In Numbers 13:25-33, we have a story about twelve spies who were chosen to scout out the land of Caanan (Numbers 13:2,16) and arrive back to give their report to Moses and Aaron. The twelve spies give their scouting report to Moses, Aaron, and in front of all Israel after spending forty days in the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:25-26). An important fact can often be overlooked is these spies were not ordinary men, but leaders in their father’s tribes (Numbers 13:2). Significant enough were these leaders that their names are listed in the text. Their names were Shammua, Shaphat, Caleb, Igal, Joshua, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, and Geuel (Numbers 13:4-16). This task of leadership was a directive given to Moses from God who put great importance on it. Leadership carries with it responsibilities and the report given would affect a generation of people. Before we discuss the report given, let’s give this story some textual context.
In Transition
The children of Israel were in transition from slavery and governmental change. In the midst of the transition, Moses had felt the burden of leadership (Numbers 11:10-15) and petitioned God for help. Leadership is not easy and carries with it a weight. At this moment Moses felt the weight and was displeased, felt out of favor with God, and filled with self-doubt. Having a relationship with God means that you can discuss anything with him, and he will answer. God answered Moses and the result was seventy elders were chosen to assist in leading the nation (Numbers 11:16-17). Transition and change often bring a sense of insecurity and instability and during seasons of transition people are most vulnerable. These seasons of transition and change are temporary but having a wrong perspective in them will often allow circumstances to move a people from responding in faith or responding out of fear.
The Cycle of Faith to Fear
The children of Israel were in a cycle of faith to fear; grumbling and complaining in the midst of God moving in supernatural ways. This was the tenth time they chose to rebel against God (Numbers 14:22). Prior rebellions against God were at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11-12), at Marah (Exodus 15:24), at the Wilderness (Exodus 16:2-3), at Rephidim (Exodus 17:1-3), at Sinai (Exodus 32:1-6), en route to Kadesh 3X’s (Numbers 11:1-3, 4-9, 31-34), and at Kadesh 2X’s (Numbers 14:1-4, 10). In this period of transition, God was moving the people of Israel from being slaves in Egypt and wanderers without land or country to giving them a land that was “good and spacious” (Exodus 3:7-8). This land was was theirs for the taking but it would require the children of Israel to move forward in faith and take their inheritance.
The Choosing of the 12 Spies
Numbers 13 begins with a God direction mission in which Moses was directed to choose leaders from each of the twelve tribes for a mission. This mission was to scout the land of Canaan which was the land that God was giving Israel as an inheritance. God directed Moses in Numbers 13:2, “spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel”. The specific purpose of this mission was to assess the land. They were to according to Moses was to see what the land was like, the strength or weakness of the people who lived there, how many, how the land was, how the cities were, trees, fruit, etc (Numbers 13:17-20). The mission was not to determine their ability to possess because that had already been determined by God. However, Moses and the children of Israel needed to know what they were up against and I believe God showed them the land to stir their faith after seeing the land does “flow with milk and honey” (Numbers 13:27). This thought is later echoed by Caleb (Numbers 13:30).
The Report
This report is found in Numbers 13:27-33: 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. 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. 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.” 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.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.” So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. 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.”
My Thoughts on the Report
Here are 8 things regarding the report:
- The report was true (v.26-29) but became a false report (v. 31-33) when 10 of the spies chose fear over faith (v.30) and spread it among the people.
- Their view of themselves as less than God’s view of them.
- Fear exaggerated the situation (v.32-33).
- Fear creates false assumptions (v. 33) “our own eyes” and “the same to them”.
- Their measure of strength saw the situation only from a natural perspective (v. 31)
- When fear is confronted by faith, it gathers support from doubt and insecurity (v.31-33).
- Comparison (v.33) destroys faith.
- People will suffer the consequences of the leader’s actions.
Reaction to the Report
After the report was given, the children of Israel had a choice to make. Listen to the report of the ten which was from a perspective of fear or the report of the two (Caleb and Joshua) who stood in opposition to fear with an attitude of faith. Unfortunately, the nation chose to go with the bad report instead of listening to those who said: “We should, by all means, go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” We know the response was from fear because Moses said: “Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land…do not fear them.” (Numbers 14:9) God desires you to believe Him and His word for you in your circumstances. Don’t allow seasons of transition to hinder you from receiving all that God has for you. What God has for you is better than what you can see in the natural.
Closing Thought
The fear of the unknown will cause people to choose what is known and “comfortable” even if it is oppression over freedom. The children of Israel after hearing the report and seeing all that God had done with signs and miracles were willing to go back to slavery (Numbers 14:1-4). Learn from their mistakes and begin to respond to God in faith rather than to your circumstance by fear. Be as Caleb who according to God, “has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully” (Numbers 14:24).
New American Standard Bible. (1995). Thomas Nelson. (Original work published 1971)
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