The Borders of Canaan

Israel is finally on the borders of the promised land, so Moses sends out 12 spies, one from each tribe, at God’s command, and has them enter the land secretly for 40 days and bring back a report of what they see. Upon returning, 10 of the twelve are frightened and bring back a bad report. Only 2 of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, come back with hope and zeal for God’s promise. But this is not enough for the camp to change their minds. Once again, the people of Israel give in to fear and refuse to trust in God’s goodness.

In yesterday’s episode we saw what happened to Miriam and Aaron when they tried to undermine Moses as a leader. We learned how God called them to the carpet on their defiance. We also saw Moses stepping in and advocating for his sister, sparing her from the ultimate punishment. As we closed out the episode, Moses and the Israelites set off again toward the Promised Land. And today we’ll hear as they arrive near Canaan. Moses will send out spies to report on this new land they are to enter. What should be a time of great rejoicing in God’s promise will be tainted by fear once again. But there will be voices that bring hope and faith. Which voices will win out?