Bible Readings
Reading 73: Yahweh allows the Israelites to scout out the land of Canaan
Read Numbers 13:1–33.
After the people arrived at Kadesh-Barnea, they were supposed to enter Canaan. However, the Bible tells us that the people wanted to survey the land first. See Deuteronomy 1:22–23 where the original idea to spy out the land came from the people. God agreed to their request and told Moses to choose 12 men, one from each tribe of Israel. They would go on this survey trip.
Late in July, these 12 men entered the land to see what it was like. It was filled with good and plentiful food! They gathered pomegranates, figs and a cluster of grapes so huge that two men had to carry it on a pole!
Ten of them gave a bad report. They admitted that the land was wonderful, flowing with milk and honey, meaning that it could sustain lots of livestock and animals and also, there were plenty of fruit trees and vegetation. They even showed the fruits they had brought back. (Notice how this description matched what God had already told them. They actually didn’t need to investigate as God had told them what it was like!)
However, the scouts added that Israel wouldn’t be able to conquer the people of the land. One of the people groups was extremely tall, so they seemed like giants to the ten men. The ten scouts told the people they shouldn’t enter the land for Israel would be defeated. (Notice how this assessment didn’t agree with what God had promised to do for Israel! Their fear made them distrust God.)
One of the other two remaining scouts, Caleb, said they can and should go into the land. They would definitely be able to conquer it! Both Caleb and Joshua shared the same perspective.
All the men had seen Yahweh at work at the time of the Exodus. All of them experienced God supernaturally using natural forces to show His power to Egypt during the 10 plagues. All of them experienced how Yahweh had led them out of Egypt without a single loss of life. All of them saw God stop the Egyptian army from capturing them at the Red Sea.
Caleb (and Joshua) knew what God was capable of. They had seen and experienced Him! They trusted that just as God had defeated the Egyptian army, He would easily defeat the Canaanites. They focused on who Yahweh is and His history and track record. This gave them the faith and courage to say that they could and should enter the land. With God, they would win! Their faith was built on God’s demonstrated character.
On the other hand, the remaining scouts focused on the threat: the enemies seemed so big! They focused on their fear. They focused on their emotions and made a decision based on feelings rather than truth. They blocked out all memories of God and what He had already done for them. They chose not to trust God’s Word and His promises to them. Unbelief in the life of God’s people is serious because it challenges the character of God and rebels against His will.
When we are faced with choices, do we focus more on our feelings or do we focus on our God? Are our eyes set on the threat and challenge ahead of us or are our eyes set on God and what He has already done and can do?
Let us learn from Caleb. He knew what Yahweh had promised: God would lead them into the land. God would win the battles for them. He chose to trust in Yahweh. He remembered what God had already proven: He is all-powerful and all-loving. He is their God. And Caleb’s choice was to do as God said: move into the land. Caleb exercised a faith that was based on a reliable track record of God.
Think about the choices that lie before you. Pray to God about these choices. Ask God to guide you on the decision to be made. Is God guiding you to make the choice that seems very hard? If so, review the kind of God that He is. Is Yahweh a promise-making, promise-keeping God? Is He all-powerful? Is He all-loving? What is His track record like? When our faith is being tested by a tough situation, pray and ask God to help you be like Caleb instead of the ten faithless men.