Nevertheless
Israel was a whole; it was a congregation. You will notice over and over again in the Old Testament that it refers to the congregation of Israel, the children of Israel, as one, as we are one body in Yahshua (Jesus). “…and they [the twelve spies] brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land” [to strengthen and encourage them]. “We went into the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit” (Numbers 13:26-27).
Then the spies started to fail as their flesh entered their thoughts. They said, “Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of the Anak there [they were giants]. Amalek is living in the land of the Negev [arch enemies of Israel] and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan” (Numbers 13:28-29).
All Israel’s enemies are there ready to devour them; yet Yahveh (the LORD) says, “Look at the fruit I created to feed you, I promised to bring you into this land. I did miracles to get you this far.” But there was such a commotion because of the “nevertheless,” all of a sudden everybody’s flesh, fears, and doubts were stimulated. It was an epidemic. We can have an epidemic of faith to either encourage one another in our faith—or spread fear so quickly.
Then Caleb, one of the spies, immediately stood up, for he understood what was happening, “Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, ‘We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it’” (Numbers 13:30). HalleluYAH, a man of great faith!
“But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.’ So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, ‘The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.’ There also we saw the Nephilim … and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:31-33).
If they had thought, “we are mighty through Yahveh (the LORD) who pulls down every stronghold, through the conquering of every enemy by the power of His Spirit,” their faith in Him would have shown forth. Instead, they projected just what they felt, fear and lack of faith. If we have a lack of faith, we can be sure the enemy will say, “We have a vulnerable target.”
