Numbers 14:7-8: And they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land that flows with milk and honey.
The LORD told Moses, "Send out men for yourself to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them" (Num 13:2).
After 40 days, these 12 men returned with physical proof in their hand, fruit from the land, and their feedback was that the land certainly does flow with milk and honey (Num 13:27).
Sadly, 10 of the 12 then told the whole congregation of Israel that the people in the land are simply too strong to conquer. Only Caleb and Joshua held on to what the Lord promised and said the opposite of the 10 other spies.
This story always reminds me how the same people can hear the word of God yet struggle to receive the promise of God when adversaries come their way.
Most of the Israelite congregation took heed of the 10 spies' feedback, also knowing well what God promised, yet chose to stand on what they called reality instead of standing on the word and promise of God like Caleb and Joshua.
Within seconds the majority also focused on the obstacles instead of God's promise after they heard 10 spies saying we all look like grasshoppers against these men who are like giants (Num 13:33), whilst Caleb and Joshua stared at the promise of God and saw the same obstacles, the same enemy, merely as food!
The point I want to make is that all 12 spies were sent with the same mission based upon the same promise that God was to give them the land. They were never sent on this mission to go and spy on the enemy and figure out how they were going to overcome them!
Today, many people hear what God reveals through the Gospel, but instead of embracing Christ and living in the promise of being a new creation in Him, some would rather focus on the enemy and every obstacle that is in their way of living by faith in Christ.
All 12 spies back in the day saw God's promise, but 10 chose to focus on their own ability and the reality of taking hold of that which God promised, whereas 2 others saw God's promise and held onto His word, believing He would give them this land as promised.
Joshua and Caleb even said, "If the Lord is pleased with us, He will bring us into the land and give it to us."
Do you know that God is pleased with us when we repent and receive Christ and believe in Him, living by faith in Him who made us a new creation and eternal family of God?
Scripture doesn’t say to keep our eyes on the enemy, but on Jesus!
Joshua and Caleb's faith in God and their perspective on the enemy always remind me of 1 John 4:4, in which our John wrote, "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world."
Amen