“The Lesson of the Giant that LIES in the Earth”
Parashah SHLACH L’ KHA (Numbers 13:1-15:41) Week 37
ADONAI said to Moshe, “Send men on your behalf to reconnoiter the land of Kena’an, which I am giving to the people of Isra’el. From each ancestral tribe send someone who is a leader in his tribe.” Moshe dispatched them from the Pa’ran Desert as ADONAI had ordered; all of them were leading men among the people of Isra’el. (Numbers 13:1-3 CJB)
This ancient, but familiar story is referred to as; The Sin of the Spies in biblical history. A deeper truth commands a clearer title; The Sin of the Leaders. The men appointed for the mission were the most excellent leaders from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
There is much speculation as to why Adonai would have ordered the mission of the reconnoitering of the Covenant Land promised long ago to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As tribal leaders and men of honorable stature, they were to arise and be strengthened, even as the giants they would encounter in the new nation. The leaders were placed in a position to be elevated, stepping up as Covenant men of Adonai, unifying under the holy banner of the Lord; infusing zeal into the Nation upon their return…with reports that all the Lord had promised was true!
Their zeal would have greatly emcouraged the entire Nation of Israel under the Banner of Adonai. Sadly, after forty days of spying out the land of Canaan, without so much as a skirmish from any of the earth-dwellers there, the following report was given to Moses, Aaron, and the people:
“We entered the land where you sent us, and indeed it does flow with milk and honey – here is its fruit!” (Numbers 13:27 CJB) But the men who had gone with him said; “We can’t attack those people, because they are stronger than we are; and they spread a negative report about the land they had reconnoitered for the people of Isra’el by saying, “The land we passed through in order to spy it out is a land that devours its inhabitants. All the people we saw there were giant!” (Numbers 13:31-32 CJB)
Y’hoshua the son of Nun and Kalev the son of Y’funeh, from the detachment that had reconnoitered the land, tore their clothes and said to the whole community of Isra’el, “The land we passed through in order to spy it out is an outstandingly good land! If ADONAI is pleased with us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us – a land flowing with milk and honey. Just don’t rebel against ADONAI. And don’t be afraid of the people living in the land, we’ll eat them up! Their defense has been taken away from them, and ADONAI is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” (Numbers 14:6-9 CJB)
The two opposing reports are the Mishlei of the moment. Most of the tribal leaders put the inhabitants of the new land on the cold, marble pedestal of their fear, elevating their stature to that of giant proportions. Conversely, Caleb and Joshua put Adonai on the holy pedestal of their faith, and this emboldened and strengthened them to giant proportions!
This is the Lesson of the Giant that LIES in the Earth. Satan, the adversary, is referred to in scripture as The Father of Lies.
In the days of spying out the land of milk and honey, the physical evidence of all of Adonai’s promises was clearly apparent. The only area where the enemy could lie to the tribal leaders of Israel was in forecasting future battle results in their minds. This is how the schemes of the enemy are orchestrated. We hear things like: You are alone in this! You are too insignificant and weak to accomplish this! You don’t know what you are doing! God is smaller than this GIANT that LIES in wait in the earth to conquer you!
This is the Lesson of the Giant that LIES in the Earth. If we are honest, we will admit, we have all believed gigantic lies in our own minds. It is part of our faith journey to take the lies captive, like the Nation of Israel was commanded to take the nations occupying the Covenant Land captive. We are to take our thoughts captive like prisoners of war, tying unholy hands behind their backs to march them directly before Adonai to be judged; truth or lie?
Who REIGNS on the throne of our lives? Like Caleb and Joshua, we must elevate Adonai, coming under His holy banner to proclaim victory for the Kingdom of God. THIS IS WAR!
This is the Lesson of the Giant that LIES in the Earth. Only our God is of GIANT proportions. Only our God can shake the mountains, crack open the earth with quaking, rain hail-fire in judgement, call forth tsunamis to split the Red Sea, and cause the sun and moon to go dark! Therefore, be emboldened dear seeker and BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD!
With our God, all things are possible! With His GIANT presence on the throne of our lives, we will devour our little giants each day like Caleb promised, be made stronger under the magnificent banner of our Lord!
Each victory, by the renewing of our minds, strengthens us for the ongoing spiritual battle as described in the book of Ephesians:
“For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.” (Ephesians 6:12 CJB)
On this Shabbat evening, I feel emboldened by Caleb and Joshua’s faith! Remember David and Goliath! David saw a GIANT that LIED to him about what the outcome of the day would hold!
David saw the enormity of his giant as an ADVANTAGE…not a fear-based deficit!
I need a King David kind of faith right now!
Don’t you? May we consider the faith of these three giant men of the Bible, knowing their lives are recorded expressly for US right now, living in this hour, with all the uncertainty of the world around us which touches our own lives and the lives of our families!
May we see the enormity of our giant as an ADVANTAGE…may we look it squarely in the eye…aim at it through the ‘eagle eyes’ of the spirit, pull back our bow, and launch our arrows of attack into the Spiritual realm! His word is a SWORD!
Dearest ADONAI, may YOUR banner wave us on until the day of Christ Jesus!
Amen and Shabbat Shalom!
Sydney