Numbers 14:6-10
6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh,
who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;
7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of
Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly
good land.
8 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.'
9 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."
10 And all the congregation said to stone them with stones.
Now the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the
children of Israel.
We are looking at the early life of Joshua as he is being
prepared to be the next leader of Israel to take the nation into the Promise
Land. For us, the Promise Land is the place in our Christian lives where we experience
daily victory by faith in our great Joshua, the Lord Jesus Christ! We first met
Joshua as a slave in Egypt. In Exodus 17, we find that he is a soldier leading
the army of Israel against the Amalekites. Next in Exodus 24:13, Joshua is
called Moses' servant (Joshua 1:1). Today we meet Joshua as a spy in Numbers
13-14.
After the exodus from Egypt, he people of Israel spent their
first eleven months near Mt. Sinai receiving the Law and building the
tabernacle. Then they travel to Kadesh Barnea, on the border of the Promised
Land, where God commanded Moses to appoint twelve men to spy out the land of
Canaan. Joshua and Caleb were among them (Num. 13). After forty days of
investigating the land, the spies returned to Moses and first reported that the
land was indeed a good one (Numbers 13:25-29).
But ten of the spies began to discourage the people by
saying that Israel wasn't strong enough to overcome the enemy. They gave and
evil report of unbelief saying that it was “a land that devours it
inhabitants… there are giants in the land and were like grasshoppers in their sight”.
But two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, encouraged the people to trust God
and move into the land. Sadly, the people listened to the faithless ten spies.
It was this act of unbelief and rebellion that delayed the conquest of the land
for forty years.
This crisis revealed some fine leadership qualities in
Joshua. He was not blind to the realities of the situation, but he didn't allow
the problems and difficulties to rob him of his faith in God. The ten spies
looked at God through the difficulties, while Joshua and Caleb looked at the
difficulties through what they knew about God.
Knowing he was right, Joshua wasn't afraid to stand up
against the majority. He, Moses, and Caleb stood alone and risked their lives
in so doing; but God stood with them. Joshua was a man of faith, which gave him
courage, conviction, and patience.
Think of the years of blessing in the Promised Land that
Joshua forfeited because the people had no faith in God! But Joshua patiently
stayed with Moses and did his job, knowing that one day he and Caleb would get
their promised inheritance (Num. 14:1-9). Leaders must know not only how to win
victories but also how to accept defeats.
I love how Joshua reported that the giants would be “bread”
for them (Numbers 14:9). God means for the difficulties and giants we face in
our spiritual journey to nourish us and build up our faith and our trust in
Him!
Today, we can either focus on the giants we face, or the great
God we can trust! Which will it be for you!
God bless!
