Numbers 13-14
I would apologize for not posting last night but will just say I was wiped out and couldn't do another thing. I have come to the conclusion that I am always going to attempt to post on here each day and read my verses each day but at the same time, I am not going to beat myself up if I can't. Or don't. I don't want to find myself so overwhelmed with "catching up" that I miss the whole point of what I am doing...digging into His word!
In these chapters, Moses sent out a leader from each tribe to check out the "Promised Land". Basically, they were going to spy on the land and the people there and report back upon their return.
They visited the land. Interestingly, the actual description of the visit is very positive (in my mind). They found some fruit (grapes) to take back and carried it with them.
So they finally get back to camp. The Israelites eagerly await their report.
Suddenly things went wrong. Very wrong.
10 of the 12 "spies" reported back everything they saw that was wrong. They admitted it was a great land but that they talked about the "giants" who lived there. They said that the Israelites were mere grasshoppers in their eyes.
Joshua, dear Joshua, tried to explain that with God on their side, who could ever be against them. But in life, it is the negatives that stay with us, not the positives. And that is what happened here...
As tends to happen, bad news travels fast. Suddenly that mob mentality took control. Panic broke out. The people started weeping. They started wailing. They started complaining again about the fact that they had ever left Egypt and slavery.
Joshua and Caleb tried to calm them down.
The people wanted to stone them.
Sigh.
I wish I could say this is a thing of the past but this is human nature. I think we have seen this kind of situation happen way too many times...
Finally God stepped in. He was not a happy camper.
After much discussion with his servant Moses, God rendered his verdict.
The people, other than the two spies who saw things through God's eyes, would die in the desert. No Promised Land for them.
So sad.
Next reading: Numbers 15
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