KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRUTH AND SOWING FEAR – WHAT MADE GOD ANGRY?

Look at Caleb, Joshua, and the children of Israel. The 12 scouts were sent by Moses to explore the land.

Numbers 13: 17-20 (NLT)
^{17 “}Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land: ‘Go north through the Negev into the hill country.¹⁸ See what the land is like, and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. ¹⁹ See what kind of land they live in. Is it good or bad? Do their towns have walls, or are they unprotected like open camps?²⁰ Is the soil fertile or poor? Are there many trees? Do your best to bring back samples of the crops you see.’ (It happened to be the season for harvesting the first ripe grapes.)”

They all saw the same place that God had promised — a land of milk and honey.  There were giants in the land — fierce enemies squatting there. However, Caleb and Joshua were so excited to see that what God had promised them was true, and they did not fear the giants.

They came back with proof of the fruits of the land to encourage the people of the good blessings that were ahead just as God had promised.

The other 10 scouts only focused on the giants and reported a fearful report to the people. It was truth; however, it was looking past the power, providence, and promises of God.

Numbers 13:27-28 (NLT)
 ^{27 “}This was their report to Moses: ‘We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. ²⁸ But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!'”

Numbers 13: 30-33 (NLT)
^{30 “}But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. ‘Let’s go at once to take the land,’ he said. ‘We can certainly conquer it!’

^{31 “}But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. ‘We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!’ ³² So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: ‘The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. ³³ We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!’”

They all went to the same place! They all saw the same things. They all came back and reported truth. However, God became angry with those who reported the negative report which allowed fear to run through the camp of the people of Israel. God wanted to destroy them for not believing  him for the good land, but Moses interceded for them. Instead, they got 40 years in the desert. They would die, and the next generation would get the land of promise.

Caleb and Joshua were rewarded for their faith in God, and God kept them healthy and strong so they could enter the promised land and receive the blessing.

Numbers 14: 20-24 (NLT)
^{20 “}Then the Lord said, ‘I will pardon them as you have requested. ²¹ But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, ²² not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. ²³ They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. ²⁴ But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land.'”

Note: Truth is truth, but if it causes fear and keeps people’s focus off of God and His promises, it is unpleasing in the sight of God!!