After God tells Joshua about the territory, He tells him something else.

 

Jos 1:5  There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

 

Now, aside from the fact that God said this to Joshua, what gave him confidence in the face of their challenge? I ask this because God tells us many times that He is our provider, and will take care of all our needs, but oftentimes, in the face of our adversity, our faith fails.

 

So why was Joshua so confident in the word of the Lord? After all, he was stepping into some very large shoes in the wake of Moses' leadership.

 

Now, at the time of Moses' pending death, he was told he would die. Its not like my friend thought; that he was first taken up to the mount and then told. He was told prior to even going up on the  mount.

 

Num 27:12  And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.

Num 27:13  And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.

Num 27:14  For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that [is] the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

 

Because Moses knew he was soon to die, he made a request of God.

 

Num 27:16  Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

Num 27:17  Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.

 

God's answer was to appoint Joshua; and look at how he established him and the policy involved in this promotion.

 

1. He has the Spirit of the Lord indwelling.
2. Power is passed on to him.

 

Num 27:18  And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom [is] the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;

 

3.  The authority given is publicized.

 

Num 27:19  And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.

 

4.   Honor is bestowed.

 

Num 27:20  And thou shalt put [some] of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

 

5.   The chain of command is established.

 

Num 27:21  And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask [counsel] for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, [both] he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

 

 

Num 27:22  And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:

Num 27:23  And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

 

So, when God comes and gives Joshua this proclamation of His intent, Joshua believes it and walks forth in faith, because his position and relationship with God and as leader has been firmly established.

 

Jos 1:4  From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

Lebanon = "whiteness"

1) a wooded mountain range on the northern border of Israel

Euphrates = "fruitfulness"

1) the largest and longest river of western Asia; rises from two chief sources in the Armenian mountains and flows into the Persian Gulf.

The "Great Sea" is the Mediterranean.

This land...the holy land, the promised land was Canaan land. For most people, the connotation of the "promised land" is one of a life of ease, with no troubles and no worries. That is a false connotation and is certainly not what God told Abraham back in Genesis.

Originally, God gave Abram a command, and told him the compensation or blessings of obedience to this plan. However, Abram did not obey God, thus the plan was delayed. (Check out my study on Abraham in the studies and posts link on the right. It gives the timeframe of the delays.)

Because of Abram's disobedience, his spiritual life suffered, his relationships suffered, and his reputation suffered. Additionally, when he finally got right in his spirit again, God's plan took on a new meaning 

You see, God never originally told him to go to Canaan land 

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

That word "had" was crucial, because we have no idea when God actually told him that. This goes back to the delay, and the fact that in the previous 2 verses of chpt. 11, we see that Abram's father's course was to go to Canaan, because he was a maker of idols, and Canaan was place of merchants.

His father's name means "delay," and their stop in Haran is evidence of that. (Check the study on Abraham, because even that city of Haran tells of his spiritual condition at the time.)

You see. It was always "unto a land that I will show you." It was not originally "Canaan."

Originally, when I wrote that study on Abraham, and I researched the meaning of Canaan, instead of this definition:

Canaan = "lowland"

1) the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine

2)  merchant, trader

I found two definitions; the first being trader, merchant. The second was:

Canaan: strife; which humbles and subdues.

Clearly, the Israelites live in a land of strife, and doesn't adversity humble and subdue people? And now, here is Joshua, about to take the promised land...a land of strife; a course for which the previous generation was subdued; a course that is prepared for them, but one in which they face great adversity.

This land was an unremarkable stretch of territory, sandwiched between massive and ancient civilizations, which had never been significant economically or culturally, but was only a land bridge between the two great cultures of Egypt and Mesopotamia.

But look what God does with so little. It becomes important to the religious consciousness of mankind, and ends up dwarfing everything that had gone on before and around it. Everything now, and for the longest time, has been about the Middle East...that same little strip of territory.

 

Jos 1:4  From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

 

Lebanon = "whiteness"

1) a wooded mountain range on the northern border of Israel

 

Euphrates = "fruitfulness"

1) the largest and longest river of western Asia; rises from two chief sources in the Armenian mountains and flows into the Persian Gulf.

 

The "Great Sea" is the Mediterranean.

 

This land...the promised land was Canaan land. For most people, the connotation of the "promised land" is one of a life of ease, with no troubles and no worries. That is a false connotation and is certainly not what God told Abraham back in Genesis.

 

Originally, God gave Abram a command, and told him the compensation or blessings of obedience to this plan. However, Abram did not obey God, thus the plan was delayed. (Check out my study on Abraham in the studies and posts link on the right. It gives the timeframe of the delays.)

 

Because of Abram's disobedience, his spiritual life suffered, his relationships suffered, and his reputation suffered. Additionally, when he finally got right in his spirit again, God's plan took on a new meaning.

 

You see, God never originally told him to go to Canaan land.

 

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

 

That word "had" was crucial, because we have no idea when God actually told him that. This goes back to the delay, and the fact that in the previous 2 verses of chpt. 11, we see that Abram's father's course was to go to Canaan, because he was a maker of idols, and Canaan was place of merchants.

 

His father's name means "delay," and their stop in Haran is evidence of that. (Check the study on Abraham, because even that city of Haran tells of his spiritual condition at the time.)

 

You see. It was always "unto a land that I will show you." It was not originally "Canaan."

 

Originally, when I wrote that study on Abraham, and I researched the meaning of Canaan, instead of this definition:

 

Canaan = "lowland"

1) the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine

2)  merchant, trader

 

I found two definitions; the first being trader, merchant. The second was:

 

Canaan: strife; which humbles and subdues.

 

Clearly, the Israelites live in a land of strife, and doesn't adversity humble and subdue people? And now, here is Joshua, about to take the promised land...a land of strife; a course for which the previous generation was subdued; a course that is prepared for them, but one in which they face great adversity.

 

This land was an unremarkable stretch of territory, sandwiched between massive and ancient civilizations, which had never been significant economically or culturally, but was only a land bridge between the two great cultures of Egypt and Mesopotamia.

 

But look what God does with so little. It becomes important to the religious consciousness of mankind, and ends up dwarfing everything that had gone on before and around it. Everything now, and for the longest time, has been about the Middle East...that same little strip of territory.

 

This brings us back to the beginning of the book of Joshua, because here, an era has died, in verse one. Everyone's expectations have died with Moses, or are in the process of dying. They have a new leader, who does not coddle them, who is not a peacemaker, and who does not put up with whining. Their past (parents), or, the past (dependency) way of doing things are gone as well. They've got to learn a new way of walking.

 

Look at the instructions God now gives to Joshua.

 

Jos 1:2  Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, [even] to the children of Israel.

 

The Message bible states it this way:

 

"Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I'm giving to the People of Israel."

 

Its a call for action. It's like God said, "You're ready. I've already prepared you for this moment. Make the transition. Cross over into a new land. Now go!"

 

Jordan = "descender"

 

In my mind, the "descender" would have to be doubt; lack of faith. Its like, "Get past your doubt, or proceed beyond your lack of faith into the place I have provided for you." Basically, He's commanding them to stop looking backwards at what was, and move forward into what He's already provided.

 

Jos 1:3  Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

 

The NIV says it this way, "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses."

 

The word "give" here, is the law of appropriation. God gives, but we must go in and take. I had never seen this before; never understood it in this way before.

 

Deu 11:23  Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.

Deu 11:24  Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.

Deu 11:25  There shall no man be able to stand before you: [for] the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.

 

Robert Kiyosaki says there's 3 types of attitude: Climb attitude, Cruise attitude, and Dive attitude.

 

The people with the Climb attitude are the employees who came in early and stayed late.

 

The people with the Cruise attitude are the ones that reached their "plateau" in the company and were not going any higher. They were comfortable and planned to be with the company until the day they retired.

 

And then, there are those in the Dive attitude. These are the ones with the bad attitude. They don't like their job, their boss, or the people they work with. They come to work just for the paycheck and benefits, and let everyone know how much they hate being there. They are slow and have high resistance to anything positive. They gossip and spread rumors, and talk badly about anyone they don't like, especially the employees with the Climb attitude.

 

What Robert found interesting about these three types, is that even after a rumor spread throughout the company that indicated that earnings per share were down on Wall street, and the company was going to lay off some people; even when faced with the threat of losing their jobs, the people did not change; not even after the layoffs actually happened. The climbers kept climbing, the cruisers kept cruising, and the divers kept diving.

 

Crossing over the "descender" certainly looks to be an action step of faith. It appears to be a call to change one's attitude; to get past your past; to "adjust your sails and chart your course." The mindset had to change. With the death of the previous era and generation, came the birth of new opportunity. One only has to rise from the dust, lift their cast down eyes up and see it.

If only they had listened to the minority report from Caleb and Joshua, who stood up at this point and again, proclaimed the power of God.

Num 14:6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, [which were] of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
Num 14:7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, [is] an exceeding good land.
Num 14:8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
Num 14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they [are] bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD [is] with us: fear them not.

Had they listened to them their attitude would have been much better:
They would have obeyed God
Insisted they should enter and possess the land
Displayed courage rooted in faith
Felt calm assurance
Saw themselves in relationship to God

The results?

Num 14:10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

Now God has to intervene, because mob mentality just got beyond stupid, and their stupidity almost cost them their lives.

Num 14:11 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
Num 14:12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.

You know...God has a limit too. He gets tired of foolishness like the rest of us. His patience with lack of faith wears thin, and sometimes He will just allow us to inherit from our own stupidity. Here these people are not only discrediting God and His power, but they are threatening the lives of His chosen leaders. He's not going to tolerate that. Their blessing was Moses' compassion, and His regard for the Name of the Lord. He takes on a Christ-like position, playing advocate for the people.

Num 14:13 And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear [it], (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)
Num 14:14 And they will tell [it] to the inhabitants of this land: [for] they have heard that thou LORD [art] among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and [that] thy cloud standeth over them, and [that] thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
Num 14:15 Now [if] thou shalt kill [all] this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
Num 14:16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
Num 14:17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
Num 14:18 The LORD [is] longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation].
Num 14:19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.

He gives a very eloquent speech, specifying that if God kills them all, other nations would say that God is not the all powerful, most high God, because of not being able to bring these people into the land He swore to give them. God's reputation is at stake. He also calls upon God's great mercy which spares the lives of the guilty and the foolish.

God's answer shows why some people attain, and some people remain in the same or a lesser state of lack until they perish. He refuses to let a faithless generation define Him in the earth, and He rewards the faithful few.

Num 14:21 But [as] truly [as] I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
Num 14:22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;

Note how He says, they tempted Him "ten times;" once for each of the ten who gave the bad report against God.

Num 14:23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
Num 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
Num 14:25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
Num 14:26 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Num 14:27 How long [shall I bear with] this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
Num 14:28 Say unto them, [As truly as] I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

Here again is a principle that people keep failing to remember. Power is in the tongue, and what you speak forth, whether it be in faith, or in fear, will come to pass; so let your words be well chosen, and keep your eyes on God and not your circumstances.

Num 14:29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,
Num 14:30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, [concerning] which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
Num 14:31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
Num 14:32 But [as for] you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.

 

What were the similarities and differences between the 12 spies?

 Similarities:

1. All 12 spies were leaders in their tribes. (Num 13:2)
2. All 12 spies received the same promise (Num 13:2)
3. All 12 spies received the same opportunities. (Num 13:2)

 Differences:

Majority Report

1. Ten said "no"
2. Misunderstood their mission
3. Saw God in light of their circumstances

 Minority Report

1. Two said "go"
2. Understood their mission
3. Saw circumstances in light of their God

 The difference was attitude. The ten spies had a horrible attitude about the entire trip. Not once is God even mentioned in their report. Their vision is from a position of their personal power, and not God's power.

 Attitude of the majority:

1. Disobeyed God
2. Believed the land had no future
3. Displayed cowardice based on fear
4. Utterly ignored God in their report
5. Suffered from a grasshopper complex

 Look at the effect of such a negative attitude. First of all, their pessimitic, sour dispositions spread throughout the camp like a wild fire. It caused the people to become discouraged.

Deu 1:28  Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people [is] greater and taller than we; the cities [are] great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

Not only that, it turned them completely around; ready to run in the opposite direction that God was leading them to.

Num 14:1  And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

They caused great despair and distress. The people totally lost faith. They completely forgot about their God and all His miracles. Their courage failed them completely. This is the cost of a negative attitude.

But it didn't stop there.

Num 14:2  And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

Num 14:3  And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

Num 14:4  And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

A negative attitude and report causes murmuring and complaining. It causes fear to take over and activate an entire mob. This is where mob rule and mob thinking comes in, and people start moving as a mindless group that lacks understanding.

Num 14:5  Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

What else could they do? Ten naysayers spread anxiety throughout the entire camp. John Maxwell put it this way, "Their rotten attitudes infected the whole congregation until the spiritual contagion could not be contained. Through a negative majority report, this ancient commission deprived nearly two million people of their inheritance in Canaan. Through their poisonous influence, the Israelites were driven back into the wilderness to die, and God delayed fulfilling His purpose for His chosen people for 40 frustrating years."

Deu 1:29 Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
Deu 1:30 The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;
Deu 1:31 And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.

So Moses attempts to reason with those who are beyond reasoning with. They had already made up their minds. This is why I suspected that the spying expedition was agreed upon simply as a stalling tactic.

Its like the mentality I have heard from some African Americans that say they can't live in certain neighborhoods. Its not because they can't afford it, but because the neighborhood is predominantly white, and/or "too nice." These particular people have a set mentality, and no amount of abundance will give them the inclination to truly do better because their own slave mindset traps them. They would just turn into the prodigal son, and waste it.

Deu 32:10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

Deu 1:32 Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God,
Deu 1:33 Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents [in], in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.
Deu 1:34 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,
Deu 1:35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,
Deu 1:36 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.

Jer 2:9 Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children's children will I plead.

Now, look at Moses' explanation of why he doesn't get to go in. Its so typical of what I see with most leaders. They never accept responsibility, or if they do, they never admit it to the congregation.

Deu 1:37 Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.

What really happened?

Num 20:8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
Num 20:9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
Num 20:10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
Num 20:11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts [also].

Yet according to Moses' version of this, it was the fault of the people of Israel. His own attitude had nothing to do with it. His own disobedience and disrespect for the Lord before the people, was not a factor, according to Moses' account in Deuteronomy, but God spoke to him about the real reason.

Num 20:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

Because of this disobedience on all levels, from the leadership on down to the congregation, all the millions of people of the children of Israel, from that generation were denied entry into God's promise, except two. It was these faithful two that would lead their children into the promise.

Deu 1:38 [But] Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
Deu 1:39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.

Look at the change in tone here.

Deu 1:40 But [as for] you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
Deu 1:41 Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill.

Hesitation to follow God's will results in rejection and a change of God's plan for you.

Deu 1:42 And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I [am] not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.
Deu 1:43 So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill.

This speaks of pride. Here they are, refusing to obey again, but again, they refuse to listen. I believe that this is because, they were reminded of God's great care for them previously, and they figure that God will just be there for them no matter what.

It's like they believe they have a free ticket for a ride. The ticket has an expiration date, but they dismiss the expiration date, and show up after the date expired; expecting that, because they were selected to receive the ticket, it would still be honored despite their failure to act within the allotted timeframe specified on the ticket.

They failed to recognize the fact that they had missed the opportunity for the ride. They were in denial as to the fact that their free pass had run out. It was all about ego; it was the pride of who they were, and whose they were, a trap to be wary of. "How can this be? Don't you know who we are? Of course our ticket is good!"

Deu 1:44 And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, [even] unto Hormah.
Deu 1:45 And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.
Deu 1:46 So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode [there].

 

I discovered something else as well. This had to do with the reason Moses was also left behind, and prevented from going into the promised land. Here, in Deuteronomy, Moses is recounting what has occurred, and the attitude and behavior of the people of Israel. What do you see in his account of the events? How does his version of the events differ from what actually happened?

 

Deu 1:6  The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:

Deu 1:7  Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all [the places] nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

Deu 1:8  Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

 

The first thing I see, is that God spoke to them and said basically, "You've been in this place long enough. Now it's time to move out of it. Its time to go in and take the land that I've set before you, the same land I promised to your forefathers.

 

Deu 1:9  And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:

Deu 1:10  The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye [are] this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

 

The second thing is that Moses was feeling overwhelmed with the quantity of the people he had to deal with, and a sense of solitude in bearing the burden of these people. Additionally, God had fulfilled the promise spoken of to Abram in Genesis.

 

Gen 17:2  And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

 

Deu 1:11  (The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye [are], and bless you, as he hath promised you!)

Deu 1:12  How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?

 

He was really feeling burdened and overwhelmed. This verse tells how much, because both the words "cumbrance" and "burden" means burden. He also mentions "strife." In other words, they were quarreling and bickering amongst themselves so much, and he was tired of having to judge their differences and disputes.

 

Deu 1:13  Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

Deu 1:14  And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken [is] good [for us] to do.

Deu 1:15  So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

Deu 1:16  And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear [the causes] between your brethren, and judge righteously between [every] man and his brother, and the stranger [that is] with him.

Deu 1:17  Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; [but] ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment [is] God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring [it] unto me, and I will hear it.

 

So he finally delegated, and remained only as the judge of last recourse, if the chain of command was unable to render a ruling.

 

Deu 1:18  And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.

Deu 1:19  And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea.

 

He brought them out of Horeb, which is a desert; into Kadeshbarnea, which is a holy place.

 

Jer 2:6  Neither said they, Where [is] the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?

 

Deu 1:20  And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God doth give unto us.

Deu 1:21  Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up [and] possess [it], as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.

 

What's interesting here, is that a mountain signifies a promotion. Amorites means a "sayer." The thought I have is...they came to what looked like a mountain, but it was actually the doorway to their promotion. The question was for "a sayer." In other words...what would they confess in light of this "mountain" in their path? Their first response was a good one. Let's do some research.

 

Deu 1:22  And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.

Deu 1:23  And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:

Deu 1:24  And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.

 

However, I wonder if the issue of research was simply a stalling tactic because they really didn't want to make the effort to take the land? In light of the report that comes back, I have to question this.

 

Deu 1:25  And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought [it] down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, [It is] a good land which the LORD our God doth give us.

 

Jer 2:7  And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.

 

This fascinates me because clearly, he's saying the "Lord wanted to give you abundance, and provided that place of abundance like He promised."

 

Deu 1:26  Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:

Deu 1:27  And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

Deu 1:28  Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people [is] greater and taller than we; the cities [are] great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

 

Jer 2:8  The priests said not, Where [is] the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after [things that] do not profit.

 

The rebellion was so great, that even their spiritual leaders did not recognize what God had given them, because otherwise, they would have spoken up and been in agreement with Moses. The problem was that their hearts were not truly with God.

There seemed to be a lot of attitude problems going on here with the people of Israel, and it is evident that this was the reason that that entire generation had to die out, prior to the people being led into the promised land. What gets me here, is that this particular generation had a "slave" mentality, and this prevented them from going forth and achieving.

I look at the poor and middle classes in this day and age, and I see the same thing. I'm trying to evolve in my thinking from that outdated way of thinking, so this is waking me up more. The criticism that Moses endured that so angered him, had to do with their attitude, lack of gratitude, and their limited sight. They could not see beyond their immediate needs.

They were a generation of instant gratification. When they were hungry, they whined about lack of food; when thirsty, about lack of water. Everything they thought or cared about had to do with gratifying their flesh, and they could not see beyond that. What it makes me see is that it is difficult for people who have been deprived for a long time, to (#1) have vision, and (#2) be motivated to stick with it through completion.

So they (the spies) were "drawn" to the "light bringer," in the congregation of "God prevails," in a place of caverns that was holy, and yet, they gave a bad report.

The amazing thing is the number of signs and symbols that was given to them to help them recognize the fact that God would prevail despite the obstacles. People are always asking for a sign, and I think many times, they are right in front of them, and they fail to see them.

Num 13:27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this [is] the fruit of it.
Num 13:28 Nevertheless the people [be] strong that dwell in the land, and the cities [are] walled, [and] very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
Num 13:29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

Amalek = "dweller in a valley"
1) son of Eliphaz by his concubine Timnah, grandson of Esau, and progenitor of a tribe of people in southern Canaan.

Hittite = "descendant of Heth"
1) the nation descended from Heth, the 2nd son of Canaan; once inhabitants of central Anatolia (modern Turkey), later in north Lebanon.

Jebusite = "descendants of Jebus"
1) descendants of the 3rd son of Canaan who lived in or around the site of Jebus, the early name for Jerusalem.

Amorite = "a sayer"
1) one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt.

Canaanite = see Cana "zealous"
1) descendant of inhabitant of Canaan

The crucial word here is "nevertheless." They reported all the prosperity in the land, never recognizing the fact that they were already lined up to prevail and take it. Here they were in a holy place (Kadesh-barnea) and they denied the power of God.

Num 13:30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

Caleb, who's name means "dog," strikes me as being like a hound dog in the midst of a bunch of pampered pooches that were just going for a walk. Once set on the trail, once given the scent, he's going to really sniff it out. Joshua, if I were to compare him the same way, was probably similar to a bull dog, so he'd be right there with the hound, ready to go after the prize.

One thing I recognize here. Joshua and Caleb filed the minority report, but they were right. Following the crowd, or having the power of numbers does not make you right.

Sometimes, people know what's right, but are afraid to say so. Usually, it takes someone (a leader) with some boldness to step up and assert what is right, and then others timidly follow. However, in this case...it didn't matter that someone asserted their faith. The remaining ten banded together in their "powerlessness pitch" and denied the power of God.

Num 13:31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they [are] stronger than we.
Num 13:32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, [is] a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it [are] men of a great stature.
Num 13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, [which come] of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

First of all, this was called an evil report, because they were sent out as emissaries of God. These were called upon to do some research, before embarking on a plan, because you have to have a clear understanding of what it is you are going after, prior to developing a plan on how to take it.

These guys could see nothing but themselves; their flesh. When they gave their first report back in verses 27-29, they told of the strength and fertility of the land. In other words, this is a gold mine! Possessing this place would make us very strong; would fortify us; would increase us, would make us rich! That was the essence of their description on the place itself.

Then they turned around and said the big word of rebellion: "but." Here's where the whining came in. "...But it's got giants of great stature! We look like grasshoppers next to them! It's impossible!" Instead of being willing to take a risk and try to see or find a way to accomplish this despite the "odds," they just gave up and said, "We can't." Their attitude falls back again to a slave mentality of defeat.

Num 13:23  And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and [they brought] of the pomegranates, and of the figs.

Num 13:24  The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.

Num 13:25  And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

 

Eshcol = "cluster"

 

The number forty in scripture, particularly the old testament, usually signifies a move of God, or that something is led by the Holy Spirit. Both the number "4" and "40" in scripture signify a move of the Spirit.

 

Num 13:26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.

 

Moses = "drawn"

1) the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus

 

Aaron = "light bringer"

1) brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest

 

Israel = "God prevails"

 

Paran = "place of caverns"

1) wilderness area bounded on the north by Palestine, on the west by the wilderness of Etham, on the south by the desert of Sinai, and on the east by the valley of Arabah; the exodus was through this area and probably all 18 stops were in this area.

 

Kadesh = "holy"

1) a city in the extreme south of Judah

            a) same as 'Kedesh' and 'Kadesh-barnea'

 

It is this same Kadesh-barnea location, that the children of Israel were at, at the time that Moses struck the rock in anger.(Num 20:11) This is why he was not allowed to enter the promised land. He was in a holy place, and as the leader, he allowed criticism to make him lose control.

 

I have several different bibles now. One of them is a John Maxwell leadership bible. In it, he talks about this issue that Moses had and how to deal with criticism.

 

First, he says that in leadership, criticism and confrontation come with the territory. "Leaders can bank on two truths. First, they will be criticized. Second, criticism always changes the leader. Unhappy people tend to attack the point person. Moses' own family criticized him."

 

This is what he says God wants us to know about how to handle criticizm:

1.      Maintain your humility (Num 12:3)

2.      Face the criticism squarely (Num 12:4)

3.      Be specific about the issue (Num 12:5-8)

4.      Lay out consequences (Num 12:9-10)

5.      Pray for the criticizers (Num 12:12-13)

6.      Restore them when appropriate (Num 12:14)

 

He also says to consider ten ways that leaders should handle criticism:

1.      Understand the difference between constructive and destructive criticism (who benefits?).

2.      Don't take yourself too seriously (but take your God very seriously).

3.      Look beyond the criticism to see the critic (do you respect him? what's her need?)

4.      Guard your own attitude toward the critic (don't get defensive; stay objective).

5.      Recognize that good people get criticized (don't beat yourself up).

6.      Keep yourself physically and spiritually in shape (weariness distorts our perspective).

7.      Don't see only the critic; see the crowd (is the criticism widespread?).

8.      Wait for time to prove the critic wrong (be mature enough to be patient).

9.      Associate with people of faith (spend your optional time with optimists).

10.  Concentrate on your mission; change your mistakes (focus on the big picture).