Opening illustration: Inevitably, trouble will invade our lives: A bad report from a medical test, the betrayal of a trusted friend, a child who rejects us, or a spouse who leaves us. The list of possibilities is long, but there are only two options: forge ahead on our own, or turn to God.
Flying solo into the face of trouble is not a good idea. It can lead to bad behavior patterns, blaming God, and retreating into defeat. Like the Israelites, we may spin out of control and into despair (Num. 14:1-4).
Let us turn to Numbers 13 in the OT and learn not to make the same mistakes the Israelites made.
Introduction: When the majority of the spies brought a report of intimidating giants and dangers ahead, they used the pronoun “we” seven times with no reference to the Lord (13: 31-33). The Israelites were on the cusp of the ultimate blessing that God promised to them. They were eyewitnesses to the miracles in Egypt and their feet had walked the dry bottom of the Red Sea in jaw-dropping victory. God’s faithfulness had been amazingly evident. What short memories! What disappointing faithlessness! Sadly, they turned their backs on God and left the blessing behind.
Caleb and Joshua, on the other hand, opted to turn to the Lord with this confidence: “The Lord is with us” (14: 9).
When your giants show up, what will you do?
(A) What NOT to focus upon?
1. The Negative (13; 28-29)
When facing a tough decision, don’t let the negatives cause you to lose sight of the positives. Weigh both sides carefully. Don’t let potential difficulties blind you to God’s power to help and His promise to guide.
The report was given publicly in the audience of the people, and it was artfully arranged to begin their narrative with commendations of the natural fertility of the country in order that their subsequent slanders might the more readily receive credit. The negative opinion of ten men caused a great rebellion among the people. Because it is human nature to accept opinion as fact, we must be especially careful when voicing our negative opinions. What we say may heavily influence the actions of those who trust us to give sound advice.
A bad report was a faithless one that defamed Yahweh’s delivering abilities.
2. The Giants / Fears / Obstacles (13: 31-33)
The leadership and the people had started to focus on the giants, fortifies cities, high walls and formidable men who guarded these walls. The enemy seemed so humungous that the Israelites seemed and considered themselves as grasshoppers in comparison to them.
We may wonder that the people of Israel staid forty days for the return of their spies, when they were ready to enter Canaan, under all the assurances of success they could have from the Divine power, and the miracles that had hitherto attended them. But they distrusted God’s power and promise. How much we stand in our own light by our unbelief! We consider our giants … obstacles greater than God and much greater than His power that is why we can’t proceed ahead in life as well as delay or even thwart God’s plan in our lives. At length the messengers returned; but the greater part discouraged the people from going forward to Canaan. Justly are the Israelites left to this temptation, for putting confidence in the judgment of men, when they had the word of God to trust in. Though they had found the land as good as God had said, yet they would not believe it to be as sure as he had said, but despaired of having it, though Eternal Truth had engaged it to them. This was the representation of the evil spies.
3. Anticipations (14: 1-4)
When the chorus of despair went up, everyone joined in. Their greatest fears were being realized. Losing their perspective the people were caught up in the emotion of the moment, forgetting what they knew about God’s character. What if the people had spent as much energy moving forward as they did moving back? They could have enjoyed their land – instead they never ever entered it. When a cry of despair goes around you, consider the larger perspective before you join in. You have better ways to use your energy than to complain and anticipate what has not even happened.
Those who do not trust God, continually vex themselves. The sorrow of the world worketh death. The Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, and in them reproached the Lord. They look back with causeless discontent. See the madness of unbridled passions, which makes men prodigal of what nature accounts most dear, life itself. They wish rather to die criminals under God’s justice, than to live conquerors in his favor. At last they resolve that, instead of going forward to Canaan, they would go back to Egypt. Those who walk not in God’s counsels, seek their own ruin. Could they expect that God’s cloud would lead them, or his manna attend them? Suppose the difficulties of conquering Canaan were as they imagined, those of returning to Egypt were much greater. We complain of our place and lot, and we would change; but is there any place or condition in this world that has not something in it to make us uneasy, if we are disposed to be so? The way to better our condition is to get our spirits in a better frame. See the folly of turning from the ways of God. But men run on the certain fatal consequences of a sinful course.
Illustration: In our major move from India to the Middle-East and then to the USA and finally to Iowa, if we had focused negatively and were not stayed on Christ, always anticipating what had not transpired, we would have never crossed the wilderness to be where God wanted us to be to fulfill His plan and purpose. Remember only after you cross the wilderness, you will see and enter your promised land. As long as you stay where you are and don’t even take that step in faith to cross the wilderness, you will never reach and accomplish what God intended for you. The more you delay the crossing, the more you delay God’s work and plan in your life.
(B) What to FOCUS on?
1. The Positive (13: 26-27, 30; 14: 7)
A positive report is framed by negative reports. The Promised Land, also called the land of Canaan, was indeed magnificent, as the 12 spies discovered. The Bible often calls it the land of milk and honey. Although the land was relatively small – 150 miles long and 60 miles wide – its lush hillsides were covered with fig, date and nut trees. It was the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to their descendants.
Caleb, however, encouraged them to go forward, though seconded by Joshua only. He does not say, Let us go up and conquer it; but, Let us go and possess it. Difficulties that are in the way of salvation dwindle and vanish before a lively, active faith in the power and promise of God. All things are possible, if they are promised, to him that believes; but carnal sense and carnal professors are not to be trusted. Unbelief overlooks the promises and power of God, magnifies every danger and difficulty, and fills the heart with discouragement. May the Lord help us to believe! We shall then find all things possible.
Even though the wilderness lacked much of what they desired, but one thing was sure that their journey through the wilderness was not without the profound and manifested presence of God. He went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night …
2. God’s Promises – in faith (Genesis 17: 8; Exodus 13: 5; Numbers 14: 8)
Caleb saw the same giants and walled city as the other spies, but the 10 spies brought back an ‘evil report’ of unbelief. Caleb’s words declare a conviction – a ‘confession’ – before all Israel: ‘We are well able to overcome.’ He had surveyed the land, a reminder that faith is not blind. Faith doesn’t deny the reality of difficulty; it declares the power of God in the face of the problem.
There is a message in the spirit of Caleb’s response to the rejection of his faith-filled report. Some use their confession of faith to cultivate schism, but Caleb stood his ground in faith and still moved in partnership and support – for 40 years – beside many whose unbelief delayed his own experience. What patience as well as faith! His eventual actual possession of the land at a later date indicates that even though delays come, faith’s confession will ultimately bring victory to the believer.
All the dangers that we are in are from our own distrust. We would succeed against all enemies if we did not make God our enemy. We are excluded from God’s blessing only by excluding ourselves. The best pleas in prayer are those taken from Christ’s honor. The more danger there is of others reproaching Christ’s power, the more desirous we should be to see it glorified.
3. Obeying God (14: 9)
Joshua and Caleb reminded Israel about God’s promise to them but it came with a condition that they had to obey God. And in their obedience they would be able to overcome their enemy and be blessed. They were being instructed NOT to rebel against God and NOT to fear their giants … obstacles. For if they obeyed God, these challenges would merely be a cake walk for them. Obedience is the key to a successful life. Sometimes obedience to God and His law may require disobedience of earthly powers. It’s in the Bible, Acts 5:29, NIV. "We must obey God rather than men!"
When I was an academician, one of my co-workers posted a quote on his classroom wall: "The moment you settle for less than what you want is the moment you get more than you bargained for." This is how it is with disobeying God. Once we settle for not going His way, we get less than we imagined and more than we ever wanted. Apparently disobedience to God makes us partially blind and deaf to God. This is what was happening to the Israelites and even to our nation today.
• God gives us free will. We can do what we like. We can choose to go our own way, or we can choose to walk in the path of Jesus Christ, the son of the living God.
• If we go our own way, and turn our backs on God, then we have to bear the consequences of our actions.
• However, if we choose to follow God, then He will begin to do a number of things within us. He will begin to work out His love in us, and to free us from our sins; He will begin to change our inner disposition, so that we gradually become like Him.
Illustration: Our major move from the Middle-East to the USA and then our move from Massachusetts to Iowa.
Application: Faith looks at difficulties through God but unbelief looks through difficulties at God. All things are possible, if but promised, to him who believes. Many Christians are forever getting frightened at these tremendous giants in the land who make them feel like grasshoppers. Giants cannot stand in the way of Christ’s work if His people will be valiant in His strength.
• Focus on giants – you stumble.
• Focus on God – your giants tumble.
God’s presence is a life preserver that keeps the soul from sinking in a sea of trouble.
