01: "Go and Occupy the Land" vs "Let's Send Spies" (Deut 1:1-25)

Now, they arrived at the rift valley plains by Moab, at the border of Canaan. Moses made his final speech for this new generation.

πŸ‘‰ Read Deuteronomy 1:1 - 25

It was ordinarily an (           )-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by way of (             ). But it took (             ) years for them to arrive in the Transjordan wilderness, aka the plains of Moab.


At Mt. Horeb, the Lord confirmed that He would give the land to them. ‘Look! I have (         ) given the land to you. Go, (           ) the territory that the Lord (            ) to give to your ancestors and (                  ). Just as the Lord kept His promise, ‘your descendants will be numerous as the (          ),’ He will keep his promise of the (          ).

 

When Moses confirmed them of God’s promise and told them to occupy the land, what was their response?

 

Answers and Meditation

Evelven, Mt. Seir, forty (or thirty-nine)

Moses pointed out that their journey was extraordinarily long because of the disobedience of their fathers, which he would speak about in the following verses. 

They were supposed to enter Canaan from Kadesh Barnea. But their rebellion made them wander the wilderness and brought them here, in front of Jericho, where they would enter Canaan.

 

Already, occupy, promised, their ancestors, stars, land.

The Lord’s message is clear. ‘I have given you the land as I have promised to your anscestors. Go and occupy it.’

Their large population proves that the Lord will keep His other promise of the land (verses 9 - 17)

 

“Let’s send some men ahead of us to know how to attack the land.”

God promised the land. Why did they send spies instead of going and occupying the land? They wanted to check if God's promise would come true through visible evidence. Any trial to confirm God's words through visible evidence comes from a lack of faith. 

They thought this way, ‘the more information you get, the better you can obey the Lord.’ The more they knew about the land, the less faithful they became. The knowledge, which is not of God, deteriorates your faith.

Do you know what God wants you to do for today? Why do you hesitate while looking around an easier way? Just obey it. Otherwise, you will lose your first heart and disobey His command eventually. 


Moses reviewed their failure at Kadesh Barnea to challenge their faith and obedience.

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