Risky Business…Top Gun…Rain Man…Mission Impossible…The Last Samurai…Collateral
What do all these gems have in common? They all star our favorite couch jumper, Tom Cruise! Despite some of his more public shenanigans, he has regularly delivered on the big screen. In 2002, the film Minority Report was released. In short, of the three Pre-Cogs (future seers), the movie's revelation depended upon the report of one over what was reported by the other two. This minority report was the evidence needed for Cruise's character to topple the film's antagonist.
In Ecclesiastes 1:9 it states, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." This holds true again. In the book of Numbers, we find evidence of perhaps the earliest inspiration for a minority report:
Numbers 13:26-30:
They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan." Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
Caleb and Joshua had come back to report to Moses and Aaron what they had seen in the land they had been sent to explore. Before they spoke, the other ten explores had the stage, and they started off pretty well. "...it does flow with milk and honey!" they reported.
Unfortunately, as they continued, their joy was replaced with fear, and their words reflected their terrible thoughts. "…the people who live there are powerful…cities are fortified and very large." They saw the fruits of God's compassion, but only recognized the obstacles of the enemy.
It was brave Caleb who dared to interrupt. He silenced the people and courageously uttered that the Israelites should take up the land, because with God's support, he was certain that the task could be accomplished. His wasn't the popular opinion. His report wasn’t supported by the majority of the explorers. Ten of the twelve reported with shallow fear, whilst Caleb and Joshua reported from the depths of faith. They knew that for God, five to one was still great odds in favor of the almighty!
Often, we believe that if enough people agree on something then odds are it is right. In reality, often times when enough people agree on something, then there are just a lot of wrong people!
Dear Lord, in the multitude of ignorance let us hear your truth!
Written by Lt. Darell Houseton
Newark Ironbound Corps
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