Their Protection Is Gone
That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron . . . And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."
. . . Joshua son of Nun and Caleb, son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land . . . Only do not rebel against LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them." Numbers 14:1-9
. . . Joshua son of Nun and Caleb, son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land . . . Only do not rebel against LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them." Numbers 14:1-9
Twelve men explored the land of Canaan. Ten of them brought a negative report and they caused many to grumble, lose hope, and miss out on the Promised Land! They convinced the people that they would be better off as slaves in Egypt, rather than take their chances and possibly die in the wilderness. It is obvious that they had no faith in God's ability to protect, sustain, and ensure that they would inherit the Promised Land.
Sharply contrasting the negative report and the sentiments of the Ten was the attitude of Joshua and Caleb. They reminded the people that not only was the land exceedingly good but also God was perfectly able to deliver it to the Israelites. The basis of their confident assertion was that the giants they were afraid of were without protection. Their protection was gone! But God was with Israel.
Many times our fear of "facing the giant" stems from the fact that we feel we are no match against him. Like the nine-foot giant David faced, we see the enemy as fully protected, and ourselves as defenseless.
But, like Caleb and Joshua, let's look beyond what we see with our eyes and remember that in the presence of God the enemy is without protection. When God shows up on our side, the protection of the enemy will be gone!
God is with you. You are not defenseless. The enemy is the one without defense. His protection is gone. Arise and take steps to overcome every obstacle and possess your Promised Land.
Sharply contrasting the negative report and the sentiments of the Ten was the attitude of Joshua and Caleb. They reminded the people that not only was the land exceedingly good but also God was perfectly able to deliver it to the Israelites. The basis of their confident assertion was that the giants they were afraid of were without protection. Their protection was gone! But God was with Israel.
Many times our fear of "facing the giant" stems from the fact that we feel we are no match against him. Like the nine-foot giant David faced, we see the enemy as fully protected, and ourselves as defenseless.
But, like Caleb and Joshua, let's look beyond what we see with our eyes and remember that in the presence of God the enemy is without protection. When God shows up on our side, the protection of the enemy will be gone!
God is with you. You are not defenseless. The enemy is the one without defense. His protection is gone. Arise and take steps to overcome every obstacle and possess your Promised Land.
Prayer: Lord, I know you are with me. Thank you for being my defense. I will boldly arise to accomplish your purposes for me because the enemy's protection is gone! Amen.