Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Friday, March 31, 2017
In verses 4-15, a roster is given of the twelve spies because 10 of them are going to come back with a negative report and two of them are going to come back with a positive report.
1. What is the terrain like? Num 13:18 "And see what the land is like.
2. The spies were to see what the people who live in it are like.
We have to know something about the people or the problem we are about to conquer.
3. The third part of the field order is also found in verse 18, whether they are few or many.
A reconnaissance is a military survey of enemy territory to gain information.
EPH 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places
4. The fourth part of the reconnaissance is whether the land is good or bad, Num 13:19 "and how is the land in which they live, is it good or bad?
5. The fifth item on the reconnaissance report And how are the cities in which they live, are {they} like {open} camps or with fortifications?
6. The 6th item is the land or agricultural reconnaissance.
7. The 7th item, Are there trees in it or not?
They would need building material for permanent homes, as well as other things.
They all had the potential but whether potential ever materializes or not depends on doctrine metabolized in the soul.
True greatness in the spiritual life must depend on metabolize doctrine in the right lobe of the soul.
One of them is Caleb from the tribe of Judah.
What he reported was divine viewpoint because he had a lot of doctrine in his heart.
Joshua is from the tribe of Ephrahim, the tribe of Joseph's older son.
Prin-Only Caleb and Joshua had the spiritual strength to lift the shield of faith under pressure.
Reconnaissance should be made by leaders so that they can estimate the situation first hand......just like you should when it comes to knowing your enemy.
The first test was a test of leadership in the tribes of Israel and only Caleb and Joshua passed that test.
This will determine whether you will be a follower or a leader when faced with a pressure situation, such as the giants in the land.
The basic area of leadership that we all have in common is leadership and responsibility over our very own soul.
1. The existence of authority demands the function of leadership.
It all begins with the fact that all of you have authority over your own soul.
2. Leadership is the authority, ability, and capacity, to direct, to guide, to lead, to motivate, to control in any organization where legitimate authority exists.
3. Therefore, leadership is the responsibility of authority.
4. A leader must possess either human or spiritual self-esteem, so that he does not feel threatened by any form of pressure from personnel or from malfunction in any organization.
5. A leader must have an organized life.
His thinking must be organized; his motivation must be consistent; his decisions and actions must follow his motivation in consistency.
6. There is a fantastic difference between leadership and popularity. Not everyone who is popular is a leader and not everyone who is a leader is popular.
The basis for leadership is honor, virtue, integrity. 7. A leader must lead and not follow.
The second is the test of the Exodus generation, and with few exceptions they all flunked the test under operation cry-baby as we will see.
Operation cry-baby is the test that led to isolation and the accumulation of scar tissue on the soul.
Ahiman is one of the three famous giants from the race of the Anakim. Sheshai was eventually slain by Caleb and Talmai was a third giant also expelled by Caleb as well.
In the north there was a great concentration of giants called the Rephaim.
In the south there was a concentration called the Anakim, named after Anak who was the original giant in that area.
In Jos 15:14 Caleb drove out the giants from his inheritance which is why we read in verse 14, (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
Zoan was built by the Jews as slaves. Hebron was captured by the Jews as free slaves.
They spread fear which led to hysteria. Hysteria led to withdrawal. And withdrawal led to a lot of scar tissue in the soul.