The Twelve Spies

Numbers 13-14

We need to remember what had happened over the last year – deliverance from Egypt, plagues, parting of the sea, at Sinai, , , , – you would think they were ready to the land God had promised them.

We also the consequences of our .

What was the ? “”

God with us to bring us around.

The Spies’ 13:1-25

Twelve were selected to investigate the land – for about days.

Remember – they had been in the for a year. Imagine how the looked.

Remember – they had with them the of Joseph.

The Spies’ 13:26-33

The of the story is found here.

All 12 spies ; the land was a land.

Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and from there they cut off a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two men, with some of the pomegranates and the figs.
Numbers 13:23

But: said no.

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, because they are too strong for us.” So they brought a bad report of the land which they had spied out to the sons of Israel, saying, “The land through which we have gone to spy out is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are people of great stature.
Numbers 13:31-32

They saw and backed down.

“Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.”
1 Samuel 17:36

But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a saber, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
1 Samuel 17:45

In the midst of the negative reports, said:

“We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will certainly prevail over it.”
Numbers 13:30

A Matter Of Perspective

None of the 12 spies about what they had seen.

Where they differed was in their awareness, or lack of awareness, of .

The majority measured the against their own strength; Caleb and Joshua measured the giants against .

What Can We Learn?

 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they indeed craved them.
1 Corinthians 10:6

1^st The tragedy of

This malady is because:

• it brings .
• it .

is blessed by God because it .

Unbelief is serious because it challenges the of God.

 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6

2^nd There are always to be which calls for .

This is a life of while we are here, not a life of .

3^rd The necessity of God’s

If you believe this, why do you attempt so much without Him and in His way?

4^th The of Moses

Instead of thinking of himself, he thinks of the .

• He the way
• for them
• with them
• God was

5^th What God wants most from us is .

• He needs nothing we have to , but He wants to be .