Today I read Numbers 13 where the Israelites send in 12 men to spy out the land that God had promised them. One man from each tribe of Israel was sent out to spy the land and return with some of the fruit of the land. The men came back with plenty of fruit and a good report of the land itself and its bounties, however the people/inhabitants of the land were very over exaggerated.
The scriptures state that the men brought back an evil report, except for Caleb who encouraged the Israelites to go into the land and said that their numbers were easily enough to overcome them. The other ten spies however disagreed with him and shut him down saying they had seen giants and that the cities of the land were walled and very tall.
I have often wondered if the ten spies were just scared to go into Israel against those people or was it something else. I don't really think that it would be called an evil report if they were driven by fear. I think for some reason the ten men did not want to go into the city. Or perhaps it was a lack of faith in God that He would help them. I really don't know but I do know that only Caleb and, as we will find out in the next chapter, Joshua brought back a report saying the Israelites were sufficiently strong to enter into the land. And as we will find out in the next chapter they are punished for it. That is part of what makes me think it was more than just fear. Heavenly Father is kind and loving to His people and I don't think He would be angry with people who are just afraid, I think there was something else going on that we are not told about. Maybe we will know the truth one day of what happened, or rather, the complete story. Until tomorrow.
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