tall dudes

I'm reading Hebrews 3 with my college girls, which means I'm all about that Moses. So I'm also digging through Exodus and Numbers. And I came to Numbers 13-14. (Recap: The Israelites send their spies into Canaan, some of the spies are a little wimpy so they come back like, "Those are some bad dudes up in there, we can't take 'em," and the Israelites FREAK OUT; God wants to smite 'em, Moses saves 'em (again), the end.)

It's really quite stunning.

Here are these folks who've been delivered from the hand of Pharoah. They've seen signs and wonders galore. I mean, like, THE PASSOVER, hello. The Red Sea parted for them, and then swallowed their enemies. They done got that bread. They were swimming in quail, y'all.

But one scary report. That's all it took.

They are right on the brink of the promised land. The spies came back with handfuls of delicious food, evidence that this is in fact the place of superior milk AND honey. It's over. They did it. In fact, when the Lord sends them in, he says "Hey! Walk up into this land I'm giving you!"

But they get one look at some tall dudes whose fortress-building game is strong, and they are OUT. They don't just doubt. They're not just a little nervous. They're effing weeping. They're talking s*** about Moses and Aaron.

They are standing in front of the door on the other side of which is Disney World, talking about, "We should have just died in Egypt, or even in the wilderness. That would have been better than this. Wait, maybe we can go back -- Hey! Y'all wanna go back to Egypt? Let's go back to Egypt, you guys. Slavery is better than fear."

Oooh though. Slavery. Is. Better. Than. Fear.

I think that's me. I think I live that way. I think God is giving me things, things I have prayed and begged for, things for which I have wandered around in the wilderness. But then I see a tall dude, and I'm out. I see a challenge. I see a contradiction. I see hard work. I see a hater. And I'm out.

That's all it takes to forget the promises of God. One scary report.

What do Caleb and Joshua tell the people though? Essentially?

God is with us.

God is with me.