July 19, 2013
NOT SHAKEN, BUT STIRRED: TRUSTING GOD WITH THE WORK HE GIVES US
Numbers 13:1-24
Shannon Taliaferro
Central Truth
God sends us into great difficulties, not because we are able to handle them, but because He is able to sustain us in them.
Key Verse | Numbers 13:2
"Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers' tribes, every one a leader among them." (Numbers 13:2)
Numbers 13:1-24
Spies Sent into Canaan
1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.” 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel. 4 And these were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; 5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; 6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; 7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; 8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; 9 from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; 10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; 11 from the tribe of Joseph (that is, from the tribe of Manasseh), Gaddi the son of Susi; 12 from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; 13 from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; 14 from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; 15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. 16 These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.
17 Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, “Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, 18 and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, 19 and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, 20 and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.
21 So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. 22 They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshcol, 1 13:24 Eshcol means cluster because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from there.
Dive Deeper | Numbers 13:1-24
I LOVE spy movies! Dashing men, elegant ladies, fast cars, and fabulous gadgets -- the allure of a spy's work never grows old. But failure on a mission is not an option.
The Old Testament "spy story" of twelve men carefully chosen to scout out the land of Canaan intrigues me. Before God allowed the nation of Israel into the land He had promised them, He commanded Moses to send in some spies. The men were given specific objectives. And their names are written in Scripture, testifying to the importance of the task.
The 12 spies needed to trust God as they set out on their mission. They were asked to ascertain whether the cities were fortified, whether the people were strong, and even whether the land was truly rich and fertile. Spying is a risky business, and they didn't know what to expect. But they had been called to act. They had to trust that God would be with them and that He would equip them to be successful.
I'm reminded that the Lord designs jobs for each of His children (Ephesians 2:10). And like those spies, all believers' names are recorded in a book that God keeps. Beside each name is an evaluation of every task given that person to accomplish. And He tells us that when we stand before Him, we'll be accountable for how faithfully we accomplished those works (2 Corinthians 5:10). Thankfully, we don't walk the path God has for us on our own. He is with us, and He promises to give us whatever we need to be successful in these "missions." We must trust that the Lord will lead us through whatever He has prepared for us. Though most of us would prefer to know the outcome before we follow God's path for us, we must learn to walk by faith.
It's unlikely my name and the jobs the Lord has for me will get written down for future generations to read, but I plan to trust Him on each and every "mission." Failure is not an option for me, either!
Discussion Questions
1. Explain how the follower of Christ has been sent into "enemy" territory with a mission from God.
2. How is accountability for the follower of Christ two-sided (both positive and negative)?
3. Unfortunately, both fear and failure are options for Christians today. How do we keep from being afraid? (See Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:6-7, and John 14:1.)
4. As Christians, how should we define success? How can we tell that we are walking faithfully? (See Joshua 1:8.)