Grapes, Giants, and Grasshoppers, Oh My!
Notes
Transcript
Numbers 13:23-33
Introduction
Introduction
The children of Israel had come to the border of Canaan. God commanded His servant to send a committee to search out the land. When they came back, they had a majority report and a minority report. The majority report can be summed up by three words: grapes, giants and grasshoppers. They told Moses they had seen great clusters of grapes, but that there were great giants in the land. Then they said to him, ‘We are like grasshoppers in their sight.’ The children of Israel had to decide whether they were going to enter the land or stay out.
If I could illustrate it like this, back then, we see (Children of Israel -> Borders -> Promised Land) in our lives today, we have (Us -> Borders -> Christian Life -> Land -> Promises) - You see many things are out there for us, but many times we do not move out and take them because we see the giants.
The decision has always been the same: enter, or remain outside.
That’s only two options, and we see two types of people in this text…We see the visionary (Joshua & Caleb) and the stationary (Other 10). You could also say the optimistic and the pessimistic. You can go on to say the one’s who operated by faith and one’s who operated by sight.
These twelve spies came back and some operated by faith and others by sight...
I want us to notice several things in this text as we look at the thought of Grapes, Giants, and Grasshoppers Oh My!
Grapes (v. 23, 27-29)
Grapes (v. 23, 27-29)
All twelve of the men saw the same thing...
And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence 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 evidence of the bounty and productiveness of the land was carried upon the shoulders of two men. One cluster of grapes was so heavy that two men were needed to carry it. What a sight this must have been!
They not only found grapes but they also carried back with them pomegranates and figs.
Look at the report...
And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
They could not deny what they saw. They even brought back evidence!
They said that the land surely “floweth with milk and honey”
The promise was true – God had told them that He would give them a land that would flow with milk and honey. (Ex. 3:8)
They showed Moses all that they had found.
But look at verse 28...
Giants
Giants
In spite of the good things they found they found some bad things there…They find Giants, and more.
Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
The word nevertheless means “despite all of that.” At that moment, Moses, and every man of faith in Israel should have cried out and said, “Nevertheless nothing! How can one say, ‘We went to the land, found it good, and God’s promise true,’ and then say, ‘Despite all this…’?”
i. Despite God’s faithful promise, the people be strong that dwell in the land.
ii. Despite God’s faithful promise, the cities are walled, and very great.
iii. Despite God’s faithful promise, we saw the children of Anak [the giants] there.
iv. Despite God’s faithful promise, the Amalekites dwell…and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell – all the land is taken up, there are no vacancies!
It is hard to imagine a report more unbelieving and unfaithful to God than this; a report that recognizes the faithfulness of God’s promise, the truth of His word, and yet says, “Nevertheless…” or “despite all that...”
Looking at these Giants made the men here feel like grasshoppers...
Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers
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. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Notice there in verse 32 that they were even convinced that the land itself would consume them!
They began to compare themselves against the enemy.
Again, those that did live in the land were “men of a great stature.” They are bigger than we are.
There are giants and “we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”
Their unbelieving response was a potent combination of truth, lies, and exaggeration.
Unbelief often presents itself as being “factual” or “practical” or “down to earth.” Yet, the most factual, practical, and down to earth thing we can do is trust the word of the living God. Their unbelief was not according to the facts, but despite the facts.
God
God
We see God in this picture through Caleb and Joshua.
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
The people are alarmed and are rattled at the report. Caleb had to calm them down. Caleb then proceeds to be politically incorrect. He gives an unpopular message and takes a stand, "Let's obey God! He is with us!"
And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 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.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Significantly, two men could see the exact same sights – the same grapes, the same men, the same land, the same cities – one can come away singing in faith, and the other is filled with a sense of certain doom. Ultimately, faith or unbelief does not spring from circumstances or environment, but from our hearts, which only God can change.
Corrie Ten Boom said, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed, if you look within, you’ll be depressed, if you look at God, you’ll be at rest.”
Grapes
Grapes
The grapes represent incomparable blessing…What grapes, so-to-speak are you missing out on today because you choose to walk by sight instead of faith?
Pardon of Sins
Pardon of Sins
Many people never receive the most valuable blessing of all, salvation from sin. They will attend church, hear the message of salvation given week after week but they are not willing to reach out and receive the gift of God, salvation by grace. They are always using the I don’ts and what if’s to keep them from enjoying the blessing of pardon from sin.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:
Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Peace of Mind
Peace of Mind
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Power for Victory
Power for Victory
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Prospect of Heaven
Prospect of Heaven
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Presence of Christ
Presence of Christ
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
No wonder the Bible says in:
O taste and see that the Lord is good:
Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
The problem is we aren’t picking the grapes…Why is that? It’s because of giants.
Giants
Giants
Giants will keep you from experiencing the life God desires for you!
1. The giant of discouragement – There is always someone around who can discourage you in whatever you are about to try. “It is too hard, you will never be able to do that.” Especially, when you reach out and try to pick the grape of salvation. The devil is right there telling you that you are not worthy of that grape.
2. The giant of doubt – “I am not sure this will work” “I don’t believe we can afford to do this”
3. The giant of dismay – “I am just going to give up” “It won’t work any way” “I am tired”
4. The giant of delay – “I’ll get to it someday” “I know becoming a Christian is a good thing but I have plenty of time” Boy Satan sure does want you to believe that one. “I can do it later”
Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers
If you have giants I know you have grasshoppers. To what are you comparing you life? What measuring are you using to see how your life measures up? One of the fastest ways to lose the blessings of God in your life is to begin to compare your life to someone else’s.
1. Either yours will seem better and cause you to become self-confident. When that happens you begin to think you can do no wrong or;
2. Your will not measure up to the next person and you will become defeated and bitter and begin to believe that God has somehow cheated you.
Simply put, you cannot allow yourself to compare.
The Challenge today is to become people like Caleb and Joshua; who are willing to trust God to do what He says He will do. When you’re presented with the opportunity to do something great for God step out in faith and just do it.