Do we approach life with negative or positive attitudes? Does this have anything to do with faith? As we look forward to a better promised land, what is our attitude? Let’s look at Numbers 13.
What did the Lord want Moses to do in preparation for entering the promised land?
The Lord spoke to Moses: “Send men to scout out the land of Canaan I am giving to the Israelites. Send one man who is a leader among them from each of their ancestral tribes.” Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran at the Lord’s command. All the men were leaders in Israel. (Numbers 13:1-3 HCSB)
What were the names of the scouts, one leader from each tribe?
These were their names: From Reuben’s tribe, Zaccur’s son Shammua; From Simeon’s tribe, Hori’s son Shaphat; From Judah’s tribe, Jephunneh’s son Caleb; from Issachar’s tribe, Joseph’s son Igal; From Ephraim’s tribe, Nun’s son Hoshea; From Benjamin’s tribe, Raphu’s son Palti; from Zebulun’s tribe, Sodi’s son Gaddiel; from Joseph’s tribe of Manasseh, Susi’s son Gaddi; From Dan’s tribe, Gemalli’s son Ammiel; from Asher’s tribe, Michael’s son Sethur; from Naphtali’s tribe, Vophsi’s son Nahbi; and from Gad’s tribe, Machi’s son Geuel. These are the names of the men sent by Moses to explore the land. Moses renamed Nun’s son Hoshea to Joshua. (Numbers 13:4-16 ISV)
What were they to look for as they explored the land?
And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: And see the land, what it is, and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes. (Numbers 13:17-20 KJV)
What did they find as they explored the promised land?
So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, at Lebo-hamath. And they had gone up into the Negev and came to Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) Then they came to the valley of Eshcol and from there cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two men with some of the pomegranates and the figs. That place was called the valley of Eshcol [grape cluster], because of the cluster which the sons of Israel cut down from there. (Numbers 13:21-24 LSB)
Which of the scouts came back to Moses with a negative report? Is this possibly representative of the expected numbers of negative attitudes?
When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, they went on and came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, in the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. So they reported to him and said, “We came into the land where you sent us, and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And indeed, we saw the descendants of Anak there! Amalek is living in the land of the Negev, the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.” (Numbers 13:25-29 NASB)
Who was a standout with a positive attitude? Was he quickly criticized by the naysayers?
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.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (Numbers 13:30-33 NIV)
Could one aspect of seeing God be seeing God‘s hand here on earth?
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8 NKJV)
Rather than negative thinking, is there a better way?
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8 NLT)
Do we approach life with negative or positive attitudes? Does this have anything to do with faith? As we look forward to a better promised land, what is our attitude? You decide!
