My Reflection on Joshua's and Caleb's Dilemma in the Promised Land

Life can be so hard and not promising for the faithful when it's in this sin-laden world, right? Such was the case of Joshua and Caleb. I was reading through my Bible today and decided that I may give temporary pause to reflect on Joshua's and Caleb's dilemma which can be found in Numbers 13-14. It should be a very stressful entry especially if you realize just how God allows delays in your life for a reason.

It was probably the most exciting day of Joshua's and Caleb's life during the leadership of Moses. Can you imagine how these men longed to seized the Promised Land? It was a long walk from the desert. Israel was enslaved for 400 years after 30 years of peaceful settlement. Now it was time to settle in the Promised Land. It was finally time to survey it.

Numbers 13:16-20 

These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua. [17] And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: [18] And see the land, what it is, and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; [19] And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; [20] And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.

It was a 40 day survey. I can't imagine how the ten other spies were pessimistic when they saw the land. They saw the land was fertile as God promised them it would be - though today it wouldn't be so due to climate change. It was now time to go back to the camp after 40 days. They had very good news. They were excited to give the news of the wealth of Canaan. 

Numbers 13:26-30 

And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. [27] And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. [28] Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. [29] The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. [30] And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

Unfortunately, not everyone was cooperative as evidenced by these verses. Some people were starting to discourage everyone from finding the good land! 

Numbers 13:31-33

But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. [32] And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. [33] And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Honestly, I wish Joshua and Caleb started using violence against these naysayers. They already saw the might of God against the Pharaoh's army. They already saw the power of God against the Red Sea. Didn't God let it rain manna from Heaven? Didn't God show that He could provide water from a rock? Yet why are these people still murmuring? I have long speculated that they wanted that the land will be handed to them in a silver platter. That's not God's way of doing it. God has a purpose in allowing hardships before the good times come. If God handed it to them in a silver platter or as it is then He will encourage laziness. Instead, God has a reason for allowing hardship. It may help them appreciate the land better if they had to fight for it rather than God giving it to them on a silver platter.

The next chapter (Numbers 14) doesn't present a very pretty picture either. The people were in rebellion. Some even wanted to return to Egypt. Egypt itself is a type of the world. This also has me thinking why would they want to foolishly return to Egypt? Egypt was a place of bitter slavery. I could think about all the murmurings later where they remember the fine food in Egypt. I guess they thought they were better off as slaves of Egypt instead of their freedom in God's hands. How foolish thinking it would be to deny God's power could help them conquer Canaan.

Numbers 14:6-9 

And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: [7] And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. [8] If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. [9] Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.

Joshua and Caleb gave the most sound advice ever - just do not rebel against the LORD nor fear the people. I wonder if both men reminded the people of God's might against the mighty nation of Egypt. There's no reason to fear Canaan with God on their side and told them not to dream of returning to Egypt. Yet, the people now want to stone Joshua and Caleb with stones. God's anger was really so angry. I just wish that God struck down those rebellious Israelites yet Moses was showing himself as a type of Jesus Christ - he was appealing to the Father for the sake of sinful people!

Numbers 14:11-18 

And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? And how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? [12] I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they. [13] And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) [14] And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. [15] Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, [16] Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. [17] And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, [18] The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. 

The offer was given to Moses. God promised that He would make a nation from the faithful ones with Moses included. I thought why didn't Moses just take it? I felt like that it should have happened. Those rebellious Israelites were really one of the worst problems in the wilderness journey! Sometimes, I just wish Joshua and Caleb led an army to slaughter those rebellious Israelities who kept arguing against God. Yet, God in His mercy chose to answer Moses' plea and decided that he would not destroy the whole people. He has mercy and justice. Those who spread mischief were soon dead. People who were twenty years old and above who murmured against the LORD would not enter the promised land. In fact, only Joshua and Caleb from the old generation would enter the Promised Land.

Numbers 14:28-35 

Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you: [29] Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against Me. [30] Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. [31] But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. [32] But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. [33] And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. [34] After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. [35] I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

This is the very act of God. I don't know what frustrations both Joshua and Caleb felt but it seems that they fell silent at God's will. It was frustrating that they were ready for battle yet they were surrounded by such troublemakers. Now, the troublemakers were getting their due. God may have struck down those who brought their evil report yet He has not totally obliterated the camp. He has a perfect balance of justice and mercy which is humanly difficult to comprehend. God still gave them forty years to wander. Take a look at the space to repent yet one can be certain that the rest of Numbers still contains several continuous patters of unrepentant minds yet God also shows an incomprehensible balance of justice and mercy through and through.