![]() ![]() Believing the report of the ten doubters, the people lost heart and rebelled. Only Joshua and Caleb dissented (Numbers 14:6-7). Ten of the spies had a bad report: “We can’t attack those people they are stronger than we are…All the people we saw were of great size…We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes” (Numbers 13:31-33). ![]() They returned after forty days of exploration. ![]() Upon their arrival at Kadesh Barnea, which bordered the Promised Land of Canaan, they sent out twelve spies to survey the land and its people (Numbers 13:18-25). He cursed them with forty years of wilderness wandering until the unbelieving generation died off, never stepping foot in the Promised Land. Their lack of belief in God’s word and promises brought forth the wrath of God. Prior to entry, however, they became convinced they could not oust the current inhabitants of the land, even though God told them they could. They were to take possession of the land God had promised their forefathers, a land “flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). Nearly 3,500 years ago, the Lord delivered His people from Egyptian bondage as described in Exodus, chapters 1–12. “Wilderness wandering” refers to the plight of the Israelites due to their disobedience and unbelief. Send one man who is a leader among them from each of their ancestral tribes.” (Numbers 13:1-2) The Lord spoke to Moses: “Send men to scout out the land of Canaan I am giving to the Israelites. After enduring the last of the ten plagues-the death of the firstborn males-Pharaoh finally agreed to release the Israelites. For the next several centuries the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians who “worked them ruthlessly” (Exodus 1:13).Įventually, God heard their cries (Exodus 2:23-25) and sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them. “Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt” (Exodus 1:8), and soon, “the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites” (Exodus 1:12). Initially, they flourished under the leadership of Joseph, number two in charge of the country after Pharaoh. Israel’s history is an example of a very rough journey:Ī seven-year famine was responsible for God’s chosen people ending up in Egypt. There are ups and downs and potholes along the way. Like with any form of a journey, there are times when the roads are straight and times when they are winding. Ralph Waldo Emerson A journey is a common metaphor for life as it reminds us that the destination is not our only goal. ![]()
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