Chapter 15—The Twelve Spies
The Lord commanded Moses to send men to search the land of
Canaan, which He would give unto the children of Israel. A ruler from
each tribe was to be selected for this purpose. They went; and after
forty days they returned from their search, and came before Moses and
Aaron, and all the congregation of Israel, and showed them the fruit of
the land. All agreed that it was a good land, and they exhibited the rich
fruit which they had brought as evidence. One cluster of grapes was
so large that two men carried it between them on a staff. They also
brought of the figs and pomegranates which grew there in abundance.
After they had spoken of the fertility of the land, all but two spoke
very discouragingly of their ability to possess it. They said that the
people were very strong that dwelt in the land, and the cities were
surrounded with great and high walls, and, more than all this, they
saw the children of the giant Anak there. They then described how
the people were situated around Canaan and expressed the fear that it
would be impossible for them ever to possess this land.
As the people listened to this report, they gave vent to their dis-
appointment in bitter reproaches and wailing. They did not wait to
reflect and reason that God, who had brought them out thus far, would
certainly give them the land. They left God out of the question. They
acted as though in taking the city of Jericho, the key to the land of
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Canaan, they must depend solely on the power of arms. God had
declared that He would give them the country, and they should have
fully trusted Him to fulfill His word. But their unsubdued hearts were
not in harmony with His plans. They did not reflect how wonderfully
He had wrought in their behalf, bringing them out of their Egyptian
bondage, cutting a path for them through the waters of the sea, and
destroying the pursuing host of Pharaoh. In their unbelief they were
limiting the work of God and distrusting the hand that had hitherto
safely guided them. In this instance they repeated their former error
of murmuring against Moses and Aaron. “This, then, is the end of all
our high hopes,” said they. “This is the land we have traveled all the
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