Mon.’s Devo - Sending the Spies

Read: Numbers 11:24-13:33; Mark 14:22-52; Psalm 52:1-9; Proverbs 11:1-3 God had told Moses to gather 70 faithful leaders from among the tribes and he would give them instructions. He had also told them that he would give them meat till it was up to their nose. 
 *** Moses called the 70 leaders to the tent but only 68 came. God came down in the cloud and spoke to them and filled these men with His Spirit. The men began to prophesy and the two who had not came out began to prophesy in the camp. *** Joshua told Moses to stop the two who were prophesying in the camp. Moses refused to do it and told Joshua he wished everyone in the camp were prophets. *** God sent a wind to blow in quail from the sea which fell all around their camp. The next day, the people went out and gathered them. The least anyone gathered was 60 bushels! They were like ravenous beasts. (I wonder if they drained them and cooked them first.) Before they could take a bite, God was so angry with them that he struck them down with a plague. They were buried there named the place Kibroth-hattaavah which means “the graves of lust.” *** Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses’ marriage to a Cushite woman. Cush was the son of Ham so I can see the problem they had, but God didn’t seem to have the same problem with it. God called the three of them: Moses, Aaron and Miriam to the tent of meeting. God defended Moses who he spoke to face to face. He asked them why they were not afraid to speak against Moses. When the Lord left in his cloud, Miriam was covered with leprosy. Aaron immediately repented for both of them. Miriam was set outside the camp for seven days then brought back in. *** The Lord had Moses send out 12 spies to the promised land of Canaan. Each tribe sent a spy. Joshua went from Judah and Caleb went from the tribe of Issachar. The twelve traveled the land for 40 days and saw the cities, the hill country and the land by the sea. Everywhere they went they saw the assets of the fruitful land, but they also saw the giants living there. Moses had told them to bring back the produce from the land so they brought back the first fruits of the grape harvest which tells us this was the time of the fall feasts. They should have blown their trumpets and taken the land and set up God’s kingdom there. Caleb stood up and encouraged the people to take the land at once, but fear and the bad reports caused them to miss their opportunity. They looked at the circumstances and forgot God’s promises and all he had done to get them there. *** In Mark, Jesus gave his disciples the bread, blessed it and broke it. He told them that it signified his body. Then he gave them the wine and gave thanks. He told them to drink it because it signified his blood and the covenant they had with him. He would not drink from the fruit of the vine till he drinks it in the new kingdom. *** They sang a hymn, then Jesus took them to the Mount of Olives. He told them they would all fall away from him. Peter, of course, said he wouldn’t. Jesus told him he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed. *** They went to Gethsemane and Jesus asked them to pray. Jesus was deep in prayer wanting not to have to go through this great trial, but he wanted what God wanted more than his own life. Jesus came back to find them sleeping three times. He named Peter and asked him why he couldn’t pray for an hour with him. *** Finally, the last time he returned to them it was time for his betrayer to come. Judas arrived with a crowd armed with clubs and swords. He kissed Jesus and called him Rabbi. This was the sign for the leaderss to seize Jesus. Peter drew his sword and cut off the servant of the high priest’s ear. In another gospel, Jesus healed his ear. *** There was a young man in a linen cloth who was a follower of Jesus. They seized him but he fled leaving his linen cloth behind. All through the Bible you will find these “watchers” in linen. *** Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to earth and teaching us about God. Thank you for enduring the cross so that we might have everlasting life. Thank you for your great plans for our future. May we purpose to walk worthy of your sacrifice.