Today's Reading:
Matthew 20:1-16
Numbers 13-14
Ecclesiastes 9:1-12
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| Listen to the Bible |
Thoughts and Commentary on Today's Reading:
In Numbers 13-14, we have the story of the 12 spies being chosen and sent to spy out the land of Canaan on behalf of Israel. Having completed their travels in the Wilderness from Egypt to the very borders of Canaan, Israel stood ready to finally partake of all that God had promised them in this goodly land.
But were the people merely exaggerating? Were their "giants" in the land? Let's look back at the Bible record, along with a few historical resources. We'll start with the Bible story of Israel being attacked by Amalekites while they were camped at Rephidim (which is where water flowed from the rock).
"The Amalekites came and attacked the
Israelites at Rephidim…” Exodus 17:8-16
It was because of this malicious attack, that
Yahweh later judged and punished the Amalekite nation.
"Samuel
said to Saul, ‘I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over His people
Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. This is what the LORD
Almighty says: "I will punish
the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came
up from Egypt. 1 Samuel 15:1-6
Still, the Bible does not connect the
Amalekite nation with the giant Sons of Anak. This connection is found by
researching one of the Hebrew terms for “giants,” that being “nefilim.” The Nefilim bene (sons of) Anak, were
“giants” of the Amalekite race, as it says in the online Jewish Encyclopedia.
The Hebrew "nefilim bene 'Anaḳ" (Num. xiii. 33) are called
"jabbarun" in the Koran (sura v. 25), and "jababirah" in
other works, both words being the plural of "jabbar" (giant). In the
Koran (l.c.) giants are
mentioned in connection with the twelve spies sent by Moses to explore the land
of Canaan. According to Mas'udi, the giants were of the Amalekite race. (JewishEncyclopedia.com)
Thus, the sons of Anak, as we have seen, were of the Amalekite nation. And the Bible tells us that they were “giants.” The word "giant," can be accurately translated as "burly," "a tyrant," or "giant." This indicates that they were not only large in size, but also they were fierce. And the Israelite warriors appeared to themselves as “grasshoppers” in comparison (Numbers 13:33).
There is linguistic (through the Hebrew word
“nefilim”) and archaeological
evidence to support the theory that these sons of Anak were physically giants.
One such archaeological find is a human femur bone, held by a six-foot tall man
in the photo on the next page. A femur bone of this size would have been part
of a twelve-foot tall person. Clearly, the Bible means exactly what it says
when we read, “There were giants in the
earth in those days...” (Genesis 6:4).
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| Og of Bashan compared to a 6' tall man |
Not
only were there giants among the people of Amalek, the sons of Anak also dwelt
in the regions of Edom and Moab, bordering Canaan. These people, known in that
region as the Rephaim or Anakim, were known by the Moabites to
also be descendants of Anak. They were
known by other names, as well. The Moabites called them "Emins," and the Ammonites called them
"Zamzummims."
These Rephaim were of the nine nations living
in Palestine at the time God
promised the land to Abraham (Genesis 15:20). Og, King of Bashan, was one of
the Rephaim, taken out by the
Israelites under Joshua (Deuteronomy 3:11, Joshua 12:4; 13:12.) By the
measurements, given of his bed, we can determine that Og, also, was of giant size.
It is
thought that the giants among the Philistines may have been remnants from these
tall and fierce people, who had occupied the valleys of Alush and Rephidim (2 Samuel
21:1; 1 Chronicles 2). The Bible records
that Goliath of Gath was about six cubits and a span in height (1 Samuel 17:4).
In modern measurements, this means he was about ten and a half feet tall. The Children
of Israel were comparable in size to modern man, so we can see why
they referred to themselves as “grasshoppers.”
Let us consider the story of the spies and
their report. Twelve trusted men, “elders,” of Israel were sent to scout out
the land, as recorded in Numbers Twelve and Fourteen. Each tribe had chosen one
of their own most gallant leaders to represent them in this party of surveyors.
Perhaps each spy was to determine the portion of land for their tribe.
But while the twelve were all similarly
chosen and sent out for the same purpose, their final reports were very
different. Ten of the spies were discouraged by what they found in Canaan...
Faith,
which is defined as “visualizing what God intends to do in a given situation
and acting in harmony with it,” was far from their minds.
Rather than keeping their spiritual eyes firmly upon Yahweh, the vision of
these ten spies seemed blocked by giants. Having seen many of the giant sons of
Anak roaming the Canaan land, these ten faithless scouts were actually worried
that they could not (even with Yahweh’s help) conquer this earthly foe.
Just
for a moment, let us consider the foolishness of this faithless perspective, since it is so easy for us to fall into similar faithlessness when facing the "giants" of our own crises. In
order for us to fear earthly “giants,” we must have lost our comprehension of
Yahweh. Fearing an earthly foe is about as silly as a paramecium in a
scientist’s petri dish believing its protist predators are the most fearsome
enemy in all the universe. And this viewpoint negates the fact that our
Heavenly “Scientist,” in this analogy, has the power to obliterate anything in
that dish in a single breath.
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“By doubting Yahweh’s ability
to deliver us from any foe… we have unwittingly demonstrated a belief that the enemy’s power is greater than God’s.”
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As the previous picture shows, our world, which
astronauts have described as a “mote of dust,” is but a speck among Yahweh’s Creation,
in our own solar system alone. Yet our solar star is one of an estimated one
hundred billion, located within the Milky Way; a galaxy so vast it would take
100,000 years, traveling at the speed of light, to cross it. And our galaxy is but one among another
hundred billion galaxies encompassing the known universe.
The God we worship is the Creator of all this. How foolish then that our
problems becomes so large in our eyes that they seem to encompass the whole
universe, surpassing the Creator’s might and power!
Actually such an
earthly viewpoint is one of the worst and most dangerous forms of idolatry. By
doubting Yahweh’s ability to deliver us from any foe, no matter how dark or
demonic, we have unwittingly demonstrated a belief that this enemy’s power is
greater than God’s.
This is why the
Bible instructs us repeatedly to “fear not.” In fact, the command not to fear
appears (in one form or another) in the Bible a total of three hundred and
sixty-five times! That’s one “fear not” command for each day of the solar year.
For those who
continue to walk in fear, despite all that Yahweh has promised and commanded,
Canaan (the ultimate Promised Land) is an impossible goal. Like the Children of Israel, who could not enter
physical Canaan because of their idolatrous fear of the giants, so those who
are fearful in the end of time will come short of the glory of God. Ultimately,
the fearful are the first ones cast into the Lake of Fire.
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and
he shall be My son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death, Revelation 21:7-8.
In truth, Yahweh
is not powerless to aid His people in facing the “giants.” In fact, He is all
powerful! As the Bible tells us in numerous ways and places, Yahweh is
Almighty. He is the One in charge of our lives. And He will deliver His people,
if we will trust Him.
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither
His ear heavy, that it cannot hear, Isaiah 59:1.
God is in the midst of her (His people) she shall not be moved: God shall
help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He
uttered His Voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of
Jacob is our refuge… He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He
breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariot in
the fire. Be still, and know that I am
God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of
Jacob is our refuge, Psalm 46:10-11.
In light of
this, there is no factual basis for Yahweh’s people to fear an enemy. Rather
the temptation to fear is born of a distorted perspective which reduces Yahweh
in our eyes, until we have “Earth-sized” Him, while magnifying our adversaries or trying situation.
Do you belong to God? Are you His Blood-bought child? If so, the truth is this: God is with you - you are not to fear!
Numbers 14:9 "...Rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not."
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