Numbers 13:1-3, 17-20, 25-33: 14:2
Topic- Do not believe in the evil report
In these passage of scriptures, we read about how Moses had sent 12 men to search out the land of Caanan. God had promised to give the land of Caanan to the children of Israel, and God had commanded Moses to send 12 men to check out and to investigate the land of Caanan, to see what it looks like. The scripture says that after 40 days of checking and searching out the land of Caanan, the 12 men came back with a report on what they saw. In Numbers 13:27-28, the men said, “We went to the land where you sent us. And yes, it truly flows with milk and honey, and we brought some of the land’s fruits back with us to see and, taste. But the people who live in the land of Caanan are strong, their cities are fortified, and very large, and we saw the descendants of Anak there.” Now according to biblical history, the descendants of Anak were known to be some tall, big, and strong people who look like giants. To get a vivid picture of what I am trying to describe of what the descendants look like, think of thousands of men looking like Shaq O’Neal standing around in one place. Get the picture?
And when the children of Israel were told that the descendants of Anak were there living in the land of Caanan, they became afraid. But Caleb, who was one of the 12 men that searched out the land of Caanan, tried to calm the fears of the children of Israel in Numbers 13:30 by saying, “Let us go up at once, and take possession of the land, for we are well able to overcome it.” Another person who tried to calm the fears of the children of Israel was Joshua. Joshua said this in Numbers 14:7-9 by saying, “The land we passed through to search out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us unto this land, and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear he people of the land; for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not hear them.”
Now, what Caleb and Joshua was trying to tell the children of Israel was that, “Yes, there are some giants living in the land of Caanan, but God is bigger and stronger than any giant in the land. And if we would just trust in God and obey his word, God will help us to defeat the giants in the land, and help us to possess the land of Caanan.”
And even today, God is able to help you defeat the giants that you have in your life today. Your giant may be some obstacle, some stumbling block, some setback, some personal problem, some health issue, some financial issue, or some bad habit. Your giant could be some man, some woman, boy, or girl. But you don’t have to let the giant in your life to keep you fearful and afraid because God is bigger and stronger than any giant, and He will give you the power to be victorious over the giants that you are facing in this life.
But notice this. Even though Caleb and Joshua tried to encourage the children of Israel that they can take the possession of the land of Caanan, the other men said this in Number 13:31-33, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. And they gave the children of Israel an evil report of the land which they had spied(search) out saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies, is a land that eats up its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants, the descendants of Anak, and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we were in their sight.”
And because the other men gave the children of Israel and “evil report” on the land of Caanan in Numbers 14:1-4, it says that “all he congregation lifted up their voices and cried and the people wept all that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”
Now notice what the evil report had done to the children of Israel. All it did was bring discouragement, depression, and frustration to the children of Israel. And even in today times, there are some people who have allowed an “evil report” to make them discouraged, depressed, and frustrated because an evil report does not give hope, but it gives you despair.
Instead of giving you peace, an evil report tries to gives you something to worry about.
Instead of giving you joy, an evil report tries to gives you sorrow.
Instead of giving you strength, an evil report tries to make you feel weak.
Instead of giving you victory for the present and for the future, an evil report tries to make you feel defeated and tries to make you feel that you have no hope for the future.
Instead of helping you to move forward, an evil report tries to keeps you stagnated and tries to have you moving backwards.
Instead of making you feel blessed, and evil report tries to make you feel cursed.
Now the question is, “How does an evil report sound today?”
An evil report usually begins with these two words: “YOU CAN’T.
An evil report says, “You can’t do this or you can’t do that.”
An evil report says, “You can’t make it or accomplish anything because you are black or African American.”
An evil report says, “You can’t make it or accomplish anything because you are white or Caucasian.”
An evil report says, “You cant make it or accomplish anything because you are Asian, Hispanic, or Latino.”
An evil report says, “You can’t make it or accomplish anything because you are a female.”
An evil report says, “You can’t make it or accomplish anything because you are poor and on welfare.”
An evil report says, “You can make it or accomplish anything because you look too small, too big, too short, too tall, too old, or too young.”
An evil report says, “You can’t make it, or accomplish anything because you live in the wrong neighborhood.”
An evil report says, “You can’t make it or accomplish anything because you were in Special Education classes.”
An evil report says, “You can’t make it or accomplish anything because you are single, divorced, separated, or widowed.”
But I am here to tell you that no matter what race you are, no matter what gender you are, no matter what financial or economic status you may be in, no matter what size you are, no matter how old or young you are, or no matter where you live……….
It does not even matter if you are married, single, divorced, separated, or widowed………
You can accomplish anything that you set your heart and mind to do because there is another report that is called the “good report”, and the good report says, “You can do all things through Christ that strengthens you.”
The good report says, “You are more than a Conqueror through the Lord Jesus Christ who loves us.”
The good report says, “All things are possible to those who believes in the Lord.”
The good report says, “You are blessed going in and blessed going out. You are blessed in the city and blessed in the field.”
The good report says, “You are the head, and not the tail. You are above, and not beneath.”
The good report says, “You are victorious in Christ Jesus.”
The good report says, “You have not been given the spirit to fear, but of power, of love, and of sound mind.”
The good report says, “Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.”
The good report says, “God is able, and there is nothing too hard for God.”
Instead of believing and listening to the evil report, you need to believe, listen, and act upon the good report. And the good report says you can accomplish anything because God loves you. He wants the best for you. God cares for you. He wants to see you prosper in all things and in health.
And if you want to make it and accomplish anything in life, you must do what Proverbs 3:5-6. It says to “Trust in the Lord with all your hear, and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”
