| Joshua: Strength and Courage |
Joshua: Good Courage Comes
from Hearing God's Promise
from Hearing God's Promise
Joshua: Strength and Courage: Good Courage Comes from Hearing God’s Promise
Numbers 13
Big Idea: Good Courage Comes from Hearing God’s Promise
The time has come to test the people. Not because God doesn’t know how they are going to react and how
well they will do in taking the Promised Land, but because the people themselves need to know – for
themselves – if they are ready to take the land God has promised to give them.
Verses 1-16
The 2 spies that catch our attention are
Caleb of the tribe of Judah
Hoshea (Joshua) of the tribe of Ephraim (son of Joseph)
Verses 17-20
The Land and the People
1. strong or weak
2. few or many
3. land: good or bad
4. cities: camps or strongholds
5. land: rich or poor
6. land: trees or no trees
Notice that Moses tells them to be of good courage. There is good courage and there is bad courage.
Courage Quotes:
Eleanor Roosevelt: You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop
to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
James Freeman Clarke: Conscience is the root of all true courage; if a man would be brave let him obey his
conscience.
Theodore Roosevelt: It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled,
or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the
arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again
and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at
best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall
never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Robert Frost: The best way out is always through.
Mark Twain: Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear. Except a creature be part
coward it is not a compliment to say it is brave.
John Wayne: Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway.
Verses 21-24
This is the 1st time in over 400 years that a descendent of [Abraham, Isaac, and] Jacob have set foot in
Canaan. Imagine the excitement!
Verses 25-29
The spies brought back grapes with their report, giving us a time-frame and an example of the abundance of
the land.
40 days the spies spent in the land that not one of their people have seen in over 400 years.
Key to remember: This land is always described by God to His people as “the land I give to you.” This is what
10 of spies – and many of the people – will forget and thus will not have good courage.
The Spies Report:
- the land is flowing with milk and honey
- the people are strong
- the cities are fortified and large
- there are infamous people living there (nephilim and other “nations”)
Verses 30-33
Caleb gives his report:
- he quiets them (the people must have been agitated by the less than hopeful report)
- he says, in vs 30 – “We can do this!”
The 10 Respond:
- we can’t do this, they are too strong.
- The land devours its inhabitants (?)
- The people are “of great height” (giants)
- The nephilim live here (legendary giants)
And so with their hopeless report and response to Caleb, the 10 spies instigate a rebellion against Moses and
Aaron.
Numbers 14
Joshua and Caleb respond to the rebellion. (verses 7-9). But it is no use.
Now God responds. Verses 11-12. This is a test for Moses and Joshua. They must see for themselves that they
will not use this as an opportunity for their own selfish gain.
Vs. 20-38
God forgives (pardons) but there must be consequences.
10 times this generation put God to the test. And everyone who did put God to the test will not enter the
promised land. 10 times putting God to the test. 10 spies. Coincidence?
The consequences will be exactly what the people had said in 14:2. One year of wondering for every day the
spies where actually in the Promised Land.
Vs. 39-45
The rebellious people try to take the land themselves (“as long as we’re here….”) They are soundly defeated.
Numbers 13
Big Idea: Good Courage Comes from Hearing God’s Promise
The time has come to test the people. Not because God doesn’t know how they are going to react and how
well they will do in taking the Promised Land, but because the people themselves need to know – for
themselves – if they are ready to take the land God has promised to give them.
Verses 1-16
The 2 spies that catch our attention are
Caleb of the tribe of Judah
Hoshea (Joshua) of the tribe of Ephraim (son of Joseph)
Verses 17-20
The Land and the People
1. strong or weak
2. few or many
3. land: good or bad
4. cities: camps or strongholds
5. land: rich or poor
6. land: trees or no trees
Notice that Moses tells them to be of good courage. There is good courage and there is bad courage.
Courage Quotes:
Eleanor Roosevelt: You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop
to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
James Freeman Clarke: Conscience is the root of all true courage; if a man would be brave let him obey his
conscience.
Theodore Roosevelt: It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled,
or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the
arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again
and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at
best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall
never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Robert Frost: The best way out is always through.
Mark Twain: Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear. Except a creature be part
coward it is not a compliment to say it is brave.
John Wayne: Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway.
Verses 21-24
This is the 1st time in over 400 years that a descendent of [Abraham, Isaac, and] Jacob have set foot in
Canaan. Imagine the excitement!
Verses 25-29
The spies brought back grapes with their report, giving us a time-frame and an example of the abundance of
the land.
40 days the spies spent in the land that not one of their people have seen in over 400 years.
Key to remember: This land is always described by God to His people as “the land I give to you.” This is what
10 of spies – and many of the people – will forget and thus will not have good courage.
The Spies Report:
- the land is flowing with milk and honey
- the people are strong
- the cities are fortified and large
- there are infamous people living there (nephilim and other “nations”)
Verses 30-33
Caleb gives his report:
- he quiets them (the people must have been agitated by the less than hopeful report)
- he says, in vs 30 – “We can do this!”
The 10 Respond:
- we can’t do this, they are too strong.
- The land devours its inhabitants (?)
- The people are “of great height” (giants)
- The nephilim live here (legendary giants)
And so with their hopeless report and response to Caleb, the 10 spies instigate a rebellion against Moses and
Aaron.
Numbers 14
Joshua and Caleb respond to the rebellion. (verses 7-9). But it is no use.
Now God responds. Verses 11-12. This is a test for Moses and Joshua. They must see for themselves that they
will not use this as an opportunity for their own selfish gain.
Vs. 20-38
God forgives (pardons) but there must be consequences.
10 times this generation put God to the test. And everyone who did put God to the test will not enter the
promised land. 10 times putting God to the test. 10 spies. Coincidence?
The consequences will be exactly what the people had said in 14:2. One year of wondering for every day the
spies where actually in the Promised Land.
Vs. 39-45
The rebellious people try to take the land themselves (“as long as we’re here….”) They are soundly defeated.
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