09/29/2021 OBSTACLES or PROMISES
NUMBERS 13:17,23 When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, “Go up through the Negev and on 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 live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land,” …. When they reached the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them…. [New International translation]
Numbers 13:30-31 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.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are….”
Summary: The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for over 400 years. GOD called Moses to lead them out of Israel across the Red Sea. GOD promised the Israelites great things. For example, He promised them that:
- HE (GOD) was THE LORD (not pharaoh), and GOD would bring them out from under the yoke of slavery and redeem them with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. (Exodus 6:6)
- HE would take them as HIS own people, and HE would be their GOD.
(Exodus 6:7) - HE would give them land (a promised GOD had made to Abraham, to Isaac and Jacob. (Exod. 6:8); HE promised them the land of Canaan. (Exodus 6:4)
GOD did what GOD said GOD would do.
The Israelites saw GOD defeat the pharaoh’s army and perform numerous MIGHTY, AMAZING, INCREDIBLE miracles (e.g., ten plagues on Egypt, including the angel of death passing over Egypt and killing the Egyptian firstborns, parting the Red Sea, manna from heaven, water from the rock, etc). The Israelites witnessed it all.
GOD was still with them, leading them, providing for them, and had protected them
all along the way.
Now the Israelites had finally arrived at Canaan, the exact land that GOD promised them.
God instructed Moses to pick 12 men----a leader from each of the twelve tribes to spy out the land. Joshua (whose name in Hebrew is “Yehoshua,” meaning “THE LORD is my salvation”) and Caleb (whose name in Hebrew is derived from two Hebrew words, “kal” and “lev,” which when put together means “wholehearted,” “brave” or “faithful.” were among the chosen.