In the year 1445 BC, the Israelites were delivered from Egyptian captivity by the mighty hand of God (Exodus 12:29-51). Over the next year Israel would receive the Law of God (Exodus 19:1-24:18; Leviticus), construct the tabernacle as the center of worship (Exodus 25:1-40:38), and establish structure within the nation before they entered into the land God had promised to them (Numbers 1-10). On the journey from Sinai to Kadesh, the people began complaining against Moses and God brought judgment upon those who were voicing their complaints. The first incident involved the people complaining about a lack of meat (Numbers 11) and the second instance of complaining involved Miriam and Aaron, who were questioning the leadership of Moses (Numbers 12). After God had dealt with these situations, it was time for Israel to enter the land that had been promised to Abraham hundreds of years before in Genesis 12:1-3. Before entering the land, the Lord commanded Moses to send 12 spies, one from each tribe, into Canaan so that they could explore the land (13:1-16). Moses specifically told the spies to gather information concerning the land and the people inhabiting it (13:17-20).
The 12 spies departed, explored the land for forty days (13:21-25), and then returned to Moses and Aaron to give a report of the information they had gathered about the land (13:26). The report concerning the nature of the land was positive, but the spies’ report on the people inhabiting the land was negative. Although the land was flowing with milk and honey (13:27), the people of the land were too strong to be conquered (13:28). The spies mentioning of the descendants of Anak, giants inhabiting some of the land, sent fear into the hearts of the people (13:28b-30, 32-33; Deuteronomy 2:21, 9:2), but Caleb (one of the spies) spoke up and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (13:30, NKJV). The other spies quickly countered Caleb’s statement saying, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we (13:31, NKJV). Upon hearing the report of the spies, the nation of Israel wept bitterly out of fear for their lives and complained against Moses for leading them out of Egyptian bondage (14:1-3). The Israelites thought that bondage to Egypt was safer than attempting to conquer the people inhabiting the land of Canaan. Israel decided to select a new leader who would take them back to the confines of Egypt (14:4), but Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before God (14:5). Joshua and Caleb, two of the twelve spies, then spoke to all of Israel saying, “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them” (14:6-9). The attempt of Joshua and Caleb to rally the people ended with the people commanding that they be stoned (14:10a). At this very moment, the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle before all of Israel and said to Moses, “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they” (14:11-12). Upon hearing the words of the Lord, Moses begged God to spare the people for the sake of His reputation and great love for Israel (14:13-19). In response to Moses’ request, the Lord pardoned Israel but declared that the adult generation who had witnessed His miraculous works would never inhabit the land of Canaan (14:20-23). The only exceptions would be Caleb (14:24) and Joshua (14:30) because they believed that the Lord could bring the people into the land.
Although the older generation would die before ever inheriting the land, those 19 and younger would inhabit Canaan but they would have to wander in the wilderness 40 years until the current generation died off (14:25-35). The ten spies who brought back a negative report of the land were killed by a plague, but Joshua and Caleb were spared for their belief in God’s ability to bring Israel into the land (14:36-38). When the congregation of Israel heard that they could not enter the land, they mourned and declared that they would overtake Canaan as God had commanded (14:39-40), but Moses warned against an attempt to conquer the land (14:41-43). The Israelites ignored the advice of Moses and went to attack the Amalekites and Canaanites on the mountaintop, but their enemies attacked and defeated them (14:44-45). Israel could not accomplish anything without the Lord by their side. Their disobedience destroyed an entire generation.
Dear God, give me a life of faith instead of fear.
