Paul was God's instrument to bring the Gospel to the world. He was given visions into the third heaven and had seen things no human eye was meant to see. Yet he never considered himself anything. Of all the Apostles, he was the least. Why? Because Paul remembered where God had brought him from. He remembered persecuting the early church. Perhaps the vision of the stoning of Stephen, the first martyr, haunted his dreams. We should be so haunted by our past as well. Just enough to always remember the Damascus Road God had to find us on. Just enough to keep us humble.
The second thing the Israelites took for granted is the miraculous provision of God in their lives. When they left Egypt, they plundered their former slave masters. God led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He parted the Red Sea and gave them water from a rock. But perhaps the greatest provision would be manna from heaven:
The LORD said to Moses, "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.'" Exodus 16: 12
The Lord supernaturally provided quail and manna. It literally rained down bread for the Israelites as they pursued their Promised Land. We too can attest to the supernatural provision of the Lord in our lives. Medical reports that confound the doctors of the world. Manna rained down into our moments of need. Yet despite these provisions in our lives we can lapse into a "what have you done for me lately mentality." We can begin to think that we know better than God. That if His answer is no, that somehow He must be mistaken.
That is where we find our key verses today. The Israelites had finally arrived at the land promised to their forefathers by God. A land flowing with milk and honey. A good land with many provisions. Upon arriving at the outskirts of Canaan, Moses sends out 12 spies into the land. It was indeed all God had promised:
When they reached the Valley of Eshkol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. Numbers 13: 23 (NIV)
That's some pretty big grapes! But the vegetation aside, when the 12 came back there was a difference of opinion between what was reported to Moses and the rest of the Israelites. Here was the report of the first ten spies:
They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan." Numbers 13: 27-29 (NIV)
Yet here was the report of the remaining two spies:
Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them." Numbers 14: 6-9 (NIV)
