Giants Among Us Numbers 13:26-33
Today’s reading happens during the Exodus. The people of Israel just witnessed the plagues God sent down on their Egyptian masters. The people had seen God part the Red Sea so they could cross and escape their pursuers, and how God let the sea rush back and destroy the Egyptian army. These same people complained about water, so God gave them sweet water from a rock. And when they complained about food, God gave them Manna and quail. The whole nation saw the power of God alive and active in their lives.
Now the Israelites are at the very precipice of the land God promised them. Numbers 13:1-2, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.’”
Moses took one man from each of the twelve tribes and sent them into the land, and when they came back, ten of these spies told the nation “’We can’t attack those people, they are stronger than we are…’ They said, ‘The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw are of great size.’” (Numbers 13:31-32)
Now, let’s remember what God actually told them, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan…” God didn’t tell them to find the weakest areas to exploit. God didn’t tell them to find strategic places to camp their army. God didn’t tell them to create battle plans. God simply told them to explore. God wanted them to see the wonders he had in store for them, how the land was fertile and water plentiful. “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites” God wanted them to see all the glory he was giving them as a gift, because he promised he would. And even as they were promised all this land by God, they started to look around and think of earthly obstacles, “We can’t attack those people, they are stronger than we are.” What can this old story from the dusty Middle East desert about people long since dead, show us?
Last week we looked at places in the Old Testament that referenced Jesus and salvation. Here is a place that references salvation, and the unfortunate reaction of many people and religions.
God promises us salvation. He promises us the land of milk and honey, heaven. These are the promises of Almighty God, ours simply by faith in Christ Jesus.
God told the Israelites to explore the glory of the Promised Land. He tells us to explore the glory of his promise of redemption by looking into his word. The glory of God is there, on full display.
Mankind, all of us, can be like the ten who said the nation could not take the land. We can all start to see the things we think will interfere and hinder us from attaining God’s glory. I have responsibilities, I can’t look at God now. I’m busy, I’ll consider God later. I don’t want to live as God says, I like the things I am doing, maybe I’ll think about God some other time. It’s easy to be like the ten, but the ten, and those who listened to them, never got to enter the Promised Land. That’s the problem when you put your life, your fears, your desires, before God. Sometimes it prevents you from ever seeing the glory God provides. The Israeli’s denials kept them from entering the Promised Land. Man’s denials will keep him from entering heaven.
And the two who put aside their fears and doubts, the two who trusted God when he said they could take the land, they were the only ones from that generation that entered the Promised Land forty years later. For men who trust in Christ and the cross, at the end of our life, whenever that may be, will enter the promised land of paradise.
First Samuel chapter 17 gives us the story of David and Goliath. The Philistine army occupied one hill and the Israeli army another. The Philistine champion, Goliath, as described in 1 Samuel 17:4, stood “six cubits and a span.” A cubit is about eighteen inches, a span is about nine inches, putting Goliath at roughly nine feet, nine inches tall. Formidable to be sure. Each day Goliath demanded the Israelites send a warrior to meet him in battle, but none went forward. Each Israelite soldier was made impotent by Goliath’s size. And the fear he invoked, moved the whole of the Israeli army to infirmity.
What are the giants in our lives? What causes us to be passive and incapable of action? Perhaps a bad relationship, maybe a child has gone astray? What about our pride, our feelings of being ignored or overlooked? Could it be an illness, our own or someone we love? Do we act like the Israeli army and let the giant in our life cause our immobility?
What if we approach our Goliath like David approached his, with faith and trust in God’s hand over our lives? 1 Samuel 17:37, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” With God as his motivation and comrade, David prevailed. When we face the Goliaths in our lives with God, we will overcome them.
Now I’m not preaching a prosperity gospel. Will everything always work out the way we want? I wish I could say yes, but the reality is no. But with God in your heart, you can face your Goliath with purpose and fortitude. You will not be broken by your problems. And whatever the outcome; the relationship ends, cancer takes a loved one, you will have the strength to stand. You will have the courage to endure.
Amos 2:9, “Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, though they were as tall as cedars, and strong as oaks.” No matter the size of the problems or troubles in our lives, God is bigger. He gives us the resilience to face our giants. He gives us the mettle to endure our giants. He reminds us that heaven is waiting, and the Goliaths in our lives will fall away and be left in the ashes as we rise to glory.
The Goliaths in your life may be hard to see past. Trust God and you will be given strength. And you will walk into the promised land of eternity.
Amen.