Spies in Canaan - Faith vs Fear

Moses chose twelve men, including Joshua and Caleb. Moses told them, "Go up through the Negev and into the hill country. See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they have? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees or not? Bring back some of the fruit of the land!"

So the twelve spies went to explore the land. They traveled from the Desert of Zin all the way to the far north, exploring the whole land for forty days!

When they came to the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch with a single cluster of grapes! It was SO BIG that it took TWO men to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back pomegranates and figs.

After forty days, they returned to Moses and the whole community. They showed everyone the fruit and gave their report.

They said, "We went into the land you sent us to, and it DOES flow with milk and honey! Look at this fruit! BUT - the people who live there are powerful! The cities are fortified and very large! We even saw descendants of Anak there!" (The Anakites were giants!)

Ten of the spies continued with a fearful report: "We can't attack those people! They're stronger than we are! The land we explored devours those living in it! All the people we saw are of GREAT SIZE! We saw the Nephilim there - we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them!"

The whole community began to cry out loud! They wept all night! The Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron. "If only we had died in Egypt!" they said. "Or in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?"

They even talked about choosing a new leader to take them back to Egypt!

But then Caleb stepped forward! He silenced the people and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can CERTAINLY do it!"

Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes and said to the whole Israelite assembly, "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. We will swallow them up! Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with US! Do not be afraid of them!"

But the people talked about stoning Joshua and Caleb! Then suddenly, the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting!

God said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?"

God wanted to destroy the people and start over with Moses! But Moses prayed, asking God to forgive them and show His great love.

God forgave them but said, "Not one of you who has treated me with contempt will ever enter the land I promised, except Caleb and Joshua. As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in! But you - your bodies will fall in this wilderness. For forty years you will suffer - one year for each of the forty days you explored the land. Then you will know what it is like to have me against you!"

The ten spies who gave the bad report died right then of a plague! But Joshua and Caleb lived!

Because the people didn't trust God, they had to wander in the wilderness for forty years! A whole generation would die before their children could enter the Promised Land!

This story teaches us a powerful lesson: When we face giants in our lives, we have a choice! We can focus on how big the problem is, OR we can focus on how BIG our God is! Joshua and Caleb had faith because they remembered all the miracles God had done! They knew God was bigger than any giant! When we trust God instead of giving in to fear, God will lead us into His promises!