1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 ”Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites; [one] from each of their ancestral tribes ... 17 Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan ... 18 [to] see what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, 19 and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the towns that they live in are unwalled or fortified, 20 and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be bold, and bring some of the fruit of the land.”
Numbers 13
Twelve spies. One from each tribe. Question: Who sent them into the Promised Land?
It was God. The Lord commanded Moses to send the spies.
So next question: Why? Did God — who was sending the spies — need to know who was living in the Promised Land and her well fortified their cities were? Of course not. God knew already. He knows all things. Thus, it was obviously the people who needed to know.
And what did the people need to know? (Here’s what we find out as we keep reading this chapter ...)
· First, they needed to know that it was a good land that God was bringing them to! God is generous. (Do you believe that about God?! Do you believe passages like Jeremiah 29:11 which says, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”)
· Second, they needed to know that there was a challenge awaiting them. (And that’s life in this broken world -- challenge.) The Israelites were about to find out that the cities were fortified and that taking this land might require some sacrifice and some effort. (Do you believe that about your life? That while your Promised Land is absolutely given to you by God, it may still require some effort to achieve? Please realize this: Our greatest blessings usually require some effort.)
· Third — and even more important than blessings requiring work — this whole story about the spies (tune in tomorrow) will teach us that experiencing blessing also requires trust! As the chapter unfolds we’ll learn that the enemy was numerous and their cities were indeed fortified. All of Israel’s collective effort would surely have had a positive effect ... nevertheless, it still might not have been enough. If Israel was going to gain the Promise (and the Promised Land), they’d have to trust the Promise-Giver to fight for them. They’d have to trust that God would win the victory.
This lesson provides one of the truly powerful secrets to life:
1. God is generous and desires to bless those who are faithful.
2. Experiencing these blessings generally requires our effort. (Absolutely do all you can.)
3. But beyond even the blessing of your own effort is God’s provision. When God has made specific promises, do all you can ... and then trust God to do the rest!
In Christ’s Love,
a guy who wants a harvest
as big as God intends
(verse 23 ... the spies brought
back “a single cluster of grapes
[so big that they] carried it
on a pole between two of them)
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