The Spies of Canaan

Introduction

I began to name this the ‘Bible Person Study’, but chose to go with the ‘Bible Character Study’. I hesitated to name it that, as I don’t want to diminish the fact that these are real people we’ll be examining. But the reason that it’s named the Bible Character Study is because we’ll be focusing on the person’s character throughout. But don’t forget that these were real people, with real lives that made real choices that had real consequences.

I. The Spies’ Nature

((What is their History / Background?)

Exiles from Egypt

These men are part of the nation that was recently brought out by a mighty hand from Egypt.

I think it’s important to recognize this, as we have for several that we’ve studied. But it’s important because it gives us an understanding of what they experienced. These men would have experienced (if not directly affected by):

The water turning to blood

The plagues (lice, flies, locusts, pestilence)

They would have participated in the 10th plague - either by being saved by the blood or saving their own firstborn - or suffering the consequences of neglecting it

Spoiling their oppressors

Walking in the midst of the parted Red Sea

Feeding on Manna

Drinking from a Rock

They saw God move miraculously in many respects. I don’t think that this should be discounted, as it should effect decisions moving forward in life

They were Exiles from Egypt

Exposed to Egypt

While they did see the mighty workings of God, they also saw the perversions of Egypt. This can’t be discounted as well.

Oftentimes we look at the spies - and the COI in general - and go ‘What were they thinking?’ Kind of in disbelief at their disbelief! But the truth of the matter is, they are much like us, in that - it’s one thing to get out of Egypt, it’s another altogether to get Egypt out of you!

Oftentimes we struggle with the same thing. We KNOW the promises of God, we’ve SEEN God work, AND YET WE STILL OFTENTIMES DISOBEY AND DISBELIEVE!

(Ill.) When I first got saved, (that is when God brought me out of Egypt with a mighty hand), I still had a lot of the old tendencies that I’d learned in Egypt. God bringing me out of Egypt was instantaneous, but getting Egypt out of me is a process that continues till this day.

This is something that we should recognize, so that we can guard against it!

They were Exposed to Egypt

Leaders of their Tribes

Numbers 13:3 “And Moses by the commandment of the Lord sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.”

One thing to gather from this, is that they were leaders not just because they were born into positions of power, but because they shared traits of the tribe. They were in essence a reflection of the tribe.

They majority of the spies had very little faith because at this point, the COI as a whole largely had little faith.

II. The Spies’ Notoriety

(What they are known for?)

All twelve are not all equal. We can separate them into two categories.

Ten for their Evil Report, Two for their Faith

Their Evil report of course born out of their lack of faith.

Joshua & Caleb being the exceptions

Caleb: Num. 13:30.

Joshua & Caleb: Num. 14:6-9.

10 for Evil, two for Good

Ten as Instigators, Two as Conquerors

Ten stirred up the people: Numbers 14:36 “And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,”

They are remembered for inciting the people to rebel against Moses and ultimately the LORD. This is their legacy.

Joshua & Celeb on the other hand are remembered for far more than their faith displayed in these pages.

Joshua is remembered of course for leading the COI in the land of promise - conquering 31 kings in the process.

Caleb is remembered for:

Being a subduer of giants: Judges 1:20 “And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.”

Standing for God when no one else would: Num. 13:30.

For Sacking Hebron (Kirjathsepher)

10 Instigate, 2 Conquer

Ten are Forgotten, Two are Remembered

If I were to ask you ‘what is one of the names of the 12 spies NOT named Joshua or Caleb’, what would you say?

The reason is, they didn’t make an eternal impact - not for good anyway. They came, they lived, they are largely forgotten - lost to the annuls of time, despite their names being recorded in the most popular book in the entire world.

Sadly, many people are like this: They live, but their lives don’t make a difference - an eternal difference.

(Ill.) If the LORD tarries, 100 years from now, every one of our bodies are going to be in the ground, scattered throughout graveyards - just like a multitude of people 100 years ago. And just like no one really remembers them, we’ll be forgotten to. The question is, how many of us will do something that will be relevant beyond our lifetimes?

Ten are forgotten, two are remembered

III. What Makes them Noteworthy

(What Lessons we can Learn from them?)

For this I will largely focus on the 10.

There is a Record Kept

We see that from v4-15, God records the names of all those who went into the land to spy it out.

While we don’t know the names of the 10 spies, God knows. God is a good record keeper.

God knew who went & what they did - and not only that, get them just recompense for their actions.

Just this past Sunday I’d preached a message titled ‘A Time for Consequences’, where I focused on the truth that there’s a reckoning day we’re headed towards.

(Ill.) I’ll be honest with you. I’ve been struggling a lot with my memory lately. When I first came here, I could remember everyone’s names - now I can’t hardly remember my own.

But God doesn’t have this problem. God doesn’t have a limitation such as that! He keeps records, and they are perfectly accurate.

There is a record kept

Unbelief Prevents Progress

The problem with the spies is a familiar one. They weren’t simply stubborn or troublemakers - they lacked faith. They quite literally ‘walked by sight and not by faith’.

Remember the Bible: Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Faith is not only the means by which we’re saved, it’s the measure by which we find success in our Christian Walk.

When we consider the spies and the reason for the rebellion in Num. 13-14 it all boils down to a lack of faith. Unbelief in the promises of God. (De. 1:19-21)

The end result is the COI’s progress stopped in the wilderness, and they were stuck there 40 years. Most of the adults were stuck there for the rest of their lives.

Many Christians live and grow to a certain extent, then they reach a self-imposed plateau. God will desire for them to do something or go somewhere, but instead of ‘walking by faith’, they settle in unbelief and they get stuck in their Christian Walk.

Unbelief Prevents Progress

Fear of Men breeds Failure

On another front, we see that the spies were afraid of men.

They feared the inhabitants of the land (Num. 13:31-32)

They feared the children of Anak (Num. 13:33)

They feared man - therefore they failed.

Fear is an emotion that God has given us - and is valuable to us if we employ it properly. (Read Luk. 12:1-5)

We fail to witness because we fear what men will say / think.

If we desire to succeed in our Christian walk, we’d better start fearing God and get over our fear of man!

Fear of Men breeds Failure

An Evil Report has Repercussions

Or a ‘Consequence’ if you will.

This ‘evil report’ is in essence, a Godless Testimony. The only untruth that they told is found in v32, and it’s probably more so an assumption than a lie.

So it wasn’t a lie that was the problem, but their ‘report’ was to state that God simply wasn’t able. Numbers 13:31 “But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.”

They compared themselves unto the enemy instead of comparing the enemy against God.

So what are the repercussions:

Destruction (Num. 14:28-29)

God’s people spewing a Godless Testimony leads others to their destruction.

We should consider the testimony that people see in us and judge whether it’s leading them to Heaven or Hell. Is our testimony one that’s of God, or Godless?

Destruction

Death (Num. 14:36-37)

God’s people spewing a Godless Testimony brings death upon themselves.

Possibly a physical death, if not:

A Death to their effectiveness as a Christian

A Death to their Purpose for life

A Death to their Testimony as a Child of God

Death

Discomfiting (Num. 14:45)

Discomfit (def) Routed, defeated, scattered, caused to flee, overthrown.

God’s people spewing a Godly Testimony can also cause a Discomfiting of other Christians.

In other words, it will cause other Christians to struggle or be scattered by the enemy.

Discomfiting

Popular Belief isn’t Necessarily Correct

Notice that it was the majority who were wrong.

It wasn’t that they were wicked - any more than any other that is. There’s no evidence of malicious intent. They were just wrong. The many were wrong, and the few were right.

The moral of the story is: Just because the majority of people believe something, doesn’t mean it’s right.

(Ill.) I had someone one time who was questioning one of the things in which I’d taught. I went through the Bible to explain why I believed it. In the course of the conversation, they’d asked me ‘Wouldn’t you agree that many good Christian leaders believe differently?’ to which I said ‘sure’ - but the old saying still holds true: ‘The best of men are men at best’.

ANY man can be wrong - surely even me - so we must make sure that we’re not following a man or a movement - but the Word of God!

Because Popular Belief isn’t Necessarily Correct

Conclusion