Deuteronomy 1:19-25 – Obedience versus rationalization

In Deuteronomy 1:19-25, we see a summarized account of Numbers 13-14. Here we are given a glimpse of how the decision to send the 12 men to spy on the promised land came about. They had moved from Horeb or Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea. At this point, leaders were already appointed over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. On seeing the hill country of the Amorites, Moses announced that this was the promised land that God was giving to them. He then clearly commanded them to go up and take possession as God had instructed, without fear nor dismay.  

Numbers 13:1-2 seemed to indicate that it was the Lord who told Moses to send out men to spy the land. From Deuteronomy 1:22-23, we can roughly construct how the whole spying mission came about. The idea to send the spies to explore the land was initiated by the people. They suggested to Moses saying, “Let us send men before us, that they may search out the land for us, and bring back to us word of the way by which we should go up and the cities which we shall enter.” Strategically, this was not a bad idea. They could size up and have a better understanding of the land. Then they could better strategize how best to possess it. This seemed like a good idea to Moses, and he was persuaded. And we can imagine that he would take the matter to the Lord, who concurred with what they wanted. So this was most likely how the spying mission came about. But was wanting to have a fail-safe strategy their purpose? Could they be delaying because they were not willing to act?

The importance here however is not so much who initiated the spying expedition but why did the people request for this mission? Shouldn’t they have just acted? This is the downside of listening to too many suggestions. Had Moses insisted that they trust God and go as they were told, they would have avoided all the miseries it eventually caused. For us, when we have a clear indication from God that He wants us to move in a certain direction, it is best not to seek too many suggestions. Listening to too many people can crowd up our minds.  

The questions to ask would be: (1) why then did Moses agree? (2) Why then did God not stop them but instead allow them to do what they wanted? To see the picture accurately, we must know that throughout their journey, God had been the initiator of when they should camp and when they should move. He guided them by the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. And now at the crunch time, when clear obedient action to take the land was called for, what was in their hearts became evident. They entertained fear and wouldn’t take God at His word. Rather than acting on the clear command of God, they tried to skirt around the instruction of God with sound rationales. Isn’t this what many of us would also do sometimes? When confronted with the clear call to obey instantly, we would rather look for arguments of why we should not act.

Why then did God accede to their request?  God knew that it was difficult to change minds that were made up. The next best thing was to give them what they wanted and allowed them to experience the consequence of their insistence. This is also true of us, isn’t it? When our minds are made up, we are hard to move. We can be as stubborn as a mule and need to be curbed with bits and brittles. Bear in mind that we have the right to choose, but we have no control over the consequence of our decision. The best decision in life is to choose to stay with the clear instruction of God’s Word. When we do, we will never have to live with regrets!