Numbers 14:8-9 "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. (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."
These verses took place when the 12 spies had returned from the land of Canaan.
If you remember, they came back with "... 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." The fruit of the land bare record of that
which God had told them. Their initial report was "... surely it floweth
with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it." Things would have
proceeded with great success if they had just stopped with that report, but
they added their own conclusion to the report. "Nevertheless the people
(are) strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great:
and moreover we saw the children of Anak there....(we are) not able to go up
against the people; for they are stronger than we. And there we saw the
giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own
sight as grasshoppers, an.d so we were in their sight." The above
quotes come from the book of Numbers chapter 13, verses 23-33. Their misguided
conclusions brought fear into the congregation of the people.
That was the conclusion of 10 of the spies; but thank God there was another
report and conclusion. We find that in today's verses. The people had already
made up their minds that they wanted to go back to Egypt. How quickly, our
carnal minds forget the pain and suffering of being enslaved! Therewere two
spies who stood in the strength of the Lord to tell the people the truth.
"IF the Lord delight in us..." That is to say, if the Lord is pleased
with us, "then he will bring us into this land, and give it (to) us."
We can be certain that the Lord was not pleased with their wanting to go back
to Egypt. God tells us in Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is
impossible to please him..." The people were looking at the circumstance
through their natural eyes and minds rather than seeing the power and
faithfulness of God. He had met every need. He had given them manna from heaven
and water from a rock. Joshu and Caleb were saying that now the Lord was going
to give them "bread" for our souls to give strength to receive the
promise of a fruitful land. The Lord willing, we are going to continue in
our thoughts of the reports tomorrow, but for now I am thinking about the times
when I have allowed my own fear and unbelief to rob me of the blessings God had
in store for me. The promise for today is found in the last words of our text:
"the LORD is with us: fear them not." He is still with us today. He
has promised the kingdom to us. Let us go forward in His strength and purpose
to receive that promise of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
There is peace that is only found as we follow our precious Lord and Saviour,
Jesus Christ.