteemed. They were still burning with passion for Jesus and carried a deep burden to impact the world with the Gospel.

But bigger is not always better.

And When It Isn’t

In fact, sometimes, the bigger we are and the more we have the easier it is for us to neglect God, to forget our humble beginnings, to leave our first love, to lose our innocence and purity, to put our trust in the flesh.

We used to fast and pray to reach the lost in foreign nations. Now budgets and buildings have our eye.

We used to live to please the Lord alone. Now popularity and reach consume our thoughts.

Soon enough, even though we appear to be thriving outwardly, we are dying inwardly — and we are the last to know it.

To say it plainly, it is all too easy to grow complacent and fat in the midst of financial prosperity. (Really now, would you pray with the same desperation for financial provision if you had five million dollars in the bank compared to when you were facing an imminent foreclosure or bankruptcy?) It’s all too easy to lose our spiritual hunger when we are enjoying massive outward success.

Off with the PJs

That’s why the church often grows the most rapidly among the poor, even in times of persecution. That’s also why there is often a much deeper commitment to the Lord in societies and settings where following Jesus is a costly endeavor. Do you really want to be a disciple when following Jesus might cost you your popularity? Or your job? Or your friends? Or your family? Or your life?

In stark contrast, many Americans view following Jesus as a win-win proposition: In this world, we get forgiveness of sins, answers to prayer, and prosperity; in the world to come, we get eternal life. Sounds like a good deal!

No wonder some of our church buildings are filled with people but very few are real disciples. May God awaken us and take us deeper!

Marvelous Marvin Hagler, one of the greatest boxers of all time, once commented, “It’s tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5 AM when you’ve been sleeping in silk pajamas.”

If we, too, have grown complacent and spiritually fat, it’s time we repent before God, asking Him to restore our hunger, our dedication, our passion, and our resolve.

This is no time to be lounging around in silk pajamas.

 

Dr. Michael Brown is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. He is the author of more than 40 books, including Can You be Gay and Christian?; Our Hands Are Stained With Blood; and Seize the Moment: How to Fuel the Fires of Revival. You can connect with him on Facebook, X, or YouTube.