"WHO WILL WE BELIEVE?"
TEXT: NUMBERS CHAPTER 13 AND 14
INTRODUCTION
Today I want us to look at our text through the eyes of someone who would have been there to witness the events that unfolded. I’ll be doing in the first person.
I was sleeping when the men came to our tent, to wake up my father. It was a cool and windy night and I could barely hear their voices over the loud rush of the wind. About the only thing I did hear, was that Moses had commanded them to bring my Father, Nahbi, and 11 others from the tribes of Israel, to his tent.
When they left I quietly followed behind them. As they reached the tent of Moses I saw my father and the other men go inside.
As the hours passed I grew tired and fell asleep. But as the sun rose on the distant horizon and as the camp began to come to life once again, I too woke up.
And as I did I looked up and saw the great Leader Moses speaking with my father and with the others.
Moses was telling them that he had chosen them to go into the promise land. Moses had chosen my Father to be one the people to travel into Canaan to scout this new land. Moses told them that they were to go there to see what the land was like and to see whether the people who lived there were strong or weak, few or many. They were to find out what kind of cities the people lived in, were they large? Did they have fortified walls. And since this was time of the year when the first grapes are ripening on the vine, Moses asked them to bring back some of the fruit of the land. Moses told them that they had 40 days to complete their exploration.
As my Father came to our tent and said his good-byes to us, we were all very proud that our Father was chosen from among all the thousands of men in the camp, for this great and honorable task.
My Father and the eleven, met at the edge of the camp and set out together on a long journey through a strange land. I could sense great excitement, anticipation and a little anxiety as they moved forward.
The 40 days that they were gone were difficult for those in the camp. Especially for the families of the 12, who worried wondering if their loved ones were safe. I was a little worried too, but I also with my friends enjoyed playing a game where we imagined that we were exploring the new land. Everyone was very anxious to hear the news that they would bring back. Wondering what the new land would be like. Hoping it was a paradise.
The hours turned into days and the days into weeks. And finally one day someone came running from the edge of the camp, shouting, "they’re here, they’ve returned, they’ve returned!!"
The 12 went straight to the tent of Moses. And the whole camp excitedly gathered there as well. I ran fast and was able to get a place up close.
I saw my Father standing there with the others, and I noticed, as I looked at his face, that something was wrong, I have seen that look before. My Father was angry. In fact all of the 12 looked a little angry, they looked a lot angry, they were waving there hands all over the place, and it seemed like the 10 including my father, were upset with Caleb and Joshua. I really didn’t understand what was going on. But what ever it was it was getting pretty heated.
However, as Moses came out of his tent they all calmed down, almost immediately. Moses spoke and asked them for their findings.
My Father and the nine said: "we are back! And this land is indeed a land flowing with milk and honey!" and as my father handed Moses some of the fruit he said, "here look at this fruit, it’s delicious".
And as they said this the whole camp began to echo with cheers of joy. Then my father and the 9 began to speak again, "Yes it is a great land BUT the people who live there are powerful, they are giants, and we are no match for there cities, they would destroy us if we tried to take the land".
At those words grumbling began to spread rapidly throughout the camp. People all around me were shouting, groaning and crying.
Caleb and Joshua stood up and tried to silence the crowd, but the people refused to listen to their words of encouragement.
Their cry of " we can do it", was overcome by crys of, "they are giants and we are grasshoppers."
That night was a night I will never forget, there was loud weeping and wailing everywhere as the people cried before Moses and Aaron.
"If only we had died in Egypt! Or even in this desert! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword. Our wives and our children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better to be back in Egypt." Then they said to each other "let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt". It’s not worth the risk, let’s turn back.
The events that took place the next day when the sun came up were fast and terrifying.
In the morning Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb gathered the whole camp and tore their clothes and fell face down before them shouting, " Don’t rebel against God, God is with us, do not be afraid"
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing as things got even worse. The people began to say let’s stone those fools and choose a new leader. I believe they really would have done this BUT just as their anger and rebellion was about to boil over.
THe Glory of the LOrd appeared at the tabernacle and all of the camp saw it. Immediately all of the grumbling stopped and an eery silence was covering the camp.
The Lord was angry and said he was going to destroy the whole nation with a plaque and arise up a new nation with Moses.
Many if they were in Moses shoes would have said" Yes Lord do it, I’m tired of these people too, and they certainly don’t deserve you".
And as I was waiting for the plaques to start, I saw Moses fall before the Lord and ask God to forgive His people, people, who if God had not intervened, would have taken his life. What great courage and love Moses showed as he prayed for the people.
Well, that was over 10 years ago and we have been wandering in the desert ever since. God forgave us, but he punished us by making us wander for 40 years. And swore that none of our parents who were lead out of Egypt would enter the promise land. So as we the children of the promise wandered and grew, we helplessly watched as our parents died in the desert.
And as I reflect on that time, a time that seems like so long ago. One picture flashes before my eyes and haunts my every dream. It is a picture of a small boy standing by a fresh grave, tears running down his cheek, putting the last handful of dirt on his fathers grave, Nahbi, my father, was struck down that day with a plaque from the LOrd.
I guess I’ll always wonder what things could have been like, where we’d be right now, what my father and I would be doing if the people hadn’t believed the bad report and rebelled. And as I look around at the other children of the promise around me I know they wonder the same thing.
Today as we study the account in Numbers of the sending out of the 12 spies, we will carefully look at the 2 reports that Moses received. And as we do, we will come to understand, that even in our own lives, there are 2 messages being sent, and we too must decide who we will believe.
I. WE SEEMED LIKE GRASSHOPPERS
When 10 of the 12 returned from the promise land they brought back a bad report. It was a report that would crush the hopes and dreams of the people. They said, we can’t attach those people they are stronger than we are. All the people we saw there are giants, they’re huge, and we are merely grasshoppers in their eyes.
What caused these men to bring back such a negative report? Why did they refuse to take the land that God had promised to them?
Let’s look at several factors that played a part in their failure. A. The chief reason they failed is that they had forgotten or did not believe the promise of God.
God had made a covenant with their father Abraham, in Genesis chapter 15 he said he was going to give the promise land to Abraham’s descendants.
God had spoken to Israel several times after their deliverance from Egypt (as recorded for us in Exodus and Leviticus) and reaffirmed that he was going to give them the land, He renwed the promise. In Leviticus 20;24 God said,
"You will possess their land; I will give you it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey" I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations".
God had promised His people that he would give them the land. And God had certainly demonstrated to these people, when he crushed and won their freedom from Egypt, that he is one they can be assured will keep His promises and he clearly demonstrated that he could deliver on his promises.
And when they arrived in the land and found it just as God said, "flowing with milk and honey", but they still didn’t believe.
b. Because they had lost faith in God, and in his promise, when they came into the land they were intimidated by what they saw. ("intimidate"; to make timid or fearful, to compel or deter by or as if by threats).
When they came in the land they saw that it indeed flowed with milk and honey, but because they had lost faith in God they were paralyzed with fear.
You see ,they fell into the fatal trap of thinking that it all depended on them. When they lost sight of God all that they could look at to accomplish the task was themselves. And what they saw as they looked at themselves, gave them little encouragement.
The land is good! BUT!!
It flows with milk and honey! BUT!!
Sure it would be a great place to be! BUT!! The task is to great! They are too strong for us, we could never win. We just can’t do it. Listen to their words as recorded in Numbers 13.
"WE can’t attack those people"
"They are stronger than WE are"
"WE seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes"
The 10 looked at the promise land, they saw the difficult task that lie ahaed, then they looked at themselves and said we can’t do it.
II. WE WILL SWALLOW THEM UP
A. Caleb and Joshua traveled the same road, walked the same path and they saw the same things as the 10. But their response and recommendation was completely different.
Caleb said "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it" "Do not be afraid of the people of the land for we will swallow them up"
What caused Caleb and Joshua to bring back such a positive report?
There is really only one reason that caused Caleb and Joshua to look at the promise land and see a guaranteed victory.
Because they had faith in God.
Caleb and Joshua had not forgotten that it was only 2 years ago that they were slaves in Egypt making bricks for Pharaoh.
They had not forgotten how God had displayed his divine power against the mighty Egyptian empire, bringing the proud Pharaoh to his knees. They had not forgotten the awesome sight of God’s mighty hand dividing the Red Sea and of the Egyptian army being swallowed in it’s depths.
The words of the song of Moses and Miriam, that they sang after, their slave master Egypt was crushed, still echoed in their hearts.
"The Lord is my strength and my song he has become my salvation.... In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. The nations will hear and tremble...."
When Joshua and Caleb saw the land, when they saw the giants they said; "we can surely do it! The lord will give it to us!
The lord will lead us! Their protection is gone because the Lord is with us!".
Joshua’s and Caleb’s courage came from their confidence that the Lord was with them. They firmly grasped the truth, that victory for God’s people does not depend on their own human strengths, but rather on the power and promise of the Almighty God.
III. WHO WILL WE BELIEVE?
A. On that day over three thousand years ago God’s people were faced with a choice between 2 messages. One message was a message of courage, confidence and hope, the other message was one of fear, doubt and intimidation. Tragically as we all know they choose to be intimidated by the message of despair and doubt. And because of that choice they were punished, never would any of the adults enter the land of promise and for 40 years their children would be forced to wander in the desert sands.
B. Things have not really changed that much over the years.
As God’s people venture out to do the work of the Lord, as they strive to walk the christian walk and as they move to claim the promises of God, they still receive many times conflicting reports. And like the Israelites in the wilderness we too many times believe the reports of doubt, fear and intimidation.
Sure it’s a good idea, it’s a noble purpose, sure it would be nice, BUT, BUT the job is to big, the road is too long, the hill is too steep, so we might as well turn back.
Many for example, when they consider the challenge of sharing the gospel with a friend, neighbor, co-worker or relative. Listen to the report that says, "yes it’s a great idea, and yes they certainly need the Lord BUT we are to weak, we won’t know what to say, they’ll never listen to us, and they may even laugh at us or think we are strange. We can’t do it, it’s not worth the risk, we need to turn back. And we forget the promise of God that says that he is with us, wherever we go as we take his Gospel into the world. We let ourselves be intimidated by the task, and then we take our eyes off God. And when we do, we find ourselves standing all alone and as we look at ourselves we say "there is no way I can do this, I’m just not good enough, I’m not strong enough."
If we had a list of all the churches throughout the years who failed in their work for the kingdom because they allowed intimidation to stop them dead in their tracks, I am sure the list would be staggering and very sobering.
We’d see countless lists of;
Communities that were not reached
Buildings that were not built
Lessons that were not taught
visits that were not made
fellowship that was not shared
And souls that were not saved
Friends we need to have a faith like Joshua’s and Caleb’s. We need to keep our eyes on the Lord, and we need to keep our hope firmly planted in His power.
If the work we want to do, If the goal we want to achieve is for the advancement of the work of the kingdom. We must remember that we are not alone and that got is with us, and that he will give us the victory.
CONCLUSION
HE WAS A PROFESSIONAL THIEF. His name stirred fear as the desert wind stirs tumbleweeds. During his reign of terror from 1875-1883 Black Bart is credited with stealing the bags and breathe away from 29 different stagecoach crews. And he did it without firing a shot.
His weapon was his reputation. His ammunition was intimidation.
A hood covered his face. No victim ever saw him. No artist ever sketched his features. No sheriff could ever track his trail. He never fired a shot or took a hostage. He didn’t have to. His presence was enough to strike a paralyzing fear into his victims.
Years later when the authorities caught up with them that found out that he was anything to be afraid of or intimidated by. When they finally caught him they didn’t find a bloodthirsty bandit from Death Valley; rather they found a mild-mannered druggist from Decatur, Illinois. The man the papers pictured storming through the mountains on horseback was, in reality, so afraid of horses he rode to and from his robberies in a buggy. He was Charles E. Boles-the bandit who never once fired a shot because he never once loaded his gun. (Lucado)
