JESUS and Faith (Num.13-14)

The Israelites reached the land of Canaan, the land that God promised to them.  Moses then sent out 12 men to spy out the land.  When they returned, ten of the men were afraid and gave a bad report about what they had seen and what they thought, advising that it was a very bad idea to go into the land, which got the people anxious and riled up.  Two of the men, Joshua and Caleb, had a lot of faith in the LORD and gave a truthful report,  advising the people that they should move forward.

      (Numbers13:8-11)  "If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” 10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.

11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?..."

This totally parallels how some people respond to Jesus.  They think they need more proof.  IF they would just see a miracle, THEN they would believe... yet in both the Old and New Testament times, people got to see these miracles, and still chose not to have faith, not to believe, not to accept Jesus.

Back to the scripture passage, the Israelites just saw the "glory of the Lord appear" - right in front of them - but did not trust or believe in the LORD.  And so the LORD was ready to destroy the people, but Moses pleads with Him.  The outcome of that is...

     (Numbers 14:21-23)  So the Lord said, “I have pardoned them according to your word;  21 but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. 22 Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, 23 shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. 24 But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land..."

This outcome parallels what happens when we DO put our faith in Jesus - we get to see heaven.  If we do not, then we do not get to experience heaven.

     (Numbers 14:36-37)  As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, 37 even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the Lord.  38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land.

Simple as that.  Believe and live...

     (John 1:25-26)  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die..."