DON’T LET YOUR BUT LOSE YOUR BLESSINGS
Numbers 13:1-33
CHECK OUT
WHAT GOD HAS PROMISED
V:1. The
Lord said to Moses, 2 "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which
I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its
leaders."
3 So at the
Lord's command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were
leaders of the Israelites.
A. Before you make a purchase, you ought
to know everything you can about the product.
1. You ought to inspect the product and
make comparison with similar products
2. Before you purchase, inspect the
product.
B. When inspecting a product, it is best
to take other mature individuals with you get a
Different perspectives.
1. Other people may see things you can’t
see.
2. Other people may think about the purchase
in ways you may not consider.
C. To inspect the promised land, God
sent a leader from each of the 12 tribes.
1. In exploring the land, Moses gave
instructions to follow God’s command.
2. We should consult God before we make
any decision.
3. Many times, God provides what we need
free of charge.
4. It is up to us to trust God with what
He has given us.
5. The promised land was a gift to the
Israelites promised to Abraham over 430 years
Earlier.
INVESTIGATE
WITH COURAGE
V:17 When
Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, "Go up through the Negev and
on into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like and whether the people
who live there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 What kind of land do they
live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they
unwalled or fortified? 20 How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there
trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land."
(It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)
A. God gave the 12 leaders specific
details on how to inspect the land and
what to inspect
1. The place of inspection was Negev and
the hill country.
a. Negev was the south land of Canaan
b. The Hill country included Judea, Samaria,
and Galilee.
c.
2. The time of inspection was 40 days.
3. The purpose of the inspection was to
have an accurate view of the land.
4. Before we take possession of something
we need to know what we are getting
Into.
B. The spies were instructed to gather the
information that would be helpful in taking possession.
1. They were instructed to know the quality
of the land.
a. Good soil or poor soil
b. Trees or no trees
2. They were instructed to determine the
strength of the people.
They were to determine
the number of people in each city
3. They were instructed to inspect the
quality of the towns.
Walled or non-walled
4. They were to examine the fruit and
bring back samples
5. The more information you have, the
better decision you make.
A POSITIVE
REPORT WITH THE BUTS OF UNBELIEFS
V:25. At the end of forty days they returned from
exploring the land.
26 They came
back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the
Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and
showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: "We
went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!
Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the
cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29
The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in
the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan."
A. Since there were twelve spies, there
were 12 reports.
1. Every report was presented to Moses.
2. Each person probable saw a different
portion of the land and
Gathered different
information
3. Every man's report was heard and their
opinions of each were valued.
B. They reported on the people in each
area, the land, the fruits, and the strength of
Their armies.
1. They reported the positives and the
negatives as they saw them.
2. What is positive to one person. May be
negative to another.
3. No decision should be made until the
full report is evaluated.
4. God gives us a mind to see things
from our own perspective.
5. The perspective we have may depend on
our education, experiences, backgrounds, and fears.
6. We must be careful that we don’t let the
negatives outweigh the positives.
LACK OF
TRUST IN GOD CREATES FEAR AND DOUBT
30 Then
Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take
possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
31 But the
men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are
stronger than we are." 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad
report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored
devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33
We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We
seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
A. Since Caleb had to silence the people,
it appears the majority were disturbed
by the report.
1. Caleb looked at the possession of the
land through the eyes of God.
2. He expressed his confidence not in the
strength of the Israelites but in the power of God.
3. There is nothing too hard for God.
4. There is no enemy stronger than God.
5. Caleb saw the beauty of the land and
success through the eyes of God.
6. God does not promise us gifts without
the ability to take possession of them.
B. Those who do not trust God, see
accomplishments through their own limited abilities.
1. The perspective of the majority of
the people was focused on the size and strength of the
People living in the
land.
2. Their perspective was negative
because they did not trust themselves.
3. They had a history of recent successes
with God, but that was discounted.
4. They were constantly blessed by God
with provisions and protection but did not trust
Him with victory in the
promised land.
5. They were stuck on stupid with fear
and unbelief.
6. When fear sets in, reason goes out
the door.
What we must
learn is God has not given us a life without problems.
I believe
that problems are designed to strengthen our faith in God.
Throughout
the Bible, God makes promises to us. We can only receive them
Trusting the
Lord.
Each of us
must read the Bible for ourselves and act on God’s promises.
When we face
trials, we must trust God to work out things in a way
That is best
for us.
Rev. M.
Mitchell
Asst. Pastor
Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West
Sam Houston Parkway North
Houston,
Texas 77041
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