A MAN OF FAITH IN THE MIDST OF DOUBT

Passage: Numbers 13:25-33

Key verse: 30

NIV

25 At the end of forty days(A) they returned from exploring the land.(B)

Report on the Exploration

26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh(C) in the Desert of Paran.(D) There they reported to them(E) and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land.(F) 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!(G) Here is its fruit.(H) 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.(I) We even saw descendants of Anak(J) there.(K) 29 The Amalekites(L) live in the Negev; the Hittites,(M) Jebusites(N) and Amorites(O) live in the hill country;(P) and the Canaanites(Q) live near the sea and along the Jordan.(R)”

30 Then Caleb(S) silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”(T) 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report(U) about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours(V) those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.(W) 33 We saw the Nephilim(X) there (the descendants of Anak(Y) come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers(Z) in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

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ESV

Report of the Spies

25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at (A)Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It (B)flows with milk and honey, (C)and this is its fruit. 28 (D)However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 (E)The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. (F)And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”

30 But (G)Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 (H)Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32 So (I)they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and (J)all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the (K)Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the (L)Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves (M)like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

After exploring Canaan for forty days, the spies returned to the Israelite camp and reported to everyone what they saw. They said the land flowed with milk and honey, the same words the LORD used to describe Canaan (Ex 3:17). But they also said that the people were powerful and everywhere in the land. Their cities were fortified and very large. They felt like grasshoppers when comparing themselves to the Canaanites. To them, taking the land seemed impossible. Any military campaign seemed foolish.

As leaders from every tribe (13:2), their words were very influential–for better or for worse. While most of the spies emphasized the obstacles, Caleb silenced the people and said they should go up and take possession of the land. This was not bravado. He simply believed God would give them the land just as he promised. He expressed his faith and told the people to act on faith in God.

All the spies saw the same things. Many responded with unbelief. Caleb responded with faith in God’s power and promise. We sometimes hear things that can make us doubt God. But as you face challenges, express your faith in God and help others to also trust in God.

Prayer: Father, please forgive my unbelief. When the situation is unfavorable, help me to put my faith in you and to encourage others to do the same.

One Word: Have faith in God