xl;v. Sh lach Numbers 13-15 Reconnaissance: NAU Numbers 13:1-2 Then the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 2 "Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel CJB Numbers 13:1-2 ADONAI said to Moshe, 2 "Send men on your behalf to reconnoiter the land of Kena'an, which I am giving to the people of Isra'el ^ål.-xl;v. xlv verb qal imperative masculine singular; Mean: Send l. preposition; Mean: In general this preposition means motion toward. It can mean for the benefit of; if so the sending of spies would be for the benefit of Moses, and by implication the Israelites. ^ suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Mean: male being addressed, Moses in this case Q: Why did God instruct Moses to send spies to Canaan? A: He viewed this reconnaissance mission as a benefit for Moses and the Israelites so they could spiritually and prayerfully prepare for the challenge that lay ahead. He did not intend for them to use it as an assessment to determine whether they should possess the land or not. land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel The Lord already told them He would give them the land. It was not their decision. They were asked to simply believe God s word. 1
Ap: Today, God asks us to believe His word; this is our primary work. NAU John 6:28-29 28 Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." P: When God assigns to us a task, it okay to consider the details, checking out the size of the task so we can prayerfully and spiritually prepare for the challenge. It is not okay to decide to not do the task because the obstacles seem insurmountable. Q: How do we prepare to do something that seems impossible? NAU Numbers 13:27-29 27 Thus they told him, and said, "We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 "Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 "Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan." The spies are reporting exactly what they saw, describing the productivity of the land and its occupants. This is objective truth; so far so good. NAU Numbers 13:30 30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it." Caleb is the first to speak on possessing the land; he believes God s word, that He will give them the land. Perhaps he wanted to be first to demonstrate confidence because he knew most of the spies had doubts and fears, unwilling to believe God. However, Caleb was quickly countered by the ten. NAU Numbers 13:31-33 31 "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us." 32 So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. 33 "There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." Nephilim- This word is used in only one other Scripture, Genesis 6:4. The word is used since they were large men in the land of Canaan. These giants were descendents of Noah just like everyone else. No one survived the flood except Noah and his family. Goliath was a very large man, over 9 feet tall. Ironically, the three letter verbal root means to fall or lie, sometimes referring to a violent death. 2
The assessment of the ten is based on human viewpoint, not taking into account the power and promise of God. They are like King Saul s soldiers who trembled in fear at the sight of Goliath. Q: What are some Scriptural promises to use when faced with overwhelming circumstances and limited human resources? ALW Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. CJB Ephesians 3:20 20 Now to him who by his power working in us is able to do far beyond anything we can ask or imagine, NAU 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; The following example illustrates how preparation, prayer, and believing God s Word can defeat giant obstacles in a land of darkness and lead to a great work of God. This information is edited from the Jewish Voice Today Magazine, 2 nd Quarter 2016. Jewish Voice Ministries completed a medical mission this year to the Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews) in Tach Gayint, (north central) Ethiopia. Two years of planning with prayer were invested prior to a week of outreach. An advance team of 20 spent the prior week removing rocks from a piece of land to prepare for a mission group of 200. The Jewish population in this area was suffering much persecution, and the mission group encountered intense spiritual battles. For example over 60 visa applications had been buried for months under a mountain of other applications. As the planned date drew near, the JVM African Director amazingly received permission to search through thousands of applications. He was able to find the 60 after four hours of searching; much to their suprise the visas were approved in single day. During the week of ministry, thousands received medical attention and a number were miraculously healed. At one point the local opposition became so alarmed by the reports of healing and new faith coming from the prayer tent that they insisted the tent be shut down. The prayer team complied, but continued to pray for people as they stood in line; God continued to heal just as He did within the tent. Over 200 people came to faith in Yeshua Messiah. Rebellion: NAU Numbers 14:1-2 Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 "Why is the LORD bringing us into this 3
land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" 4 So they said to one another, "Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt." The majority of the congregation along with the majority of spies refused to believe God s word. Instead, they cried, grumbled against Moses, and said they preferred to have died in Egypt or the wilderness as opposed to dying in battle with the Canaanites. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces, to pray I believe. Joshua and Caleb admonished the congregation, reminding them of God s promise to give them the land and telling them not to fear. NAU Numbers 14:9 9 "Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them." The congregation responded: NAU Numbers 14:10 10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Q: Why was the congregation so extremely hostile toward Caleb and Joshua, so as to want to murder them? The two were simply trying to encourage them to do God s will. Q: How were some of the prophets treated when they spoke God s word? NAU 2 Chronicles 24:20-21 20 Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, "Thus God has said, 'Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has also forsaken you.'" 21 So they conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the LORD God then expressed His intent to destroy the Israelites and start over again with Moses. Intercession: Moses Prayer: NAU Numbers 14:13-19 13 But Moses said to the LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, 14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, for You, O LORD, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 "Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, 16 'Because the LORD could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness 18 'The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and 4
transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty 19 "Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now." CJB Numbers 14:20 20 ADONAI answered, "I have forgiven, as you have asked. Moses appeal to God includes three points: 1. Lord, Your reputation will be diminished in the eyes of the world, especially Egypt, if You destroy the Israelites. (14:13-16) 2. Sparing the Israelites is in keeping with Your character qualities of love and forgiveness. (14:17-19a) 3. Lord, You have set a precedent in saving the Israelites, a pattern for the current situation. (14:19b) Ap: We can use these points in our prayers in like manner. 1. We might make a request before God, explaining how His reputation might suffer if He does not answer the prayer and that His reality and power will be demonstrated if He answers. 2. We can also appeal to God s character, explaining to Him how answering a certain request would be in keeping with His love and compassion. 3. We can remind God of how He has acted in the past. In summary, make requests that will enhance God s reputation and are in keeping with His attributes and historical precedent. An earlier prayer of Moses after the Israelites made a golden calf: NAU Exodus 32:9-14 9 The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 10 "Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation." 11 Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, "O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 "Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth '? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. 13 "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'" 14 So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people. 1. These are Your own people whom You have saved from slavery. 2. Your name and reputation will suffer among the pagans if you destroy them. 3. Remember Your promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (He appealed to God by using God s word.) 5
George Muller lived in England around the time of Charles Dickens, in the early 19 th Century. He is known in church history as a man of prayer. He founded an orphanage in Bristol, England, at one point supporting 2000 orphans. Like Moses, God listened to Muller s prayers. He engaged in something call argument in prayer. He would pray a list all the reasons that God should answer a particular prayer, basing His reasons on Scriptures. For example, he would ask God to provide food and housing for the increasing number of orphans, reminding God that He is a father to the fatherless, that He is a God of mercy, that He loves children, that failure to feed the orphans would cause God s reputation to suffer. Muller never tried to raise financial support except through prayer. He and his staff would spend hours in prayer. The orphans never missed a meal. Q: Have you ever prayed prayers, reminding God of His word, or appealing to God s character, or appealing to his reputation among unbelievers? Q: Why did Moses even bother to pray on behalf of the Israelites since they had been such an irritation to him, going so far as to threaten him and his best leaders? The Lord does discipline the congregation for testing Him ten times. He vows to not allow them to see the promised land, but die during the 40 year wandering in the wilderness, all of those 20 years old and above, except for Caleb and Joshua. This will also give the Canaanites a little more time to repent. What happens next in Numbers 14:39-45 is astounding. The Israelites actually decided to go fight the inhabitants of the land as the Lord originally commanded. But it was too late; God had already decided to go with another plan in view of their rebellion. Nevertheless, the Israelites fought the Amalekites and Canaanites without help from God. Of course they lost the battle. They were obviously still in rebellion. Q: What can we conclude about their real motive for initially refusing to possess the promised land, a motive deeper than fearing the inhabitants of the land? Q: Do you think people in rebellion against God unwittingly do unreasonable things just to resist God? Conclusion: Believe God s word like Caleb and Joshua. Pray like Moses. 6
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