The Right to Disagree
Google Images Sometimes we make life more difficult for ourselves than we need to. The Hebrews arrived within striking distance of the land God had promised to give them (Numbers 13:2). They say that, “fools rush in where angels fear to tread” and Moses was no fool. He sent out spies to check out this new land. He knew that even though God had given them Canaan, those who lived in the land would not just lay down their arms and surrender themselves at the first appearance of an invader. A representative from each tribe was chosen (13:3-15) and off they went to gather information that would encourage them and also help them plan their strategy (13:17-20). When the spies returned the reviews were mixed—heavily on the negative side. The land was productive. They described it as a land flowing with “ milk and honey ” (13:27) and it took two men to carry a single cluster of grapes (13:23). But the cities were fortified and the people appeared fearsome (13:28). Caleb and Joshua were the ...