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Context No. 1137 of 4322 · Numbers

Context · Reflection

Numbers 14:6-10: in context

6Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes. 7They spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us: a land which flows with milk and honey. 9Only don’t rebel against the LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us. Don’t fear them.” 10But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones. The LORD’s glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel.

The spies have returned from Canaan, and ten of them have terrified the people with reports of giants and fortified cities. The whole congregation is in revolt, ready to choose a new leader and go back to Egypt. Only two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, stand against the tide. They tear their clothes and plead: the land is exceedingly good; if the LORD delights in us, he will bring us in and give it to us. Only do not rebel, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us; their protection is gone, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them. But the whole congregation talks of stoning them, and then the glory of the LORD appears.

Two men against the whole nation. Joshua and Caleb had seen the same giants and walled cities as the other ten spies; they did not deny the facts. What differed was where they looked. The ten measured the giants against themselves and despaired; Joshua and Caleb measured them against God and were unafraid, saying the enemies are bread for us, we will consume them, because the LORD is with us. It is the same land, the same giants, seen through faith instead of fear. And standing up to say so cost them everything; the crowd wanted to stone them for it. There is a loneliness in being the two who believe God when everyone else has decided to be afraid, and the pressure to fall in line with the majority's panic is enormous. But faith sometimes has to stand against the whole congregation, insisting that God is bigger than the obstacle even when no one else will say it. And notice the timing: just as the mob picks up stones, the glory of the LORD appears. God shows up for the two who stood for him. Faithfulness against the crowd is not always safe, but it is never unseen.

When fear has swept the crowd and only a few will say God is bigger than the obstacle, do I fall in line with the panic or stand, like Joshua and Caleb, with the God who is with us?

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