Parshat Shelach Lecha; Numbers 13:1 - 15:41
The Children of Israel are approaching the Promised Land. Encamped in the Wilderness of Paran, God commands Moses to send ahead scouts one from each tribe to check out the land of Canaan. These members of the advance team were to explore the terrain, the towns and cities and pay close attention to the fortifications of residents. The scouts were to look at the produce of the land and they were explicitly told to bring back some of the fruit of the land.
They are away for forty days (forty always being a redemptive number). And the parasha tells us they went straight to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community to give their report and to show the grapes they had brought back from the Promised Land.
They describe the wealth of the land and call it a land flowing with milk and honey. Yet, they also describe the people who dwell there and describe the various tribesthe Amalakites, Jebusites, Hittites, Amorites, Anankites and the Canaanites.
Caleb urges the people of Israel forward toward the Promised Land. But the others demur. The other advance team members with the exception of Caleb and Joshua ben Nun, begin to exaggerate and tale tales of the giant people who occupy the land. Their words and descriptions of the terror of the present dwellers put fear into the hearts of the Israelites and they rebelled against Moses and Aaron and ultimately God.
Just as in last weeks portion the Children of Israel are quick to complain, and quick to forget the miracles that God has done for them. Even if the reports of the spies were true and there were Giants living in the Promised Landdidnt God time and again provide miracles along the way? Wouldnt it be reasonable to assume that God might provide additional miracles in conquering the land?
God has had it. God has not more patience and even states,
how long will they have no faith in Me despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst?
Once again Moses is placed in the position of calming Gods anger. Moses appeals to God ego by reminding God that to wipe out the Israelites for their lack of faith would only diminish God in the eyes of Egyptians and other nations. Moses reminds God of the great capacity for compassion and this seems to work. God says, I pardon as you have asked.
And yet, God while pardoning the Israelites condemns the generation who left Egypt to die in the desert. None of that generation will cross into the Promised land and they will dwell for another forty years in the desert before this people will begin to take the Promised Land.
This lack of faith in God and in the collective whole of the Israelites is at the core of this weeks portion. It wasnt just the one time that God reacts too, but time and again over the last several weeks, the Israelites complain and challenge God and Moses and the very journey towards freedom. They seem to forget quickly the miracles that God provides them be it the deliverance from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the manna and quail in the desert, the giving of the Ten Commandments or the bounty of the Promised Land. The children of Israel lack faith, even when proof is in their hands.
This is an important lesson for all of us. It seems to be harder to find evidence of Gods saving power. But it is still there. For many us we are too busy chasing other idols, of money, sex or power. But Gods saving power is in front of us just as the pillar of smoke by day and the pillar of fire by night was to the ancient Israelites.
Our faith, must also be informed by our sense of gratitude for the bounty of our lives. We all too often condemn God for the troubles but too little thank God for the gifts. Our faith is bolstered when we also remember those gifts and display gratitude.
Imagine if the Israelites had displayed gratitude. Perhaps they wouldnt have had to dwell an additional forty years.
Imagine if we could focus and include thanksgivings of gratitude to Godperhaps it would help to open our eyes to the saving power that God still provides.
Posted by Lee at June 8, 2004 09:06 AM
