Israelite Spies and Wandering 40 Years in the Wilderness (Numbers 13-14)
Setting: The Israelites camp in the wilderness of Paran and send spies to the land of Canaan.
Story Summary
Chapter 13: Moses sends twelve spies to search the land of Canaan. After 40 days, Ten of them bring an evil report, telling only of the strength of the inhabitants and said that the people that lived there were giants whom they could not overcome. Caleb (one of the spies) declares that the Israelites are able to overcome them and possess the land.
Chapter 14: Israel murmurs and speaks of returning to Egypt as they fear the inhabitants of Canaan. Joshua and Caleb try to convince the Israelites that the Lord will deliver them but the people are ready to stone them. The Lord declares judgments on the Israelites but Moses mediates between Israel and the Lord. The Lord declares that the adults of Israel will not enter the Promised Land, except for Joshua and Caleb who had faith to obey the Lord's command. The Lord slays the false spies by a plague but some rebels try to go alone and are slain by the Amalekites and Canaanites.
Key Principles
1. Joshua and Caleb did not fear the might of the Canaanites and believed the Lord could deliver them the land that was promised.
"And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, the land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not." (Numbers 12:7-9)
Joshua was originally named Oshea and was from the tribe of Ephraim. Caleb was from the tribe of Judah. Thus, Ephraim and Judah once again are placed above the other tribes. (Verse by Verse: Ogden & Skinner)
2. Failure to believe God's promises leads to not receiving them. The Israelites were ready to stone Joshua and Caleb rather than go against the Canaanites. God declared that because of their lack of faith they will not inherit the land that He has promised them. However, because Caleb and Joshua believed in the Lord, the Lord declared that their seed would inherit the land.
3. We all must have faith that God can lead us to the Promised Land or we will not inherit it. The 10 spies and the hosts of Israel refused to put their faith in the Lord and obey His commandments even though they had seen mighty miracles. Likewise, if we fail to have faith in the journey and destination God has set out for our lives, we will not enter our own Promised Land.
4. Failure to obey the Lord and a lack of faith led to wandering 40 years in the wilderness and not inheriting the Promised Land.
"Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness." (Numbers 14: 30-33)
5. When we disobey the Lord we lose His protection just as the Israelites who disobeyed were delivered to their enemies.
"And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper.
Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you.
But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah." (Numbers 14: 41-45)