What can we learn from the sin of the spies?
*The lack of faith in this era has resulted in several things. Some are afraid of the Holy Spirit even though Yeshua commands us not to be afraid of the Holy Spirit in Luke 11:13 NKJV, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him;" Luke 11:13 NKJV. People think negative things about people who speak in tongues; there is nothing wrong with God's gifts; sometimes people can act a little weird; that's not God's fault. Shaul tells us to desire God's gifts. "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts;" 1 Corinthians 14:1 NKJV.
*Speaking in tongues and desiring God's spiritual gifts are God's commandments, so not pursuing those are sin. Shaul said, "The things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord;" 1 Corinthians 14:37 NKJV. Wasn't Canaan a gift from God to Israel? God removed the perverted people and child murderers and gave the land to Israel. It is a picture of the future kingdom of God, perverted people will be in the lake of fire. Revelation 21:8 NKJV says, "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone." We all have a choice how we will live and where we will go for eternity.
*Unbelief can affect many areas of our life. We work to provide for our family; our work represents who we are; we provide services for others; our job also provides for those who work with us. A negative attitude about work can be a detriment to our life and the lives of others.
*A negative attitude about people can affect how we treat them. Being negative can cause us to make others stumble. Lashon harah (do not commit evil speaking) is a properly applied command from the Old Testament portion. Stay positive, it's the best defense against the devil. God values people: we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26); we are valuable; others are valuable. Treat others with respect and dignity. Shaul said, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all;" Galatians 6:10 NKJV. That's what we teach; not the hate that these God haters teach. If people became conscientious understanding believers, this world would be a better place.
*Doing some things without God’s permission can result in calamity. Some of those who went back to fight after God said not to ended up dying.
*We should always think about doing what is right. This portion ends by telling the people to wear fringes to remind them to keep God’s commands. The Hebrew word “to look” at the fringes is the word “to see” (ra-ah). It then says we are not to use our eyes for lust. It is a Hebrew word play in two ways. First, we are to see the fringes to remind us to keep God’s commandments and also, so our eyes won’t cause us to sin. Also, the sin of the 10 spies is in this portion. Perhaps we could say that we are to spy on keeping God’s commandments and do not to spy on sinful ways. Be careful how you “spy” things. In the present it is appropriate to wear tzitzit at times to keep the command to wear tzitzit.
We also now have the Holy Spirit to remind us to keep God’s commands. We are commanded to receive the Holy Spirit through the Messiah Yeshua (Acts 2:38-39), and we are to be clothed with the Holy Spirit the Bible says. Luke 24:49 NKJV, “I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." The word endued is the word to be clothed. Just as we are to wear tzitzit, we are to be clothed with the Holy Spirit.