The Hebrews Fail God

MEMORY VERSE: “So we see because of unbelief.” —Hebrews 3:19

NUMBERS 13:17, 18, 25, 30, 31; 14:1-3, 26-32

HEBREWS 11:6 reads, “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” The Hebrews who were miraculously delivered from Egypt and brought safely across the Red Sea failed God, hence were not pleasing to him, because they lacked faith in his ability to help them overcome the Canaanites.

God places a high premium on faith, a faith that is demonstrated by works. Abraham, the father of the Hebrew people, became the friend of God because of his faith. (James 2:23; Isa. 41:8) Faith and confidence are the basis of all true friendships. How could two people truly be friends if they did not have faith in each other?

God delivered the descendants of Abraham, his friend, from Egypt, and proposed to take them into the land which he had promised to him; but they failed him, in that they did not that they could not have the necessary faith in him and in his ability to fulfill his promise to Abraham.

The Lord instructed Moses to send spies into Canaan to gather information which would be needed when they entered and undertook the task of conquering the land. There were to be twelve of these spies—one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, and the men selected were to be rulers in their tribes. They were to spend thirty days in Canaan, which was sufficient to gather all the information which would be needed.

There is nothing in the Lord’s instructions to indicate that the spies were delegated to ascertain whether or not the Israelites would be able to defeat the Canaanites and conquer the land. So far as the Lord was concerned this was taken for granted. It was simply that in his wisdom he realized that it would be an advantage for the Israelites to have advance information as to what to expect when they crossed over Jordan into Canaan, so that they might be properly prepared for what they would find.

And this was also the viewpoint of two of the spies—Caleb and Joshua—for when they returned to the camp of Israel they reported that Canaan was a good land, and fertile; and expressed their belief that with God’s help they would be able to possess it. The other ten spies agreed as to the quality of the land, but expressed their opinion, based on their unbelief, that the Israelites would not be able to take possession of this rich country.

Most of the Israelites agreed with the majority report: “And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?”—Num. 14:1.3

This murmuring, while intended by the Israelites to be against Moses and Aaron, was in reality against the Lord, and it was due to their lack of faith in his ability to care for them. Having expressed the wish to die in the wilderness rather that to attempt the conquering of Canaan, God took them at their word: “As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me.”—Num. 14:28,29

Hebrews 3:16 reads, “For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.” This reminds us that there were some among those ancient Israelites who believed. Caleb and Joshua were among these. The real value of the lesson to us, as our memory verse emphasizes, is the fact that it was unbelief that hindered the majority of the Israelites from entering into the Promised Land. Let us take heed that we do not develop an evil heart of unbelief.—Heb. 3:12

QUESTIONS

What hindered the majority of the Israelites who left Egypt from entering Canaan?

Why was Abraham called the friend of God?

Relate the story of the spies.

What is the value of this lesson to us?

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