The Book of Numbers records 150 instances where “the Lord spoke to Moses.” The command to spy out the Promised Land was one of them.
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites; from each of their ancestral tribes you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.”
So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the Lord, all of them leading men among the Israelites (Numbers 13:1-3).
God doesn’t need human involvement. God didn’t need 12 spies to investigate the land for Him. Like a parent who rejoices over their child’s accomplishments, God is pleased to see us join Him in His work.
In the Experiencing God book, Henry Blackaby outlines how followers of the Lord fully experience Him.
- God is active in the world with grace, love, and salvation.
- God invites people into an intimate relationship with Him.
- Within the close relationship with God, He shows His followers what He is doing and calls them to join Him in His work.
- A crisis of faith arises because what God is doing is “God-sized.” We must decide whether to trust God to accomplish His purposes through us or feel defeated as we acknowledge our inadequacies.
- When faith overcomes our fears, we align ourselves with God and see the outcome of His activity through us.
- The result is that we experience God in ways we would never have known if we had chosen to respond to His directions.
Crisis of Faith – Failed
The spies traveled for 40 days and covered about 250 miles of the Canaanite territory. They saw the benefits and challenges of the God-sized opportunity before them.
Since leaving Egypt, they existed in the desert wilderness. Food was lush and plentiful in the Promised Land. Doubtless, the vision of life in the new land was very attractive.
It is easy to trust God when things are attractive and easy. On the other hand, when fear creeps into the picture, the crisis of faith becomes very real.
Yet the people who live in the land are strong, and the towns are fortified and very large, and besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.
“There we saw the Nephilim (the Anakites come from the Nephilim), and to ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them” (Numbers 13:28 and 33).
For all generations, the crisis of faith amounts to this question: Do we fear our circumstances more than we fear God?
When we are focused on our abilities or lack thereof, fear of circumstances will win the day. If we place our faith in the power of our Creator-God, we will do everything in our power to align our behavior with His will.
Tomorrow’s article will feature the faith of Caleb and Joshua. They countered the disbelief of the other spies and said:
“If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only, do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land” (Numbers 14:8-9).
Reflections
We can use this passage from the Book of Numbers to evaluate our walk with the Lord.
- Am I currently living in an intimate relationship with God?
- Do I have a good understanding of what God is doing in the world?
- In what way has God specifically invited me to join Him in His work in the world?
- Have I said “yes” to God’s invitation to join Him, and am I aligned with Him in His work?
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 