WEEK 9 Numbers
13
MONDAY Reflections
In this chapter, we are given the list of men who
are preparing to go into the promised land by tribes. This seems to be a very
fair and democratic way of doing things but as we will see the majority isn’t
always right. The truth is the majority is rarely correct, but that is a
subject for another day.
What I want to look at is a small note made in
verse 16 where we see that Moses had changed Oshea’s name to Joshua or Jehoshua
(This longer name is given in the King James Version, though the rest of the book
gives the shorter version, Joshua, is used). For many this may seem like a
small unimportant issue, Oshea means “help/salvation” where Joshua means “God
is my help/salvation.” Both mean help so what is the big deal. However, it does
when we consider who is doing the helping.
The name Oshea could mean that Oshea is the one
doing the work and bringing salvation. Considering how the children of Israel
loved to idolize their leaders (as do we), the name would have reaffirmed that
it was a man which brought them help and salvation. Oshea being chosen to
replace Moses and lead the people into the promised land could have become a
larger-than-life hero and superstar. The change in the name reminded everyone
that it wasn’t a man who was giving them victory but God. Every time they said
the name Joshua it was a reminder of who was really helping them and bring about
salvation. This name reminded everyone God was the one to glorify.
This also may have been a reminder to Oshea
himself, though we see no evidence of pride in Joshua. This name may have been
Moses’ idea and I can’t help but believe it was directed by God so I will say
this was God’s way to keep Oshea/Joshua humble. We see God using a thorn in the
flesh to keep Paul humble so why not a name change for someone who could be
easily tempted to become full of himself.
At the end of the day, what I see is God finding
yet another way to remind people who truly is in charge. I see God finding
another way to keep people or a person from going into sin. I see a God that is
good.
Num 13:1-33
(1) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
(2) Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.
(3) And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.
(4) And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
(5) Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
(6) Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
(7) Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
(8) Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
(9) Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
(10) Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
(11) Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
(12) Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
(13) Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
(14) Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
(15) Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
(16) These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.
(17) And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:
(18) And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;
(19) And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;
(20) And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.
(21) So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.
(22) And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
(23) And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
(24) The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.
(25) And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.
(26) And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.
(27) And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
(28) Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
(29) The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
(30) And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
(31) But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
(32) And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
(33) And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
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