Numbers 13:1-5: a reflection

1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Send men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers, you shall send a man, every one a prince among them.” 3Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of the LORD. All of them were men who were heads of the children of Israel. 4These were their names: Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur. 5Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.

God tells Moses to send men to spy out the land of Canaan, the land he is giving to Israel, one leader from each tribe. Twelve capable men, heads of their tribes, are chosen and sent on the same mission: to go into the land, see it, and bring back a report. They would all see the same land, gather the same facts; but, as the story goes on to show, they would return with two very different conclusions.

Notice that these twelve were sent on the same mission, to see the same land. They would walk the same ground, see the same cities, encounter the same inhabitants, gather the same information. Yet ten of them would return in fear, seeing only obstacles too great to overcome, while two, Caleb and Joshua, would return in faith, confident that God would give them the land. The difference in their reports lay not in the facts, which were the same, but in whether they measured those facts against themselves or against God.

That is a truth worth carrying into our own circumstances. The same situation can be met with faith or with fear, and the difference lies not in the facts, but in the heart, in whether we measure our circumstances against our own strength or against God. Ten spies saw giants and were terrified; two saw the same giants and trusted God. When you face a daunting situation, remember that the facts are not the whole story; how you see them depends on whether you measure them against yourself or against God. Do not let fear read your circumstances for you; look at them, as Caleb and Joshua did, in the light of the God who is with you, and meet them with faith rather than fear.

Lord, you sent twelve leaders to spy out the land you were giving Israel; they would see the same land and gather the same facts, yet ten would return in fear and two in faith, the difference lying not in the facts but in whether they measured them against themselves or against you. Carry that truth into my own circumstances. The same situation can be met with faith or with fear, and the difference lies not in the facts, but in my heart, in whether I measure my circumstances against my own strength or against you. Ten spies saw giants and were terrified; two saw the same giants and trusted you. When I face a daunting situation, help me remember that the facts are not the whole story; how I see them depends on whether I measure them against myself or against you. Do not let fear read my circumstances for me; help me look at them, as Caleb and Joshua did, in the light of the God who is with me, and meet them with faith rather than fear. Give me eyes of faith.