12 August 2022 - The Valley of Eschol: From fear to faith

In Numbers 13-14 we read that God instructed Moses to send men ahead of them to explore the land. Twelve men were sent to see what the land was like.

They reported back that the land indeed flowed with milk and honey just as God has said it would: they also brought the fruit back to prove it! The valley was called ‘Eshkol’ (meaning cluster) because of the grapes they brought back. Deuteronomy 1:25 reports that “It’s a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.” They also reported back that the people who lived there were powerful. They saw the nations who lived there, and they said that they seemed like grasshoppers in comparison with them.

The men however were divided with their advice about how to proceed. Joshua and Caleb made a strong case to go and take possession of the land. The other ten spies held the opposite view.

Numbers 14:7-9 (NLT) “They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we travelled through and explored is a wonderful land! 8 And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. 9 Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

Moses encouraged them not to give in to fear but to move forward in faith.

Deuteronomy 1:29-32 (NIV) “Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” 32 In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God

Although we sometimes do not believe the promises of God, God always keeps His promises.

Joshua 21:45 (NIV) “Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”

Fear steals our faith. Fear results into unbelieve. The ten spies only see the giants, thus the giants become bigger to them than their God. Instead of fearing, give your giants to God.

Philippians 4:6-7 (The Voice) “Don’t be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come. 7 And know that the peace of God (a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding) will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One.” “Our lives are full of supposes. Suppose this should happen, or suppose that should happen; what could we do; how could we bear it? But, if we are living in the high tower of the dwelling place of God, all these supposes will drop out of our lives. We shall be quiet from the fear of evil, for no threatening’s of evil can penetrate into the high tower of God.” - Hannah Whitall Smith

“Meet your fears with faith”. - Max Lucado