Moses didn't want a report that would discourage the taking of the land, he was just looking for the facts~ a report.
Off the men went...for forty days they scouted out the land. They even brought home some of the fruit. "They cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs" (Num 12:23). The fruit was ripe and it was massive! The land was good, just as the Lord had said. He had promised the nation of Israel that this would be their land.
Upon their return, the report of 10 men went something like this: "The land does flow with milk & honey", BUT...the people are powerful; the cities are fortified; the land devours those who live in it; descendents of Anak live there (huge size, tall, strong); we are like grasshoppers in their eyes~ no way can we attack these people and take the land.
2 men, Joshua & Caleb had a different report. They didn't argue that some of the 'facts' weren't true, but they believed what the Lord had told them~ that this land of Canaan was promised by the Lord to them. The report of Joshua & Caleb went like this: "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us He will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk & honey and will give it to us. Don't be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them."
Caleb & Joshua knew that the Lord was bigger, stronger, more powerful than any man....and God was on their side. It didn't matter what it looked like in the natural, they walked by faith to believe that God would do what He said He would do.
Unfortunately, the WHOLE assembly talked about stoning them (Joshua & Caleb). The "herd" mentality won out and stood against the faith walkers. The Lord met Moses at the tent of meeting and He spoke saying, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?" (Num 12:11).
A couple of points to ponder:
- Which "camp" are you in? In the midst of difficult circumstances or uncertainty, do you side with the 10 sight-walkers (noticing in the natural all the obstacles before you) or do you side with the 2 faith-walkers (taking note of the obstacles, but knowing God is bigger than any obstacle)?
- When people are around you, is the atmosphere filled with faith? Joshua & Caleb spoke boldly about God's certainty and power to defeat any enemy. They were filled with faith. However, the majority of the explorers were defeated, filled with fear and confusion and with a bad report stirred up the whole assembly against faith.
The Lord punished the generation for their lack of faith (except for Joshua & Caleb). "Not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers" (Num 12:23). And because of their disobedience, the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years~ one year for every day the explorers were scouting out the land. "These men responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord," (Num 12:37).
The question the Lord keeps bringing to my mind & spirit is this: Which well are you drinking from? The natural well (which isn't very deep) looks at the circumstances; the natural; facts; 1 + 1 =2 kind of stuff. This is living in the way of the natural senses and natural consequences. This is walking by sight. The well of the Supernatural is a deep well. No matter what the natural circumstances are, their is ONE who is BIGGER and STRONGER and more POWERFUL than the circumstances. This is faith-walking. Faith is not being moved by what I see, but is moved by what I believe (when that faith is put into the Creator-God).
Lord, raise up Joshua's & Caleb's in this generation....who stir up faith in the Beloved of God.
