Bible Verse: The Lord said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.” Numbers 13:1-2
Scripture Reading: Numbers 13
It seems almost fitting that a biblical book that begins so “slow” also has the account of the first Israelites seeing the Promised Land (but see Sunday’s devotional to help you view the names and numbers of this book a little differently).
As readers, we move through the biblical text, from the slog of a census to the mountaintop of a centuries-old promise on the verge of being fulfilled.
It’s difficult to imagine the reaction of these Israelites. They had only recently received the promise. They had only recently been slaves in Egypt. They were still getting to know this powerful, delivering God.
But they were moving from subjugation in a different land to freedom in a land of their own.
Along the way, they had witnessed miracle after miracle and seen the fearful power and presence of their God. Excitement did not depend on the calendar; none of them knew God when the promise was made to Abraham.
Yet here they were, on the border of their new home, ready…ish.
God wanted to show them one more time how generous He was. He wanted men to spy out the land. God wanted Israel to see (and hear) for themselves about the goodness of the land He was giving to them.
Perhaps you know of the description the spies brought back. The spies returned with reports of grape clusters so large they had to be carried by two men (I grow grapes, that size cluster is almost nonsense to me) (Numbers 13:23). The land did “flow with milk and honey” (Numbers 23:27), which likely means that it was good for livestock and had diverse and plentiful flora.
What a description! What a generous God. What a gift to a people who had done nothing but receive the generosity of the God who had delivered them.
The generosity of God is the main point of this story. But this account also introduces the other side of the book of Numbers: the question of how the Israelites will respond.
It’s a land with more to offer than they likely can comprehend, but it is already inhabited by some fairly large peoples.
God had already given so much. Would they trust Him to continue to supply?
It’s a question we all still face. God is good. Will we trust His goodness?
Prayer: Father, I confess that I, too, sometimes get scared of what is in front of me. I see the obstacles in my path, and I panic over how I will handle them. I forget that You are on my side and have already supplied me with what I need. Help me to actively trust You. You have proven Yourself generous and faithful.
Reflection: What obstacle are you facing right now that you need to trust God with? Are you tempted to either quit or take it on by yourself? How can you surrender that situation to God, along with any stress or anxiety that comes with it?
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