Deuteronomy 1:23–25

True, in the history given in Numbers, the Lord told Moses to send the spies. But why? Because of the moral condition of the people. Here we see the characteristic difference and yet the lovely harmony of the two books. Numbers gives us the public history. Deuteronomy gives us the secret source behind sending the spies... We could not fully understand the subject if we had only the history given in Numbers. It is the touching commentary given in Deuteronomy which completes the picture.

Then comes the account of the inner motives for the sending of the spies. This is well to note, as we would not have discovered it from the book of Numbers. This is not a repeat of the story. It leads us into things that were secret — what was working in the people and holding back their blessing. The main point to notice is that the people had no spirit of obedience. They lacked it because they had no faith in God.

The wrong was not in the act of sending them when they were told, but in the wish to send them at all. The wish was the fruit of unbelief; and the command to send them was because of that unbelief.

God commands many things, and we are bound to do them as soon as He commands them. His ways are displayed in how they turn out. Yet the only reason for them is our lack of faith. So the outcome gives full confirmation to the faith of the faithful, the faith of the remnant. But unbelief reaps what it has sown.

Deuteronomy 1:21 gives the answer. There we find the word of the Lord God: "Go up, take possession" — not search it. The people say they will send men to spy out the land. This is disobedience. Moses is pleased with their proposal. Was it faith to be pleased? Why listen to the people when God had said, "Go up and take possession"? It is at least weak to encourage others in a faithless path. Still, God heard their words and tested the people. Now He gives the command, "Send men."

But look — they search the land for forty days, only to prove that God's word about it is true. It was really unbelief that sent out these spies. Do I need to search and see whether God is true? Certainly not. Have I any reason to doubt Him? Not at all.

At first the report brought to Moses is in a right spirit. But the difficulties show up at once, and unbelief measures them by man instead of by God.

The Lord sanctioned it, but it was still the working of unbelief. Instead of going on in simple faith, how often we raise a cloud of questions to get a human estimate of a thing. In the end we only find that the walls are up to heaven. Instead of doing the thing that has to be done, we look at every question and difficulty anyone can raise. And so it ended in their not going into the land at all.

Then comes the relation of the inner motives for the sending of the spies. This it is well to note, as we should not have discovered it from the Book of Numbers. What we have here is not a repetition; it leads us into things secret — what worked in the people and hindered their blessing. The chief point to observe is that there was not a spirit of obedience in the people, and this they lacked because there was no faith in God.

"You came near to me, every one of you, and said, We will send men before us." And Moses adds, "The saying pleased me well." The LORD sanctioned it, but still it was the working of unbelief. Instead of going on in simple faith, how often do we raise a cloud of questions to get a human estimate of a thing! Then at last we find out that the walls are up to heaven. Instead of doing the thing that needs doing, we look at all the questions and difficulties anyone can raise. And so it ended in their not going into the land at all.

It is called both a brook and a valley, because the one ran in the other. It is now called a Wady, and these are very common in Palestine. It was near Hebron, the place explored by the spies, and from where they carried the huge bunch of grapes.

"... and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God gives us." How could it be otherwise, when God was giving it? Did they want spies to tell them that the gift of God was good? Certainly they ought not. A simple faith would have argued like this: "Whatever God gives must be worthy of Himself; we want no spies to assure us of this."

The report of Canaan had reached them through Moses long before this. The spies also bring back a report of it: surely it was a good land, flowing with milk and honey. But they did more, something which Moses their redeemer from Egypt had never done: they presented a cluster of grapes and said, this is the fruit of it. They offered a sample, a first-fruits... He gives an earnest as well as a report. He did so in Israel's days by the spies... and He does so in this age of ours among His elect by the gospel and the indwelling of His Spirit. The Spirit gives the soul enjoyment of the things reported in the word, like a sample or foretaste.

He confines himself to that portion of their testimony which was according to truth. He says nothing about the ten unbelieving spies. This is in perfect keeping with the scope and object of the book. Everything is brought to bear, in a moral way, on the conscience of the people. He reminds them that they themselves had proposed to send the spies. The spies had placed the fruit of the land before them and testified to its goodness. And yet they would not go up... There was no excuse whatever.

What we have here is not a repetition; it leads us into things secret — what worked in the people and hindered their blessing. The chief point to observe is that there was not a spirit of obedience in the people, and this they lacked because there was no faith in God.

This spying out the land started with the people, not with God. We need not wonder, then, that it ends badly. Yet God sanctions it: how much may He have to sanction in this way — things that must be, because of what we are! And how much trial does our unbelief make necessary for us! He had told them all they needed to know of the goodness of the land, and assured them of His gift of it to them.

Here was their authority to take possession at once. The Lord their God had given them the land, and set it before them. It was theirs by His free gift, the gift of His sovereign grace… There was no need of spies. Faith never wants to spy what God has given. It argues that what He has given must be worth having. It argues too that He is able to put us in full possession of all that His grace has given.

The report of Canaan had reached them through Moses long before this, and the spies bring a report of it too… But they did more. They did something that Moses, their redeemer from Egypt, had never done. They presented a cluster of grapes, and said, this is the fruit of it. They offered a sample, first-fruits… It is part of the divine plan to give earnests as well as reports. This is essential and not accidental.

There was no disputing the report of the spies; these grapes told of the goodness of the land. It was a land that produced such fruit. So when the Holy Spirit brings the earnest to us of our joy and glory, who would dispute it? Who does not feel that it is worth anything along the way to get there? The earnest is so sweet!

He confines himself to that portion of their testimony which was according to truth. He says nothing about the ten unbelieving spies. This is in perfect keeping with the scope and object of the book. Everything presses, in a moral way, on the conscience of the people… The spies had placed the fruit of the land before them and testified to its goodness. Still they would not go up.

Instead of taking courage to go forward, they complained against the Lord. They did so because the spies told them the people of the land were greater and taller than the Israelites. Why then did they refuse to believe His word about His promise to put down their enemies? Their fear and apprehension defeated them before they took one step forward. Do we not also defeat ourselves by our fears of what might happen, even when we have the Lord's word for acting?

Suppose we can say, "This is the fruit of the land which the Lord has given us." Suppose our hearts' affections are dwelling on the land. Then all the strength of the Anakim is as nothing… But the moment we lose the awareness of what is ours, the moment we forget that the Lord has given us the land, difficulties and trials fill our mind. They become too great for us.