17: Thorough Investigation of the Land (Num 13:1-25)

They were leaders of twelve tribes. They were prominent and chosen in the world but failed to become the leaders of faith.

πŸ‘‰ Read Numbers 13:1-25


(                ) spoke to Moses, “Send out men to (                    ) the land of Canaan, which I am (           ) to the Israelites.”


Caleb was the leader of the tribe of (              ). Joshua was the leader of (                 ).


What was the mission of them? (two, 17-20)



Verses 21-25 describe their journey of investigation very detail. How many days was it?


 Answers and Meditation


The Lord, investigate, giving

Why did the Lord send spies instead of letting them enter the land immediately? (cf. In Deut 5, people asked Moses to send spies, and the Lord granted it)

The Lord wanted them to see how good the land was and how difficult to possess it. Thus, they needed to believe the promise. The Lord wanted to ensure that their possession of the land would be only by God’s power.

God's plan for our life is so beautiful and good. Thinking of it ignites our hearts to burn with passion. However, there are so many obstacles to accomplishing it. Don't drop the vision to choose the second option. Trust in the Lord! He will accomplish His vision for your life through His power.


Judah, Ephraim

The twelve leaders were given a chance to become the heroes of faith. However, most of them left shameful names in the Bible, except for these two people.

These two tribes would play dominant roles in the Israelite history.


Whether the land was good or bad, whether their cities were fortified.

God had already told them the land would be good and promised to give them the land regardless of the Canaanites. They didn’t need to investigate the land.

Then, what is the investigation for? Before, all seemed to have faith and desire for the land God was giving them. But the investigation disclosed their hearts, whether they trusted the Lord or not. It is just like the law exposes our sinful hearts.

Life’s challenge reveals whether you have faith or not.


Forty days

The Bible describes how thoroughly they investigated the land. Knowing more about the world but less trusting the Lord will lead you to despair and unbelief. Instead, try to know more about God and trust Him.


Struggle less and pray more.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

25: ‘Tell us plainly’ vs ‘The Father and I are one.’ (John 10:22 – 42)

As Jesus announced the Father and Jesus were one, the Jewish leaders tried to stone him. πŸ‘‰ Read John 10:22 - 42 Q1. Why did the Jewish leaders not believe in Jesus? Answers πŸ‘‰ They refused to believe in Jesus, for they were not Jesus’ sheep. ‘you refused to believe.’ This tells their willing refusal.  Note that Jesus Himself doesn’t call Himself the Messiah. Instead, He called Himself the One sent from God. He focused on doing the Father’s works and proclaiming His words. From Jesus’ works, they could have concluded that He was the Messiah sent from God. But they refused to admit it. Instead, they asked Jesus to admit His identity as the Messiah plainly, which Jesus wouldn’t do. Q2. They asked Jesus if He were the (           ). But Jesus claimed that the (          ) and He are one. Because of this, they condemned Him of (             ) and tried to stone Him. Answer πŸ‘‰ They asked Jesus if He were the ( Christ ). But Jesus claimed that the ( Father  ) and He are one
Read more

26: Other Laws concerning human life (#6 no murder) (Deut 21:1 – 22:8)

The command ‘do not murder’ should be extended to its full measure and completeness. They needed to remove the guilt of unresolved murder, keep the dignity of the female slave, respect the patrilineal inheritance, and preserve various lives. πŸ‘‰ Read Deuteronomy 21:1 - 22:8 When a homicide victim is found, and no one knows the murderer, the elders of the nearest town must do a ritual of atonement through the death of a heifer. What is the purpose of doing so? (7-9) If you had made your female slave your wife, you can divorce her but not (             ) her. For a man with two wives, if his less-loved wife’s son is the firstborn, let him inherit the (            ) portion. He should not show favoritism according to his affection for one of his wives. When a son doesn’t listen to his parent, he is like a glutton and (             ). Why should they not leave the corpse on the tree of execution overnight? When you see someone’s lost possession, do not (           ) it. You must not re
Read more

35: I am the True Vine. You are the Branches (John 15:1 – 17)

Image
The vine tree analogy so vividly illustrates our relationship with Jesus. As the branches of a vine share the life of the vine, we share and live from Jesus’ life. πŸ‘‰ Read John 15:1 - 17 Q1. Why do we need to remain in Jesus? (2, 4) Answers πŸ‘‰ To bear fruit. God takes away any branch that doesn’t bear fruit. We might debate the security of salvation: do we lose our salvation if we bear no fruit? However, it is better to focus on how to bear fruit rather than how to get salvation.  “You are clean already.” It would refer to a born-again status, a rightful relationship with the Father, one who bathed (13:10). John uses the imagery of cleanness for salvation. In the OT bible, one should be ritually clean to stand before God.  When we believe Jesus’ gospel, we are reconciled with the Father. Though sinners, we can approach God by Jesus’ blood. The pruning (lit. cleaning) (2) of our life is to make us bear more fruit. “Remain”: You should stay, not stop by. No plant produces fruit
Read more