"There We Saw Giants"

The Book of Numbers Chapter Thirteen tells the story of the return of the spies to report to Moses and Israel their findings in the Promised Land. They describe the land as being filled with milk and honey, grapes that took two men to carry a single cluster, pomegranates, and figs. For forty days they surveilled the land. The cities scouted, defenses determined, strengths scrutinized, weaknesses weighed, resources recorded, possibilities pondered in preparation for possessing the promised land. The land has everything they hoped for and more. The homes they wouldn’t have to build, vineyards they didn’t have to plant, cities they wouldn’t have to build, and inhabitants preparing for its defense. A restlessness rises up within the children of Israel. Caleb lifts his voice to calm the people. He tells them we are able to go up and possess the land. Ten of the spies respond saying we are not able to overcome them because “there we saw the giants.” (Num. 13:33) Their vision thwarted God’s promise. They focused on the giants instead of their God.

Fast forward forty-five years. Israel is conquering Canaan when Caleb comes to Joshua with a request. Caleb reminds Joshua of the words of Moses on the day Israel was destined to wander in the wilderness. Moses declared to Caleb that the ground he had walked upon would be an inheritance to he and his family. So Caleb tells Joshua, “Give me this mountain…” (Joshua 14:12). But it was not just any mountain. It was the mountain where the children of Anak lived, a mountain of giants. Scripture refers to the mountain by two different names. Kirjatharba in the language of the Canaanites and in Hebrew, Hebron. Kirjatharba means City of the Four Giants, and Hebron means alliance. Ten spies saw Kirjatharba when Caleb saw Hebron. Where Israel saw giants, Caleb saw God. He saw God was still greater than the giants. Caleb had formed an alliance with God, he chose to wholly follow God when Israel would not.

We have a choice in whether we see giants or a God that is greater than the giants. God is greater than the giant of fear, the giant of worry, the giant of doubt, the giant of despair. God is greater than sickness, pain, sin, or shame. God is greater than your situation or circumstance. He is greater than your yesterday, your today, and far greater than your tomorrow. God is greater than the giants.