"Send Out Men, If You Please"
Numbers
13:1-15:41; Joshua 2:1-24; Hebrews 3:7-19
5767
The opening of this week's parsha is one of the best known events in the Torah. It begins with the account of the spies sent in to check out the land of Canaan. The spies were chosen and then sent forth to travel the land and return with the report of what the people would encounter when they took the land. It is important to note that it was not wrong for the spies to go into the land. It also was not wrong for them to report what they found in the land even though it was not a good report. What was wrong was that the spies and the people left the might and power of G-D out of the equation. The things the spies said were true; the people were bigger and more powerful then the Israelites. On their own, the Israelites would have been defeated. But the Israelites were not on their own; they were led by G-D. This is also a reality in our lives. The things we see around us many times are overwhelming, the enemy seems larger and more powerful, the obstacles too great to overcome. These reports can be true and would be if we were on our own standing against them. But we are not; greater is He that is in us then He that is in the World. There is nothing too big for G-D to defeat. We need to plan and count the cost of those things in our lives. But while counting let us never forget who is with us. G-D is an ever present help in times of trouble.
5766
This week�s parsha contains the narrative of the sending of the spies into the Promised Land. These were distinguished men chosen because they were leaders. Their job was to look over the land and see if it was just as G-D had told the Israelites it would be. They traveled the Land and found, interestingly enough, that the Land was exactly as G-D had promised it would be. After they walked the length and breadth of the Land, ten of the twelve spies felt that even though the Land was just as they were promised it would be, they should not enter it because of the giants who dwelled there. We can look back at the men in this account and wonder how after only two years these leaders of the tribes of Israel had lost faith in the ability of G-D to do what He said He would do. They had seen wonders and miracles. They had heard the voice come from the mountain. Yet with all of this history of G-D continuously keeping His word, these men made a choice to not enter into the Land. They saw the promise, they saw it right before their eyes. It was everything they expected it would be. Yet because of lack of faith they would choose not only not to enter themselves but also to make the choice that none of the people from their tribes would enter either. Another word for tribes is families. The reason that I bring this up is that we as believers also have promises that have been made to us. These promises are just as sure as those that were made to the Children of Israel in the wilderness. The only thing that can keep us from these promises is ourselves, if we choose to not believe that G-D can and will do what He has promised. We also need to always remember that when we choose to not have faith in G-D that choice also affects our families. Our children see our faith, or lack thereof, and the result is how they see G-D. What choice will you make as you stand just short of receiving your promises today? Will you stand at the edge of a miracle and choose to live short of the blessings of G-D or will you believe G-D�s word and enter the Land knowing He will bring every promise to pass. Remember, this decision will affect your family.
5765
This weeks Parsha begins with Moshe sending the spies out to look over the land of Israel. Verse 2 says:
2 “Send men on your behalf to reconnoiter the land of Kena‘an, which I am giving to the people of Isra’el. >From each ancestral tribe send someone who is a leader in his tribe.”
Notice the middle of the verse G-D clearly tells them that this land is a gift from Him to the children of Israel. These spies were told to look at the land, look at how large the people were, look at all of the problems and troubles Israel would have in taking the land. However, (Ben notice use of comma) no matter how hard it would be for Israel to take the land from the inhabitants that information would be irrelevant, because if they had faith in G-D’s promises they would not have to take it they instead would only have to receive the gift of the land from G-d. This lesson is very relevant to us today as we live our lives for G-D according to His word we know there are many promises for us. Our lives are to be complete in Him knowing that every promise G-D made is sure. However we spend a lot of time “looking over the land” looking at how hard it is going to be for us to earn the promises of G-D how are we going to take the promises of G-D from this world. This thinking causes doubts and fears and leads us into places where we travel through the wilderness of our life seeming to walk endlessly searching for the promises that are standing right in front of us if we would just walk in the steps of G-D and allow him to provide for us. It is not a matter of ignoring the giants in the land instead it is a matter of knowing that to us the giants should not matter because we do not have to deliver ourselves G-D is going to deliver us and fulfill all of His Promises.