This week the bottom line is that “I can be brave even when others aren’t”.
In Numbers 13-14, we see Moses following God’s command and sending out one man from each tribe to go inspect the land that God was giving to them. Moses selected the 12 men and they went out on their journey to see about this land, the city and its people.
They all found the land was very good just like God had promised, but many saw one obstacle to receiving all that God had promised them. It was the people there. They looked big. They could not be defeated and they thought that Moses and the Israelites would surely die at the hands of the Canaanites. All that is except for two of the twelve, Joshua and Caleb. They said that they could certainly win the battle. The people believed the other ten who went and said that they would not get the land or all that God had promised them. Joshua and Caleb were brave even when others weren’t.
It reminds me of when I used to play basketball in high school. Before the game as each team was warming up, we’d look at the other team. They often looked bigger and stronger than our team. We defeated ourselves before the game even started! I can relate to those men that came back with a report to Moses and the people about the challenge ahead.
I wonder a couple of things and you can use these as discussion questions at home.
1) If God knew that He was giving the Israelites the land, why did He send them out to check it out?
I think it was because God wanted them to see with their own eyes that what He had promised them was all He aid it would be and maybe even better than they imagined.
2) Why did only two of the twelve men who had seen God do amazing things before now believe God would come through again?
We are human and our thoughts, things we see, gets in the way of seeing what God can do. Has there ever been a time when you didn’t do something that you knew you should and it kept you from all that God wanted to give you? This isn’t a prosperity gospel, life is hard, we need to trust God.
If you are looking at this to use with your children, ask these questions around the table or somewhere and share about a time when you doubted God, and then a time you obeyed and saw God’s blessing fulfilled. Encourage your children by sharing what God has done in your life.