The Faithful Spies | Sunday, February 12, 2023

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them." ... Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to 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 stronger than we." ... "There we saw the giants ... and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." (Numbers 13)

The story of the twelve spies reveals why faith—not the law—brings God's people into the fullness of His blessing.

A Word of Warning from Hebrews

Like many at Cross Connection Church, I try to connect with God through His Word every morning. Recently I have been studying through Hebrews, which in many ways is a powerful word of warning. If you have never read it, or not recently, put it back on your list.

In Hebrews 3, beginning at verse 7, we read:

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation... So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'" Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God... So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Those are strong words of caution: "Beware, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief."

The Pull to Go Backward

The author wrote some 2,000 years ago to Hebrew Christians—those who had turned to Christ from Judaism. At that time something was drawing these formerly faithful Jews back to their heritage, their customs, their traditions—back to the law of Moses. You may be surprised how strong that pull is, even for those you would never suspect of being drawn back into the old trappings of religiosity. In Galatians we find that even the Apostle Peter was once tempted by such things.

And it isn't only religiosity that ensnares us. Reading Exodus and Numbers, you find that Israel's old life of enslaved bondage in Egypt at times drew them back. There were people among the children of Israel who, after being freed, would say, "We want to go back to Egypt"—back to those snares.

No Standing Still

In both Testaments, and in life itself, it becomes clear that we are either taking ground or backsliding. We are either moving forward or drifting in the wrong direction. There really is no standing still. That is why Paul exhorts the Philippians in chapter 3:

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on... Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind...

Paul is saying that as you progress in maturity as a follower of Jesus, your focus should be on moving forward and taking ground.

Taking Ground from Deuteronomy to Joshua

I bring all this up because our studies are moving from Deuteronomy into the book of Joshua, and they are all about going forward and taking ground. That is why I'm calling this series Taking Ground. A few weeks ago I shared that the word I believe the Lord has impressed on my heart for 2023—after three years of cultural upheaval—is the word pivot. We must be moving forward and taking ground, and sometimes when obstacles stand in our way we must evaluate where we are going, pivot, and make new moves, or else we will be backsliding.

Moses, the leader of Israel through Deuteronomy, could only take Israel so far. They had come to the point where the Promised Land was before them, with the Jordan River between. Moses had been their leader, but Moses could not bring them into the land. This is an important truth: Moses is the representative of the law, and the law cannot bring you into the fullness of God's blessing and rest.

What the Law Cannot Do

This does not mean the law is bad. Romans 7 tells us the law is holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good. But Hebrews reminds us the law makes nothing perfect. It cannot make you perfectly whole or mature, and it will not get you into the fullness of what God has for you. The law governed Israel in the wilderness and even after they entered the land, but it could not get them in. For that, Israel needed another leader—Joshua.

What is fascinating is that the name Jesus in Greek is the form of the Hebrew name Yeshua, which is Joshua. So Joshua and Jesus are essentially the same name. In this shift from Moses to Joshua, from the law to Joshua, we see one who points to Christ—not perfectly, but in type.

Moses Steps Aside

At the close of his great sermon, in Deuteronomy 31, Moses exhorts the people:

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Then Moses calls Joshua before all Israel and repeats those words. And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of meeting, that I may inaugurate him."

That seems cold, but Israel's progress depended upon faithfulness and bold steps of faith. The death of Moses and the move to Joshua were necessary for Israel to cross the Jordan into the land promised to Abraham hundreds of years before. Under Moses, Israel remained outside the blessing; there remained a rest of God they could not possess under the law.

Getting to Know Joshua

Moses was a great leader, but like the entire Exodus generation—everyone twenty years old and above who came out of Egypt—he could not enter the land. That is interesting, because Joshua was also a member of that Exodus generation. So why could Joshua go in?

The first reason is what we've seen: Moses represents the law, and Joshua is a type of Jesus. But there is a second, more practical reason found in Numbers. Let me give some context. Israel was delivered from Egypt by the mighty hand of God through Moses. After ten plagues, Pharaoh's grip was released, they crossed the Red Sea, and God brought them to Mount Sinai to be His covenanted people.

This matters to God's redemptive plan for all the world, which involves a people and a place. God called Abraham to father this people and promised them the land, that through Abraham's descendants all the families of the earth might be blessed. At Sinai God established His covenant, gave the law, instituted the priesthood, and the people built the tabernacle so God could dwell in their midst.

At the Border of Blessing

Israel spent about two years at Sinai. Then they partook of the Passover again and set out for the Promised Land. Had things gone as they should, even with the enormous logistics of moving the camp to Kadesh Barnea, they should have entered the land in the third year after leaving Egypt. But that is not what happened. Numbers 13 begins:

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them."

So Moses sent twelve spies, one from each tribe. Among the names listed is "Hoshea the son of Nun"—and verse 16 tells us, "Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua." Here is Joshua again. We first met him in Exodus 17 as the general leading Israel into battle against the Amalekites; now he is one of the spies.

Moses sent them to see whether the people were strong or weak, the land good or bad, the cities fortified or open, and to bring back fruit. "Be of good courage," he said—the same words God had given. After forty days they returned.

The Amalekites Again

These spies were sent right at the border of the inheritance God promised Abraham 400 years before. Remember, in this life we are either taking ground or backsliding, and Israel's progress into blessing was dependent upon faith and faithfulness. As Paul wrote, all these things were recorded for our instruction.

The spies returned in verse 26:

"We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there."

The descendants of Anak were giants. And note verse 29: "The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South." The Amalekites are the same people Joshua had defeated two years earlier in Exodus 17. About them God had said:

"Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven."

Why memorialize that victory in a book? You memorialize things so you will remember them, because we will face future enemies and battles, and we need to recall how the Lord fought for us. Has God ever brought a victory in your life? Did you write it down, or did you forget? Maybe you need to write it down and remember.

Victory Promised to the Obedient

Israel was about to face not only Amalek but the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, and Canaanites—the very nations God spoke of in Exodus 23:

"If you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries... and I will cut them off."

Victory, blessing, and rest are assured to those who trust God and walk in faithful obedience.

Now let me pause for the Bible student who is thinking, "This sounds like works-salvation." Nothing could be further from the truth. Israel had already been delivered from Egypt by God's grace and power. They were redeemed and rescued. But their experience of the fullness of God's blessing and rest in the land required their faithful trust and obedience.

I can't help but wonder how much of God's blessing, victory, and rest remains outside our reach because of our own stubborn disobedience. He has saved you by grace through faith; it is the gift of God. Yet there is so much of His victory and rest we are not laying hold of, because we are not forgetting what is behind and pressing on in faith. Far too many are content to wander in the wilderness when the Promised Land awaits.

Two Reports

The spies confirmed the land was good but reported strong people, fortified cities, and giants. Then in verse 30:

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it."

I love the heart of Caleb. God had said the Amalekites would be destroyed before them; God had said He would cut off the Amorites and Hittites and all the rest. Israel's progress depended upon faithfulness and bold steps of faith, and Caleb stood and proclaimed, "It's ours—let's go."

But the other men said:

"We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we... The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants... There we saw the giants... and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

Do not miss those last words. Circle the word own: "We were like grasshoppers in our own sight." How do you see the obstacles before you? Do you see them through your own sight, walking by sight and not by faith? Or do you see them with the eyes of faith that behold the King of kings and Lord of lords over all these things?

The Saddest Day

Numbers 14 opens: "So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night." Jewish tradition places this on the ninth of Av, called the saddest day in Israel's history. The people complained against Moses and Aaron, saying it would be better to return to Egypt: "Let us select a leader and return to Egypt." Remember—you are either moving forward or backsliding; there is no standing still.

But Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes and spoke:

"The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us... Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them."

Why Joshua Could Enter

This is the answer to our question. Why was Joshua, a member of the Exodus generation, allowed to lead Israel into the land? And only one other man from that generation would enter with him—Caleb. As Hebrews said, God was angry with that generation and swore they would not enter His rest. In Numbers 14:29 the Lord declares:

"The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, from twenty years old and above... except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun."

Why did the Exodus generation fail to take the land in that third year? Because of unbelief. Instead they wandered aimlessly for thirty-eight years. Their progress was dependent on faith and faithfulness. Victory was assured if they would trust and obey, but they could only see the giants, the enemies, and the trouble—even though the land was good.

Joshua and Caleb saw differently, because the eyes of faith see Him who is enthroned above all earthly powers. They saw that the Lord had given them the land. Joshua had already learned in Exodus 17 that God was his shield and his salvation; now he learns that God will take His people into the land and defeat their enemies as they trust and obey.

Learning from the Mistakes of Others

There is a valuable lesson here, and God help us to learn from the mistakes of others. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10, "All these things... were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." God made sure they were written in a book—"Write these things in the book," He said in Exodus 17—so that you and I could learn from the mistakes of the Exodus generation, who walked by sight and not by faith. Learning from the mistakes of others is what they call wisdom, and I hope we would gain some wisdom as we get to know Joshua.

Closing Prayer

Father God, I pray that You would instruct us, teach us, and give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to receive what You would speak to us from this text this morning. Lord, in this life we are either taking ground or backsliding, and if we are going to progress and move forward, it will require faithfulness and bold steps of faith. So God, help us to walk in faith and obedience, trusting You for the outcomes and moving forward, because You have so much more for us to lay hold of. We ask this today in Jesus' name. Amen.