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Numbers 13 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
We finally arrive at the “meat and potatoes” of the book of Numbers. The Israelites were to scope out the Promised Land and give a full report back to Moses. In the beginning, everything seemed great. The spies brought back a large cluster of fresh grapes. This was a big deal. It confirmed that the land was indeed “flowing with milk and honey.” This was a phrase used often to describe the health of the land. Milk probably refers to goat’s milk and honey most likely to bees. This meant that the land was pleasurable and plentiful – a stark contrast to the wilderness where they currently found themselves.
But it was not all good. The spies returned with a negative and pessimistic attitude. They were scared of the inhabitants of Canaan. They did not trust that God could deliver the land over to them. 1 Corinthians recounts God’s disappointment with their lack of faith.
For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.
1 Corinthians 10:1-5 NASB
God was not pleased because they failed to trust Him. We read that Caleb does, and this is a big reason why both Joshua and Caleb were the only ones from this generation to see the Promised Land.
Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”
Numbers 13:30-31 NASB
We read that God was pleased with Caleb’s faith.
“But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.
Numbers 14:24 NASB
Caleb followed God fully. The lesson is simple. Where are you not trusting Him fully? Where is He possibly not well-pleased with you. And finally, what kind of Promised Land are you delaying because of your lack of trust? These are all convicting questions for us to ponder.