Report on the Exploration
26 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.
27 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.
28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.
29 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."
30 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."
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." 32And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
So these spies come back, and there are two of them that say "we can do this. Let's go." Joshua and Caleb, but the other 10 look around and say, wow these guys are huge. We cannot take them- lets be responsible, we cannot win this thing. And all of the people followed these 10. So everyone is discouraged, everyone stopped believing, and in chapter 14 God responds in verse 26.
"The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: 27 "How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28 So tell them, 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say: 29 In this desert your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32 But you—your bodies will fall in this desert. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert. 34 For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.' 35 I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this desert; here they will die.So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it- 37 these men responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the LORD. 38 Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived."
Clearly, the Lord was not pleased. He has never been pleased with us who are cowards. He has never been pleased with people who believe He can't do what He says He can.
As you read this story, my question to you is, who are you? Are you one of the 10? or Are you Joshua or Caleb? Are one who believes God is so mighty and you are 100% confident that He can do anything He says? Or do you often find yourself struggling to believe in the power of God? Remember when you first accepted Christ, and you knew how powerful God was. You knew that God was so big, He could do anything. You were so confident that God could use you. You were Joshua, you were Caleb. However, as you've gotten older, and more mature, you've become one of the 10. You've lost hope. You've become more logical, and less spiritual. You've become comfortable. You've become calm, mellow about your faith. But I believe scripture calls us to be bold, to be courageous, to be INSANE about the Gospel. I believe too much is at stake for us to be calm, and be scared. Ya see, my favorite part about this story is that it doesn't end in Numbers. My favorite part comes 45 years later...in Joshua 14. 45 years later and Caleb is still alive just like God said.
"7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.'
10 "Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."
How amazing is that? This man is 85 years old, and he is more passionate about the Lord today than when he was 40. He is just as strong, if not stronger than when he is 40. He stands on the PROMISE of God. It's never been about us. It's always about the PROMISE of God. He will always be with us. He will always lead us. I want to be one of the two. I want to be the 85 year old who believes, and loves God more then than now. I want to be closer to Christ then than now.
Where are you? Will you love God more when you're 85 than you do today? I hope and pray you do!
Be Blessed,
Toe's
