Numbers 13:31-32 “… ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.’ And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored….”
Do you recognize these names: Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi and Geuel? Probably not. These are the ten out of twelve men Moses sent to spy out the land God promised to give Israel after their exodus from Egypt. Although the spies acknowledged Canaan “flowed with milk and honey,” they filled the people with fear when they described the giants who lived there. No way could Israel’s ragtag army take the land from them!
But it was never about them taking the land. It was about God taking the land through them. A fact not lost on the other two spies, Joshua and Caleb—names I’m sure you’re familiar with. These two men had the faith to believe God would help them. Their faith infused them with courage not only to take on Canaan’s giants, but to stand up to their faithless brothers. They weren’t afraid to be mocked and ridiculed. To speak the truth when about a million people stood against them. We know today which ones landed on the right side of history.
The ten had experienced God’s miracles when leaving Egypt. They walked under the protection and guidance of the cloud by day and the fire by night. Excuseless, they knew what God had done for them, but they refused to believe he would help them overcome the obstacles they now faced. They became spineless cowards.
Joshua and Caleb stand in stark contrast. They believed God would give them the land, and their unshakeable faith resulted in a legacy of courage. The kind we still name our kids after. I’ve known a number of Joshuas and Calebs over my life, but I’ve never met one Shammua or Igal,
Who wouldn’t want to leave a legacy of courage?
It begins with believing God. Then standing strong against all the arguments that deny his power. No small task in today’s culture of doubt, fear and skepticism. But God encourages us to stand like those two faithful spies. So let’s not let our legacy die in the desert for lack of faith.
Let’s keep believing. Let’s leave a legacy of courage.