Numbers 13 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:

• Jeremy Camp – Walk By Faith
• Trust In God (feat. Chris Brown & Isaiah Templeton) | Elevation Worship
• RED ROCKS WORSHIP – Not Afraid: Song Session

Resources for Family Worship (with Children)

• 2 Brave Spies | Bible Story | LifeKids – Lesson for Kids
• Your Power Will Pull Us Through | Rocky Railway VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Joshua 1:9 – Be Strong and Courageous (Hand Motions) – Song for Kids
• I Won’t Be Afraid | Cross Culture Norway VBS Music Video | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth are located in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

When they reached the wilderness of Paran, Moses, following God’s instruction, selected one person from each tribe and sent them to scout out the land of Canaan (vv. 1–16). Moses thought the purpose of this scouting mission was to develop a strategy for conquering the land of Canaan (vv. 17–20). But in reality, it was a test to reveal the hearts of the Israelites.

The twelve scouts traveled throughout the land of Canaan for forty days, from south to north, and returned after investigating the things Moses had instructed them to observe (vv. 21–24). They brought back a branch with a huge cluster of grapes on it, which was evidence that the land of Canaan was indeed “a land flowing with milk and honey” (vv. 25–27). There was no disagreement that the land was fertile.

The problem was that the people living in Canaan were very strong, and the cities were fortified. In addition, the descendants of Anak lived there as well (vv. 28–29). The descendants of Anak were known as a branch of the Nephilim, a race of giants (Genesis 6:4; v. 33). Ten of the scouts concluded that conquering the land of Canaan was impossible. When the people grew troubled by the negative report, Caleb, who had gone as one of the scouts, stepped forward and tried to change the atmosphere (v. 30). But the ten scouts stirred up even more fear with their increasingly negative words (vv. 31–33).

Meditation:

The ten scouts and the two scouts saw the same things, yet their judgments about them were completely opposite. I think about what made this difference. Some people look at reality with positive, optimistic eyes, while others look at it with negative, pessimistic eyes. It would be hard to say that these attitudes had no influence at all, but they were probably not the most important reason.

The most important cause of that difference was likely trust in God. The ten scouts saw the strength of the Canaanites and their fortified cities and became terrified. That fear caused them to forget that God had promised to give the land of Canaan to the Israelites, and that He had delivered them from Egypt in order to fulfill that promise. When we become afraid of something, the object of that fear tends to grow larger and larger. So, they exaggerated the negative elements and spread a false report.

Joshua and Caleb believed God’s promise that He would give them the land of Canaan. That faith helped them see reality as it truly was. In their judgment, there were many negative factors as well. But they were not overwhelmed by fear like the other ten scouts. Since God had promised it, they believed they could take possession of the land. As Paul said, they “live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

It is also worth noting that among the twelve scouts, only two spoke and acted according to faith. In the past, and even now, those who live by faith have always been a minority. Because of this, people who live by faith are often pushed aside by realists. But God fulfills His will through the minority who live by faith.

Key Verse: Verse 30

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and encouraged them. “Let us go up. Let us go up and take possession of the land. We can certainly take possession of it.”

Prayer:

Give us faith. Help us refuse to belong to the faithless majority and let us belong to the minority who live according to faith. In every situation, help us remember that we are in the Lord and help us move forward boldly in that faith. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: When fear says, “We can’t,” faith remembers, “God is with us.”

• For Preschool-Elementary:

• The scouts saw big grapes and big problems. What is something that feels “big” or scary to you?
• Caleb said, “We can certainly do it.” Why do you think he was able to be brave?
• When you feel afraid at school, at home, or with friends, what is one short prayer you can say to God?
• Youth:

• The ten scouts and Caleb saw the same land, but they interpreted it differently. What usually shapes how you interpret hard situations: fear, pressure, past experiences, faith, or something else?
• In Northern Virginia, many students feel pressure about grades, sports, college, popularity, or family expectations. What is one area where fear can become “bigger” than God?
• Caleb was in the minority, but he still spoke with faith. When is it hard for you to stand quietly but faithfully against the majority opinion?