My second novel entitled Through the Eyes of a Spy is scheduled to release next month. The book follows the journey of the Israelites from their enslavement in Egypt through their inhabitation of the Promised Land. The story is told through the eyes of Caleb – one of only two adult men who were eyewitnesses to the events of the entire span of time. It is a story of faithfulness – first and foremost, the faithfulness of God, but also the faithfulness of one of His servants.
Caleb was one of the twelve spies sent into the Promised Land by Moses while the rest of the people waited in the wilderness. The spies were given the assignment to explore the land that God had already given the Israelites and bring back a report. The twelve men were a veritable who’s who of Israelite society. These were leaders not only of their respective tribes, but of their entire nation. When these men spoke, the people would stop to listen.
Moses had told them what they were to explore. They were to spy on and report on the inhabitants and their encampments, as well as the land and its crop production. They were to estimate how many people lived there? What were their demographics? Did they live in fortified cities or unprotected encampments? Was the land fertile or fruitless? What could the Israelites anticipate as they entered into the land? What kind of life and livelihood would the land provide? They were instructed to bring back samples of what a “land flowing with milk and honey” produces so the people could see for themselves.
Now here’s the important point – they were never tasked with evaluating the feasibility of inhabiting the land. That was never the question. God had said, “I will bring you into the land; and I will completely destroy your enemies.” Their assignment was never to evaluate how – their mission was solely to explore where and what. They weren’t even tasked with researching when the people should enter the land – God had already determined the time.
The challenge for this group of gifted men was to not become distracted by their own abilities and wisdom or attempt to formulate their own plans. God had already formulated the plan. Their role was simply to follow Him.
They spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob near Lebo-hamath. From there they went up into the Negev and came to Hebron, where the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, together with their wives, were buried. It was in Hebron that some of the men probably began to express concerns. Hebron was home to the descendants of Anak, a race of giants. These men were formidable and there was no question that in their own strength the Israelites would be physically incapable of defeating the Anakim.
Allow me to conjecture as to what the discussion might have been like:
“Look at the size of those men!” Gaddiel exclaimed. “How could we ever possibly defeat them? They are not only large of stature; they are obviously warriors trained for battle. If we attempt to enter into this land, they will oppose us. And we will be defeated!”
“I quite agree,” Palti added. “For the most part, we are not trained warriors. We are farmers and laborers and field hands. With the exception of a few of us like Shammua, we know nothing about battle – particularly with men like these giants!”
“What about the Amalekites?” Joshua interrupted. “Our God defeated the Amalekites handily and sent them scurrying.”
“True,” Sethur responded. “But they were not giants like these men! Their stature and fierceness did not compare with the Anakim. We were more evenly matched with our distant cousins the Amalekites.”
“Have we forgotten how our God defeated the Egyptian army – the most powerful army on earth?” Caleb asked. “Have we forgotten how utterly He destroyed them without our even raising a hand?”
“Yes,” Gaddi said. “You are right! But there is no sea near here where God can drown the Anakim. I agree with Gaddiel and Palti. We know how to make weapons, but we do not know how to wield them against warriors like the Anakim.”
Igal joined in. “Perhaps there is another way into this land – or another portion that we can inhabit – and avoid entering into battle with this tribe. There must be a diplomatic solution that can avoid unnecessary bloodshed.”
“Hear, hear!” Ammiel agreed. “We will simply report to Moses and the people that we need to find another path and establish our homes in areas that are not currently controlled by the Anakim. I don’t believe they lived in this region when God promised the land to Abraham. If they had, He surely wouldn’t have included this land in the promise. All we need to do is make a minor compromise. Don’t you agree, Shammua?”
Every eye turned to Shammua, who had been a decorated soldier in the Egyptian army. Shammua paused for a few moments before he replied. “If our God directs us into battle with the Anakim, I will stand shoulder to shoulder with our fighting men and fight bravely. God has equipped me to be a warrior. But I have fought in battles where one side was woefully unprepared and ill-equipped to enter into battle.
“And I believe if we enter into battle with the Anakim, we will be the ones who are woefully unprepared. Therefore, I do not believe God would direct us into battle with them. I agree that He must have sent us to spy out this land in order to direct us to find a better way to enter into the land.”
Immediately, those who hadn’t yet voiced their opinion agreed with Shammua.
Joshua spoke up. “Obviously we have differing opinions. Caleb and I believe we should proceed as God has already directed, while the rest of you believe we should find another way. Fortunately, we have not been charged with making that decision on behalf of our people. Our commission was to explore and report – and that is what we will do. I trust the Lord will lead Moses and all of our elders to do as He leads. Let us continue on with our journey.”
The men traveled about five hundred miles during their forty days in the land of Canaan. They didn’t discover anything God hadn’t already told them they would find. The land was occupied by all the peoples that God had told them – including the giants. And there was no question that it was a good and rich land flowing with milk and honey.
Everything they had seen during their forty days aligned with God’s promise – and every detail of His promise had been accurate. He promised them victory. He would go before them and scatter His enemies. All they needed to do was follow Him by faith. And He had repeatedly proven He was faithful; they simply needed to trust and obey.
You know how the story continued. The majority (ten out of twelve) argued against following God into the land. That is an 83% majority. In politics today, that would be considered a landslide vote. The argument was compelling. These were well-respected men. If ten out of twelve of the men say that we shouldn’t enter the Promised Land, surely that is the right decision. God gave these men wisdom and the ability to think, didn’t He? I mean, walking by faith doesn’t mean that we disengage our brains, does it? God must not have clearly seen the circumstances that awaited the people in the promised land; or perhaps, Moses misunderstood what God had said. So the people heard the majority report; they accepted it and they turned their backs on God.
A fundamental rule of a democracy is that the majority rules. But as God’s people, we live in a theocracy, and a fundamental rule of a theocracy is that God rules, regardless of what the majority says. He cannot be outvoted. God is always greater than the majority – and He always will be. Once you have heard from God, you have heard the majority report; no other report is relevant. There is no counsel that will stand against that of the LORD; there is no other opinion that matters. You don’t have to take the matter to a vote. The well-known axiom, “God said it, so that settles it” applies.
What are we to do when the majority report does not line up with what we believe God has told us to do? First, go back and look at what God has told you. God had repeatedly told the Israelites that He was bringing them into the land and that He would defeat their enemies.(1) God left no margin for doubt about His intentions. He clearly gave the people a promise. In our case, we must go back and look at the promise God has given us. He is not “hoping we figure it out”; God will make His promise very clear.
Second, look at the circumstances that have been encountered in light of God’s promise. Don’t ever get that backwards! That is the mistake the majority made that day, and unfortunately, that most of us continue to make today. It’s easy for us to look at the majority here and shake our heads at their faithlessness, but we do the same thing. Too often we look at God’s promise in light of our circumstances, we start to get overwhelmed and discouraged and we begin to distrust God. Remember that our God is bigger than ANY circumstance we will encounter. “By His mighty power… He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope”(2) Look at those circumstances through God’s promise; He will use the circumstances ahead to fulfill His purpose while He fulfills His promise.
Third, don’t think that you have to figure it all out. If, from where you’re standing, you can’t see how God is going to work all of this out – that’s okay, He’s God and we’re not! That’s why He has commanded us to walk by faith, and not by sight. Trust Him to accomplish His work His way. Those ten very talented men tried to figure it out and they couldn’t. So instead of provoking the people to faith they incited them to discouragement. Instead of walking in God’s victory into the promised land, they were buried due to their faithlessness in the wilderness.
Remember God, all by Himself, is the majority. He is the Beginning, the End, the Author and the Finisher. Heed His report and no other. His land of promise lies ahead. He’s led you this far; trust Him to lead you all of the way!
(1) Exodus 3:8; 13:5; 23:23, 28; 33:2; 34:11
(2) Ephesians 3:20
Excerpts from Through the Eyes of a Spy, Ch. 23 and The Wandering Years, Ch. 18
Copyright © 2020 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.