As the nation of Israel approached the promised land, Moses sent twelve spies to gather intel about the land and its people. After forty days, the spies returned and gave their report:
And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.” (Numbers 13:27)
Great news! The land was fertile and would provide more than enough food for all the people. So far, so good.
The next word in the ESV is “however.” In the NIV, it’s “but.” It seems like with the people of Israel there was always a “but.”
The spies reported that the land was great, but the people who lived there were big and strong, with large and heavily fortified cities. Conquering this land wasn’t going to be a cakewalk. The spies implied, “This is impossible. No way we can do this. Let’s go back to Egypt!”
If you look at the big picture of the journey of Israel to the promised land, it’s clear that our enemy, Satan, was bringing attack after attack upon this nation. God promised that they would be his people, a people through whom he would bless the whole world. Through this people would come the Messiah, and all five books of Moses point toward this Messiah.
The enemy tried over and over again to destroy Israel and thus stop the coming of the Christ. Here was another one of those attempts.
Two spies had a different opinion. Their names were Caleb and Joshua. Here’s what Caleb had to say:
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.” (Numbers 13:30)
Now there’s the sound of faith. The voices of the ten, however, were louder than the voices of the two. The people were frozen by fear. They went so far as to call for Moses to be replaced by someone who would lead them back to the cozy and comfy days of slavery in Egypt.
How many times in your life has fear stopped you from surrendering to God’s leadership? How many opportunities and blessings did you miss because you were afraid to follow? You were afraid of failure or embarrassment or any number of things. God calls us to trust him. He calls us to depend on his power and his provision and his promises.
Here’s what Joshua had to say:
The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 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. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” (Numbers 14:7-9)
Why should the people have believed Joshua and Caleb? It’s those five words, “the Lord is with us.” Haven’t the people been shown this over and over? The pillar of fire, the pillar of cloud, the experience at Mt. Sinai, and the tabernacle have all been unmistakable messages from God that he is with them.
God is with you as well. And because he’s with you, you can have full confidence in following him. He promises that he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Back in the desert, God was angry with these sinful people, but his plans would not be stopped. He forgave the people, but God declared that none of them, except for Joshua and Caleb, would live to see the promised land. So Israel wandered around in the wilderness for the next forty years, and an entire generation of people, who had seen God do such amazing things, missed out on the adventure of a lifetime.
Oh, and the ten spies who poisoned the people with their negativity? Well, “these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord” (Numbers 14:37).
What is God calling you to do that scares you? Is it involvement in some type of ministry, or starting that ministry? Perhaps it’s a commitment to finally be the spiritual leader in your family. Or it’s speaking up about your faith at work or school.
Maybe there’s a relationship that needs to be fixed, and even though you may not be at fault, God is telling you to go to them. Or maybe you realize there’s a major flaw in your character that needs to change. Maybe you know that you need to be a better parent or a better child.
Maybe God isn’t calling you to do something, he’s calling you to slow down and rest, and you’re afraid of all the things that might not get done if you don’t do them.
Whatever it is that you’re afraid of, whoever are the giants in your land, remember the words of Joshua: “The Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”