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The Borders of Canaan - The Book of Numbers · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And see the land, what it is,
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  Speaker 1: and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong
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  Speaker 1: or weak, few or many. Numbers 13.18 Heavenly Father, I
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  Speaker 1: refuse to forget all the ways that you've come through
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  Speaker 1: for me. As I move forward, I will not replace
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  Speaker 1: your favor with strategy, as the children of Israel did
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  Speaker 1: in Numbers 13 and 14. When you give the command
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  Speaker 1: for me to scope out my promised land, I will
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  Speaker 1: look at the house, the business, the new clients, the land,
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  Speaker 1: and the territory through the eyes of Caleb and Joshua,
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  Speaker 1: who saw the impossible as possible, because they knew who
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  Speaker 1: was on their side, you, Lord. I declare with boldness, God,
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  Speaker 1: that you have already given me the victory. I will
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  Speaker 1: not look at my promises with a defeated mindset. I
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  Speaker 1: command all fearful thoughts to leave my mind in the
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  Speaker 1: name of Jesus. My promise is in front of me,
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  Speaker 1: and I will not forget who is going before me
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  Speaker 1: and who surrounds me. The land is mine. The promise
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  Speaker 1: is mine. And I will leave a legacy for all
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  Speaker 1: those who come after me. And, like Joshua, we will
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  Speaker 1: eat the fruit of the land. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
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  Speaker 1: To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: The Borders of Canaan In our last story, we learned
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  Speaker 2: how Miriam and Aaron gave in to the spirit of Cain,
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  Speaker 2: raging with jealousy and contempt for Moses. As they schemed
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  Speaker 2: against him, God called them into the tent of meeting
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  Speaker 2: and struck Miriam with leprosy. He healed her at the
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  Speaker 2: request of Moses. In this story, we learn how Moses
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  Speaker 2: sends spies to scope out the land of Canaan and
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  Speaker 2: how some Israelites tremble in fear. while others rise in hope,
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  Speaker 2: as inspired by the book of Numbers.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In yesterday's episode, we saw
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  Speaker 3: what happened to Miriam and Aaron when they tried to
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  Speaker 3: undermine Moses as a leader. We learned how God disciplined
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  Speaker 3: them because of their defiance. We also saw Moses stepping
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  Speaker 3: in and advocating for his sister, sparing her from the
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  Speaker 3: ultimate punishment of death. As we closed out the episode,
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  Speaker 3: Moses and the Israelites set off again toward the promised land.
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  Speaker 3: And today we'll hear as they arrive near Canaan. Moses
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  Speaker 3: will send out spies to report on the new land
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  Speaker 3: that they are about to enter. However, what should be
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  Speaker 3: a time of great rejoicing and celebration in the fulfillment
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  Speaker 3: of God's promise turns into a time of fear and faithlessness.
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  Speaker 3: But there will be voices that bring hope and faith.
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  Speaker 3: Which voices will win out? Let's hear today's reading to
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  Speaker 3: find out.
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  Speaker 2: It was finally within reach. The Israelites could feel the
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  Speaker 2: gentle spring breeze dance along the grassy plains below the valley.
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  Speaker 2: Springs of living water flowed from every direction and the
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  Speaker 2: birds chirped to the same joyful melody. The promised land
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  Speaker 2: was close. Canaan, the land promised to Abraham was only
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  Speaker 2: miles away God instructed Moses to send twelve of his
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  Speaker 2: best men to scope out the land and spy on
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  Speaker 2: its inhabitants. The faithful twelve left in the dead of night,
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  Speaker 2: remaining unnoticed by the Canaanites. Their orders were to dwell
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  Speaker 2: in the shadows for forty days and come back with
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  Speaker 2: a report. So for forty days the men spied. They
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  Speaker 2: assessed the height of their walls and the strength of
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  Speaker 2: their men. They explored the cities and picked the fruits.
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  Speaker 2: They searched for strongholds, weaknesses, camps, and armies. Silently and carefully,
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  Speaker 2: the men gathered all they could and brought it back
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  Speaker 2: to Moses. The spies returned after forty days. The elders
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  Speaker 2: and many of the people gathered together to hear their report.
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  Speaker 2: It was night, and Moses sat and listened to the
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  Speaker 2: men while peering into the large fire. It is just
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  Speaker 2: as God said. The land is flowing with milk and honey,
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  Speaker 2: one of the spies exclaimed. However, the people there are mighty,
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  Speaker 2: and their cities are well built and fortified. Another spy
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  Speaker 2: chimed in, saying, It gets worse. The Amalekites, the Hittites,
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  Speaker 2: and all of our enemies dwell in the hill country
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  Speaker 2: above them. Concerned mumblings could be heard around the fire.
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  Speaker 2: People turned to one another, clearly disturbed by their report.
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  Speaker 2: Yet Moses still remained silent, poking the fire in front
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  Speaker 2: of him. The mumbles turned into loud cries of concern
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  Speaker 2: and arguments. The crowd began to erupt with discomfort. Caleb,
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  Speaker 2: one of the spies, quieted the crowd. Listen, he yelled.
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  Speaker 2: The people ceased their banter and looked up at Caleb.
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  Speaker 2: Let us go and take the land. We can overcome
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  Speaker 2: whoever dwells there. Caleb spoke with confidence. His eyes glowed
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  Speaker 2: with the reflection of the fire, yet they also reflected hope. Lunatic,
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  Speaker 2: another spy shouted from the other side. They are far
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  Speaker 2: stronger than we ever will be. Again the crowd erupted
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  Speaker 2: with concerned banter. It did not take long for the
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  Speaker 2: spy's bad report to spread like wildfire. Rumors, tall tales,
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  Speaker 2: and half-truths plagued the entire camp like a virus.' They
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  Speaker 2: are all giants!' some people shouted.' I heard they are cannibals!'
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  Speaker 2: some more would whisper. Soon all hope seemed lost for
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  Speaker 2: the people of Israel, and a faith in God was
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  Speaker 2: replaced by fear and rumor. The congregation raised a loud cry,
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  Speaker 2: and weeping could be heard for miles. Moses and Aaron
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  Speaker 2: were inundated with complaints day and night. We would have
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  Speaker 2: much rather died in Egypt than be devoured by cannibals
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  Speaker 2: or fall by sword, they said. Our wives and little
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  Speaker 2: ones will become their prey. And they said to one another,
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  Speaker 2: Let us choose another leader and return to Egypt. Moses
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  Speaker 2: and Aaron were overwhelmed by the people. They bowed their
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  Speaker 2: faces to the ground before them. unable to handle the
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  Speaker 2: onslaught of complaints, threats, and requests. Joshua and Caleb stood
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  Speaker 2: before the people with swords in their hands. The people
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  Speaker 2: fell silent as they saw Joshua raise his fist high
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  Speaker 2: in the air. It is good land, Joshua shouted. He
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  Speaker 2: paced the room, meeting everybody's eyes. If God delights in us,
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  Speaker 2: he will give us victory. Stop rebelling, for by doing
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  Speaker 2: so you ensure our defeat. Do not fear the people
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  Speaker 2: in the land. They will be our bread. Joshua spoke passionately,
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  Speaker 2: but to no avail. The people surrounded Joshua and Caleb
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  Speaker 2: with stones. They cursed him, and fear drove them forward
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  Speaker 2: to kill them. Their eyes burned red-hot with rage and terror.
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  Speaker 2: Joshua and Caleb braced themselves for the onslaught of stones
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  Speaker 2: and fists. The people leapt forward to kill them when
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  Speaker 2: all of the sudden the glory of God appeared as
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  Speaker 2: a rushing wind. God's fury interrupted their acts of fear
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  Speaker 2: and hatred.' How long?' God asked Moses.' How long will
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  Speaker 2: these people refuse to believe in me?' After every sign, deliverance,
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  Speaker 2: and provision, they still despise me. God's anger could be
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  Speaker 2: felt in the air as Moses listened. They will be
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  Speaker 2: striked down, God said. Moses fell before God again. Let
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  Speaker 2: your glory and your power be known through your steadfast
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  Speaker 2: love and forgiveness, he asked. He implored of God to
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  Speaker 2: spare the people. Please pardon them according to your greatness,
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  Speaker 2: for you have shown mercy to them from Egypt all
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  Speaker 2: the way until now. I will show mercy, God said,
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  Speaker 2: but I have been despised long enough. I freed the
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  Speaker 2: people from Egypt out of slavery. I parted seas. I
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  Speaker 2: cleansed water for them to drink. I sent manna from
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  Speaker 2: the sky and quail from the land. I have appeared
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  Speaker 2: in thunder, lightning, smoke, and fire. I have protected them
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  Speaker 2: from their enemies, and now they stand at the precipice
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  Speaker 2: of all I promised them. Moses could sense a grief
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  Speaker 2: in God's voice. Like a father who wanted to bless
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  Speaker 2: his son, but his son was content to play in
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  Speaker 2: the mud. None of the men who have seen my
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  Speaker 2: glory and still hate me will see the promised land.
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  Speaker 2: All but Caleb and Joshua, God said. God then gave
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  Speaker 2: a message to Moses to give to the people, a
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  Speaker 2: sentencing to all those who grumbled in the wilderness without faith.
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  Speaker 2: Your bodies will fall and rot here in the wilderness.
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  Speaker 2: Every single one of you over the age of twenty
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  Speaker 2: shall die here without even a glimpse of the promised land.
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  Speaker 2: Caleb and Joshua shall see my glory for their faith,
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  Speaker 2: but you all will decompose into the dust. You feared
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  Speaker 2: that your little ones would become prey, but it is
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  Speaker 2: them who will be brought into the land that you rejected.
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  Speaker 2: Your dead bodies will fall in the wilderness for animals
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  Speaker 2: to gorge, yet your children will walk.
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  Speaker 3: In the newness of life.
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  Speaker 2: For forty years your children will be shepherds in the land,
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  Speaker 2: as Moses was when I first called him. They will
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  Speaker 2: wait forty years for you all to perish, then they
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  Speaker 2: will have their reward. I have spoken, and my word
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  Speaker 2: is final. All of Israel mourned that day, In a
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  Speaker 2: desperate attempt to reclaim God's favor, the people of Israel
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  Speaker 2: rose early in the morning to seize the land. But
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  Speaker 2: Moses said, Why do you go now? You know the
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  Speaker 2: Lord is not with you. He will not give you
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  Speaker 2: this land. But the people did not listen. They thought
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  Speaker 2: strategy would replace God's favor. They armed themselves and descended
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  Speaker 2: upon the land to capture it. Righteous cries could be
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  Speaker 2: heard as Moses sat in his tent. Neither Moses nor
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  Speaker 2: the Ark of the Covenant went with them. Miles away,
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  Speaker 2: the screams of slaughtered Israelites could be heard. The Amalekites
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  Speaker 2: and the Canaanites lived in the hill they chose to take,
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  Speaker 2: and it was painted red with the blood of God's people.
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  Speaker 2: The cries of war were replaced with silent loss. It
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  Speaker 2: was still within reach. They could still feel the gentle
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  Speaker 2: spring breeze brush against their cheeks. The springs of living
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  Speaker 2: water were red from the blood of Israelite soldiers. The
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  Speaker 2: birds were still chirping. The promised land was close yet
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  Speaker 2: further than it had ever been. Canaan, the land promised
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  Speaker 2: to Abraham, was 40 years away.
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  Speaker 3: After months of travel through unknown lands, hard terrain, even
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  Speaker 3: dangerous territory, the Israelites were at last getting close to Canaan.
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  Speaker 3: The land that God had promised their forefathers Abraham, Isaac,
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  Speaker 3: and Jacob was right in front of them. But they
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  Speaker 3: couldn't just march in and settle. There were other people
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  Speaker 3: living there, so God instructs Moses to send spies to
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  Speaker 3: get a good look. This was going to be in
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  Speaker 3: many ways a big test of the Israelites' trust and
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  Speaker 3: faith in God. Would they see the obstacles ahead and
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  Speaker 3: complain again and even turn back? Or would they remember
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  Speaker 3: that God delivered them from Pharaoh and gave their untrained
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  Speaker 3: army a great victory over the fearsome Amalekites? Would they
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  Speaker 3: see the bounty before them or the barriers ahead? The
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  Speaker 3: spies were gone for 40 days. It was a mission
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  Speaker 3: of espionage. They reported back to the people. It was
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  Speaker 3: indeed a land, a beautiful land, flowing with milk and honey,
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  Speaker 3: a prosperous land. The manna that they were so tired
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  Speaker 3: of would be a thing of the past, and they
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  Speaker 3: would live in the bounty and the blessing of this
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  Speaker 3: land of promise. But there are giants in the land,
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  Speaker 3: powerful men, fortified cities, and it appeared on the surface
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  Speaker 3: that there was no way to defeat them. So they're
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  Speaker 3: filled with fear, and the people forgot that God was
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  Speaker 3: their commander. But two of the spies, men named Caleb
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  Speaker 3: and Joshua, speak up. They trust God. And they urged
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  Speaker 3: the people to have faith. They said, this is God's
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  Speaker 3: land and now it's our land, just as he promised.
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  Speaker 3: But the people chose fear over faith. They said, we
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  Speaker 3: feel like grasshoppers in the sight of these giants. And
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  Speaker 3: so they rebel against Moses and turn their sights to
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  Speaker 3: Egypt again. They're ready to turn back and to go
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  Speaker 3: back to the land of bondage. Sometimes we do the same.
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  Speaker 3: preferring to return to the change in the past rather
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  Speaker 3: than face the challenges of the future. Sometimes fear keeps
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  Speaker 3: us from receiving all that God wants to give. Joshua
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  Speaker 3: and Caleb tried to plead one more time, but the
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  Speaker 3: people wanted to stone them. They refused to hear the truth.
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  Speaker 3: God has had enough. His anger burns against their sinfulness
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  Speaker 3: and their distrust, and he says, I will take out
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  Speaker 3: the whole generation and start again with Moses. Moses once
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  Speaker 3: again intercedes. He tells God to consider the witness to
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  Speaker 3: the nations. Killing the people would tell the world that
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  Speaker 3: God was not able to do as he promised. But
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  Speaker 3: then Moses pleads for mercy. Moses asks God to forgive
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  Speaker 3: the people, much as Christ asked God from the cross, Father,
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  Speaker 3: forgive them, for they do not know what they do.
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  Speaker 3: Moses was an imperfect intercessor, but God honored his request.
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  Speaker 3: But we have a perfect intercessor, the Lord Jesus Christ,
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  Speaker 3: who always intercedes on the behalf of his children and
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  Speaker 3: seeks their forgiveness each day. God has mercy on them,
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  Speaker 3: but there will be a cost to their lack of faith.
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  Speaker 3: They will wander in the desert until the last of
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  Speaker 3: that generation dies out. Not a single person, except for
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  Speaker 3: Caleb and Joshua, will ever see this land that God
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  Speaker 3: would give them. They were on the brink of blessing,
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  Speaker 3: so close to the promised land, and yet they would
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  Speaker 3: never enter because they chose fear over faith. Dear God,
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  Speaker 3: we all face challenges that seem impossible, insurmountable, giants. And
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  Speaker 3: yet in those times, we know that we can trust you.
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  Speaker 3: So right now, we choose faith over our fears. Help
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  Speaker 3: us to know that you will always fulfill your promises
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  Speaker 3: in our lives, always. Help our faith to be a
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  Speaker 3: witness to others that they might trust you also. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com
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  Speaker 3: into God's life, God's power, God's strength for successful Christian living,
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  Speaker 3: be sure to visit JackGraham.org. God bless you.