Israelites send out scouts to Canaan

Numbers Chapter 13

While the Israelites were camped in the wilderness near Paran, the Lord had Moses send men out to explore the land of Canaan, the promised land he was giving to the people of Israel. One leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes was sent (their names and tribes are described in verses 5 through 15). Hoshea’s name by this time had been changed to Joshua.

Moses gave all the men instructions to go north through the Negev into hill country and check out the land and find out whether or not the people there were numerous, their weaknesses etc. Also he asked them to check out the soil to see if it was fertile.

The men went and explored the land from Zin as far as Rehob and going northward, they passed through the Negev and arrived at Hebron where descendants of Anak lived. (Remember Anak was a giant and his descendants were too). When the men came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut a cluster of grapes so large it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them.

After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned to Moses, Aaron and the people of Israel at Kadesh in Paran. They reported what they had seen and showed them the fruit taken from the land. They told Moses that they arrived in a magnificent country flowing with milk and honey, but the people living there were powerful and the walls of their cities fortified. They told of the giant descendants of Anak. They said that the Amelekites lived in the Negrev, the Hittities, Jebusites and Amorites lived in the hill country. The Canaanites lived along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley.

Caleb tried to encourage the people as they stood before Moses. Caleb insisted that they go at once to take the land because he believed they could conquer it. But the other men who had explored, insisted that the Israelites could not go against such a strong people. So they spread discouragement among the people by telling them that the land swallows up anyone who goes there to live and the people were so huge that the Israelites looked like grasshoppers next to them.

BIBLE NOTES show that Kadesh was near Canaan’s southern border, but the Israelite’s were afraid to enter this new land. The promised land, also called Canaan, was magnificent even though it was a relatively small land only 150 miles long and 60 miles wide. Its hillsides were covered with fig, date and nut trees.

It is interesting to hear of a race of abnormally large people. The family of Goliath may have been from these people.The fortified cities were surrounded by high walls as much as 20 feet thick and had the huge giant guards on top guarding the walls.

How does this chapter relate to us today? I like to single out the man Caleb standing up to all the leaders of the tribes and calling for the people to conquer the new land. It must have taken great courage for him to step forward. Would you or I have that kind of courage? We might if the Lord was on our side like he was for Caleb. Would you have that kind of faith? If we believe in what our Lord has told us, we must trust in him.

What kind of circumstances do you find yourself in almost each week where you must take a stand? In the board room? Dealing with the public? In your own home? No matter where, we must do as the Lord wants and we can conquer anything.

Are you a negative person? Look at what negativity did to the people of Israel. It kept them from going forward to claim the Promised Land. The leaders of the tribes fell down on the job this time and did not trust their own Lord. Imagine if a few other positive voices had joined Caleb. They may have swayed the whole crowd.

Faith by the numbers is great. Have you ever been in a crowd of Christians who are in sinc (on the same high wave of energetic faith)? I went to a Women of Faith rally a few years ago and eight thousand women prayed, sang and witnessed. It was overwhelmingly cool and awesome!

Yours in Christ,
Mary