This teaching by Shawn McCraney focuses on the biblical account of the spies sent by Moses to scout the Promised Land, as found in Numbers 13, and draws parallels to overcoming personal fears and obstacles in our own lives. McCraney explores the different Hebrew terms for giants, such as Nephilim and Anakim, emphasizing how these formidable figures symbolize the challenges we face. He underscores the faith of Caleb and Joshua, who trusted in God’s power to overcome, contrasting it with the fear that paralyzed the other spies. Through the story of David and Goliath, McCraney illustrates the importance of relying on God’s strength rather than our own, advocating for a life led by faith, courage, and trust in the Lord to face and conquer the metaphorical giants that confront us.

1. The Spies Sent to Canaan: Exploration of Numbers 13 and the mission of the spies sent by Moses to scout the Promised Land.
2. Faith and Fear: The contrast between Caleb and Joshua’s faith and the fear expressed by the other spies, highlighting the importance of trusting God in the face of challenges.
3. Giants in the Bible: Examination of the different types of giants mentioned in the Bible, such as Nephilim, Rephaim, and Anakim, and their symbolic meaning in terms of personal fears and obstacles.
4. The Power of Faith: Emphasis on the role of faith in overcoming obstacles, relying on God’s strength rather than human power, and moving forward in faith without fear.
5. Historical and Biblical Context: Discussion of the historical and biblical context of giants, including their appearances in various scriptures and their significance in ancient Israel.
6. Personal Testimonies and Lessons: Reflections on personal experiences and testimonies of overcoming challenges through faith and reliance on God.
7. David and Goliath: Analysis of the story of David and Goliath as an example of overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds through faith in God.
8. Spiritual Warfare: The concept of spiritual warfare and the believer’s call to overcome evil with good, trusting in God’s power and guidance.
9. Encouragement for Believers: Encouragement for believers to identify and confront their personal giants, trust in God’s promises, and live a life led by faith.
10. The Role of Scripture: The importance of studying scripture to build faith, seek approval from God, and gain strength to face life’s challenges.

Introduction to the Spies’ Journey

Setting the Scene in Paran

So we left off with the Nation in a place called Paran. We are only in the second year after the Exodus, by the way.

Chapter 13 of Numbers introduces us to one of the most monumental advances the Nation of Israel would make as a group—perhaps I should reword this and actually describe it as more of a monumental fail—both of which will become apparent soon enough.

God’s Command to Moses

So, let’s set the stage by reading some of the first passages starting at verse 1 of chapter 13, where it says:

Numbers 13:1-3
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.
3 And Moses by the commandment YAHAVAH sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.

Joshua’s Introduction

From verses 4-7, we read some specific names. Then at verse 8, we read a specific name that will become important to us as it says:

Numbers 13:8
8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun. {Oshea: also called, Joshua}

This was the same Joshua who told Moses not to allow the two prophets to roam free in the camp when he was immature, and it will be the same Joshua who will ultimately lead the nation into the Promised Land after Moses and Aaron die.

The Spies’ Mission

Instructions for the Spies

From verse 9-15, we get more names, and then at verse 16, we read:

Numbers 13:16
16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.

Oshea should be pronounced Hosea, which notes a desire of salvation and could be said to mean, “Save, we pray thee,” but Jehoshua (or Joshua) includes the promise of salvation or the idea that he would save, or that YAHAVAH would save His people through His hands—an obvious nod to the Messiah promised to come.

The Spies’ Observations

Numbers 13:17-20
17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:
18 And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;
19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;
20 And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.

The Report from Eshcol

We’ll read verses 21-23 to glean some facts but will not cover the geography:

Numbers 13:21-25
21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.
22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

It is believed that Moses inserted this parenthetical reference found at the end of verse 22 as a way to say that the power and knowledge were in Hebron seven full years before it came out of Egypt—a place known and recognized for its advances in astronomy, science, engineering, and mystical arts.

Some believe that this was added later, but it is found in the Septuagint and other versions of antiquity.

23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
24 The place was called the brook Eshcol (which means a cluster of grapes), because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.
25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

The Spies’ Report

Initial Enthusiasm

So, they did as YAHAVAH commanded Moses to have them do, and after 40 days, they returned.

Numbers 13:26-27
26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.
27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

The Challenge of Fear

Now, I’ve read from reliable ancient sources that in Egypt the grapes were small in size and cluster, and these were the grapes they were familiar with, but that in Hebron and other ancient civilizations around that place, single grape clusters could be as large as a baby, and that single grapes could even grow to the size of a plum.

For the spies to bring back a sample like this must have astounded the people who saw it. Add in that they literally called it a land that flows with milk and honey, a grand enticement for them to proceed forward to partake in what was motivating them to move forward.

The Seeds of Doubt

It is believed that they carried the grapes on a pole between two men not because of the size alone but also to protect it from being bruised on the way back.

Some go so far as to say that the men who bore the fruit on the pole were Joshua and Caleb alone, as they were the only two (of the ten) that returned with a positive attitude.

Remember, the people were constantly complaining about the food in the wilderness. And they frequently looked back over their shoulder to their lives in Egypt and the provisions offered them there.

Faith vs. Fear

The Need for Faith

Here they actually came to the Land promised their forefathers, and now they have proof that it is a land that could provide them material abundance—but there was a catch on their part—they had to go forward in faith and not fear, trusting that the Living God who had led them and protected them would continue to do so.

See, Egypt promised them at least some food amidst their bondage along with an environment of zero fear (nor for that matter, any need to rely upon YAHAVAH). Egypt was their protector and provider.

Here the nation was offered a new set of challenges—yes, better foods, a land flowing with milk and honey and grapes much more enticing than what Egypt offered them—along with figs and pomegranates—but they had to choose to do three main things:

The Three Challenges

First, to choose to move forward,
Second, to do so in faith in YAHAVAH and His promises to fight and protect them, and
to turn from fears that kept them from such.

Three vital “F” words in one sentence, my friends:

GOING FORWARD IN FAITH WITHOUT FEAR.

The Naysayers’ Influence

We do not see God transport them—they had to choose to enter of their own choice and power. But something stopped them—the testimony of the eight other spies who said, “But in addition to the flowing milk and honey . . .”

Numbers 13:28-29
28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

Caleb’s Courage

Caleb’s Call to Action

So, here’s the setup. There are 600,000 males able to go to war among them, minimum. But their number is not the important part, but the fact that these 600,000 men, along with their wives and all of their children, had already been the recipient of the LIVING GOD in a number of astounding ways, via His

• Very Presence (by day and by night)
• Very Person (on Sinai as thunder and lighting)
• Provisions (in quail, manna and water, shade, light)
• Protection (in bringing them out of bondage, passing them through the Red Sea, putting fire between them and their enemies, and organizing them with a tabernacle, priesthood, prophets, and Moses).

But here they had fearful discouraging naysayers who chose to promote fear instead of faith.

Seeing this, a man named Caleb responds, and we read,

Numbers 13:30
30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.”

The Heart of Caleb’s Faith

I freaking love Caleb and his faith, his willingness, having seen all the same obstacles the other spies saw (but let frighten them), but he placed his trust—even his very life—in the hands of the Living God.

This is called Faith, manifested in fearlessly moving forward and trusting in Him and Him alone to protect, provide, and save them.

The more we do the same, the more we become liberated—and the more real love we are able to share.

Caleb’s Lineage and Legacy

Now there are several Calebs mentioned in scripture and some of them may be the same man.

But this Caleb is described as the son of Jephunneh (Numbers 13:6; 32:12; Joshua 14:6,14). He was one of the family chiefs, and his tribe was of Judah.

He and Joshua, fearless encouragers, would be only two of the whole number who got to go in and possess the land, and they alone were spared when a plague broke out in which the other eight spies perished (which we will read about).

We will also find that all of the people that had been numbered, from twenty years old and upward, perished in the wilderness as well—except these two.

The last notice we have of Caleb is when he is eighty-five years of age, and he will come to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, after the people had gained possession of the land, and will remind him of a promise Moses had made to him as a form of inheritance (Joshua 14:6-15; 15:13-15; 21:10-12; 1 Samuel 25:2-3; 30:14).

The Giants in the Land

The Power of Giants

So, that is Caleb, who stands up for courage in YAHAVAH. But he will be challenged (verse 31) when we read:

Numbers 13:31
31 But the men that went up with him said, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.”

And here we have a most poignant biblical principle that cannot be overemphasized—did you catch it?

The statement, “We be NOT able to go against the people FOR they are stronger than we.”

True or False?

Why is it so important? It’s simultaneously true while being utterly false! True that they were not able to go against the people, for the people are stronger than them, BUT false in that this meant that they should refrain from going into the people by faith in YAHAVAH Himself.

Central to the idea of humanism is “we are able to do all things,” which scripture defines as relying on the “arm of the flesh.”

The arm of the flesh cannot do all things.
Being made in God’s image, there is so much we are equipped to do—so much—and it ought to be seen in our species as important, valuable, and a gift to the way God made us.

Frankly, there is a real sadness in wasted talent, isn’t there? When we watch really gifted people waste their lives away fearfully or lazily tucked away back in the harbor instead of taking to the high seas.

The Balance of Faith and Ability

From the garden, we are called to labor and dominate over our surroundings as human beings made in His image, and it seems very biblical for people to learn to work, express, create, and have strong good dominion over their surroundings.

The spiritual problem, however, often associated with our amazing make-ups, is it allows us to think that we are indomitable—to the point that we make ourselves Gods and shun the need for relying upon Him at all.

It’s like a gigantic theme in all of scripture in the intelligent beings God has created—we are created beings, and there is a God who seeks our faith, trust, and allegiance, but everything from angels and demons to human beings take their powers and elevate themselves to supremacy.

Here, eight of the spies did something different—they didn’t look to their creator in faith and trust in His power to deliver them nor were they boastful in their own powers, but they ran in fear.

It’s one or the other with us, isn’t it? We are God, and He is not, or He is God, and we are weak and fearful and don’t trust Him even in light of all the Good He has done around and for us.

Conclusion and Application

Trust in God’s Power

What is the balance?

Him always above us, below us, and with us, enabling those who trust in Him to live fearlessly and to act with the traits and skills He has given to do His WILL.

Joshua and Caleb walked by this—the other eight walked in fear.

The reality was, both physically and without God, the eight were right. The warrior-giants of the Promised Land were probably stronger than them, and without God, these giants would take them apart.

Living in Faith, Not Fear

Herein lies the wisdom of the Lord in His children—to trust in Him with all our hearts, to lean not on our own understanding, and in all of our ways to submit to Him, and He will direct (not walk) “but direct” our paths.

We note that God did not move ahead of the Spies and wipe out the Giants so the path would be easy, without challenges or threats.

But He had directed them, and He had gone before them and protected them, and this increase of an obstacle was just something else He allowed them to face to grow them in faith or to expose their fear.

The eight spies, in the case of the Giants, were right—they were NOT able to go against the giants—they were not strong enough—but, of course, they failed to look to Him who is and to faithfully walk into that land with Him leading the way.

Rejecting Fearful Reports

And in their fear (verse 32)

Numbers 13:32-33
32 they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Understanding Giants in the Bible

Types of Giants in Scripture

Let’s talk about giants in the Bible for a moment—there are more mentions than you might believe in ancient Israel, with most of them being inhabitants in the Promised Land Israel was commanded to take.

Of course, these imposing physical beings are a type for the various giants we fear and face in our promised land (our lives) and are not so important today in their physicality as they are in the fear they fill us with personally.

That, of course, is the picture. Because our respective giants are varied, we have at least six instances where Giants are described with different Hebrew words. So,

1. Nephilim
The first Giants (Genesis 6:4) are called in Hebrew, nephilim, which means “violent” or “causing to fall.”

These were the violent tyrants of those days and were seen as “those who fell upon others.”

The word may also be derived from a root signifying “wonder,” and therefore synonymous with being, “monsters” or “prodigies.”

Here in Numbers 13:33, this is the same name given to a Canaanitish tribe, a race of large stature people called, “the sons of Anak.”

In the Revised Version of these specific passages, the translation simply reads, “Nephilim.”

2. Rephaim
The second word in Hebrew is rephaim, and in Deuteronomy 3:11, they are described as a race of giants who lived on the east of Jordan, from whom a man named Og was descended.

These are believed to have been the original inhabitants of the land before the immigration of the Canaanites.

Genesis 14:5 describes them as having been conquered by Chedorlaomer, with their territories promised as a possession to Abraham (Genesis 15:20).

The peoples known as the Anakim, Zuzim, and Emim are believed to have come from this original Rephaim stock.

In Job 26:5 and Isaiah 14:9, this very Hebrew word is rendered “dead” in some translations. It appears to refer to “shady departed spirits in Sheol.” How’s that for a terror? They almost describe the wild imagination of a Lovecraftian novel.

In 2 Samuel 21:16,18,20,22, we read “the giant” in a singular form with the article, “ha” prefacing the name, which may possibly be the name of the father of the four giants or of the founder of the Rephaim.

These giants appear to have some connection with the dead, shady underworld.

3. Anakim
The third term is the Hebrew word, ‘Anakim (Deuteronomy 2:10-11,21; Joshua 11:21-22; 14:12,15) also called “sons of Anak,” here in Numbers 13:33, “the children of Anak,” in verse 22; and Joshua 15:14).

These are seen as a nomad race of giants descended from Arba (mentioned in Joshua 14:15) the father of Anak, that dwelt in the south of Palestine near Hebron (Genesis 23:2; Joshua 15:13).

They were a Cushite tribe of the same race as the Philistines and the Egyptian shepherd kings. David, on several occasions, encountered them (2 Samuel 21:15-22), and it is from this race that Goliath came forth (1 Samuel 17:4).

Additional Giant Tribes

4. Emin
The fourth Hebrew word for giant is ’emin, who were a warlike tribe of the ancient Canaanites. Scripture says that they were “great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims” (Genesis 14:5; Deuteronomy 2:10-11).

5. Zamzummim
The fifth word is Zamzummim (Deuteronomy 2:20), which is synonymous with the Amorites.

6. Gibbor
And the last term that I could find is called, “gibbor” in Job 16:14, which means “a mighty one, i.e., a champion or hero.”

In its plural form (gibborim), it is rendered “mighty men” and is given to armies or groups of powerful men (2 Samuel 23:8-39; 1 Kings 1:8; 1 Chronicles 11:9-47; 29:24).

The band of six hundred men whom David gathered around him when he was a fugitive were called gibborim.

Giants in the Promised Land

So, what we can see is the promised land was actually littered with giants of all kinds, and these men reacted to seeing them with terror as their size and warlike appearance struck to the core of their fears.

According to Joshua 11:22, he will successfully expel them from the land, except a remnant that will find a refuge in the cities of Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.

Overcoming Fear

Fear and Faith

It is utterly natural for humans to fear people, powers, and obstacles that have the literal ability to crush or kill them.

The goal, for all believers from a biblical perspective, is to mature and grow in the faith to the point where our fear (respect) of God far outweighs the threats or powers of any other thing testing, challenging, or calling for our allegiance or terror.

Just as we reject all idols seeking our devotion, we seek to become disciples of Him who can dispel all fear of beings we see as stronger than us.

Modern Giants

These foes include our fears of:

• Insignificance
• Shame
• Embarrassment
• Poverty
• Fleshly Desires
• Pain/Punishment or Illness
• Enemies
• Other People’s faces and words
• Darkness
• Death

By hearing the scripture and building our faith, we can become incrementally more reliant on Him while simultaneously reducing the fears we naturally possess.

Facing Personal Giants

Because ‘we study to show ourselves approved,” we might use this life to ask, “who or what are my personal giants that cause me to fear, or not trust or walk in faith on Him and Him alone?”

From the smallest giants to the biggest, they all have the capacity to cause us to become immobile and to turn from His strength to move forward.

Try to take on a giant without Him, and if it is a giant indeed, you will fail. Run from the giant, and you live in fear of it all the days of your life.

In His efforts to liberate His children in the greatest way possible, He offers us a solution.

“moving forward in faith without fear.”

The Source of Strength

Faith in Action

The ability to do this is NOT from our own strength—again, it is from faith. It is founded in turning to Him with all of our heart, might, and mind and not to ANY other armaments, intercessors, or intermediaries to get in our way.

This gets tricky at times, doesn’t it? Some folks will take this and assume that they shouldn’t use modern medicines, or to get educations, or seek psychological help.

This is a material view of things, and this is not the meaning in my opinion. The physical world is the world where we humans do engage with fleshly warfare by working to gain an education, to pay the bills, to stay healthy, and all the rest.

Spiritual Warfare

But in realms where everything is spiritually driven, to whom do we look with our Heart and Minds alone?

Him.

Whom do we trust, rely upon to be with us as we enter into warfare with our giants, to strengthen us, and guide us when we are using our own minds to understand and live?

Here, in the case of the spies, eight appealed to fear as their guide, but Caleb and Joshua let faith motivate them. Recall Caleb’s own words to the people,

“Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.”

Caleb’s Principles

The principles from Caleb are:

1. Immediate action, “at once” is what he says.
2. Not doubting, as he adds, “for we are well able,” to do what?
3. He says, “to overcome it.”

That word, overcome, is nikaho (which is where we get the name for the running shoe, Nike), and it means to subdue, conquer over, prevail, have the victory.

John 16:33
After Yeshua teaches the apostles, He profoundly states:
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome (nikaho) the world.

Overcoming Evil

The Christian Call

When it comes to the evil powers and persuasions that govern this world through dark arts, dark emotions, evil persuasions, and selfish ambitions, we often think that the Christian call is to go to war with such giants and beat them back, but Paul writes this advice for winning in these battles, saying:

Romans 12:21
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

How? By allowing Him to go before us, as he promised to do over and over with the Nation of Israel, saying things like:

Deuteronomy 31:8

8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

The Danger of Being Overcome

Is there a possibility for a believer and follower to be overcome? Unfortunately, there is, as Peter wrote:

2 Peter 2:19
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

To be overcome by a physical giant would include being brought into its clutches and being put into its bondage.

These corruptions insert themselves and strive to make a home in our flesh and, when allowed, have the capacity to wrap us up and ultimately overwhelm us to the point we can even get to a place of having what the scripture calls, “an evil heart of unbelief.”

The Antidote

An antidote, an inoculation to such, is diligently seeking to constantly place Him on the throne of our hearts—nothing else—submitting our entire selves over to His will and ways, and no to that of any other thing.

Again, this is not accomplished physically, but in the mind, heart, and soul as we inwardly are constantly and humbly turning every day, every hour, over to Him from the heart, honestly and humbly surrendering as we move through this life.

2 Peter 2:20
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

The Victory in Christ

The Overcomers

Ultimately, John the Revelator describes the following, saying:

1 John 4:4
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

This was the heart of Caleb and Joshua, this was the heart of Abraham taking His Son up into the mount, of David going before Goliath, of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist.

This was the heart of Christ to His Father, of all the apostles to Christ, of Paul and all the early Saints to the Spirit.

And this will forever be the heart of any person who faces giants in their path.

Personal Testimony

I am a living witness, and I bear my witness boldly, that there has never been any fleshly thing or power that had the capacity to arm me rightly to face my own giants.

Not parenting, family, scouting, church, positive mental attitude, not knowledge of the Bible, not personal reform, not a wife, not even fatherhood, money, or responsibilities imposed have ever empowered me to overcome my personal giants—nothing but Him—and when I learned to look to Him with all of my heart, might, and mind—I’ve watched Him repeatedly lead the way, and defeat all enemies victoriously and as I am willing.

The Revelation Warnings

Twice in Revelation, we read about how enemies of the faith, GIANTS, were able to overcome the saints in that day:

Revelation 11:7
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome (nikao) them, and kill them.

Revelation 13:7
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome (nikao) them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

But in the end, we read the outcome with those that even tried to make war with the Lamb, as it says:

Revelation 17:14
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome (nikao) them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Walking in Faith

Trusting in Him Alone

This is you, my friends, walking in faith solely focused on Him, nothing else, who have learned (or are learning) to put Him in the front of them and to walk, in faith and trust in Him and His victory—and never our own.

In one of my favorite chapters in all of scripture, all of this will be victoriously played out in the future for Israel through a young lad named David. I want to read through it in closing today, beginning with a summary:

David and Goliath

The Philistines gathered their armies to war with Israel, who were led by their first King, Saul, with one army on one side of a valley and the other on another with a valley between them.

And a champion of the Philistines, a giant named Goliath, armed to the teeth and who was like 9 feet tall, came out and said,

1 Samuel 17:8-9
8 Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

And at verse 11, we read the same response given here in Numbers 13 by the spies:

1 Samuel 17:11
11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

David’s Faith

So here we are presented with a follow-up victor similar to Joshua and Caleb! His name? David, who was tending his father’s sheep while his older brothers were in the army of Saul.

Then David’s father Jesse told him to take food to his brothers, and we read at verse:

1 Samuel 17:20-22
20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, “and ran” into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

No fear.

1 Samuel 17:23-24
23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

1 Samuel 17:25-27
25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.
26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

1 Samuel 17:28-30
28 And Eliab his (David’s) eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.”
29 And David said, “What have I now done? Is there not a cause?”
30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

David’s Confidence

1 Samuel 17:31-37
31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, “The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.”

1 Samuel 17: 38-39
38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

The Battle

1 Samuel 17:40-47
40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.
42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.

1 Samuel 17:48-49
48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

Conclusion

There is no power, foe, force, habit, enemy, or any other giant in the life of a Child of God that should bring to the heart fear.

Our dad can and will beat up their Dad. In this, we can trust, look to, and believe. If you aren’t there yet, grow in your faith, wait on Him alone—it will come.

Questions/Comments
Prayer

Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to adjust!

Back to Numbers 11 and to verse 18, we read where YAHAVAH now says to Moses,

Numbers 11:18-20 (KJV)

18 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of YAHAVAH, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore, YAHAVAH will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;

20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised YAHAVAH which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

I see in this story a principle that material blessings, whether from the hand of God directly (like these quail) or from life itself by virtue of good fortune, will never sustain us.

The Hedonic Paradox and Epicurus

Greek philosopher, Epicurus, discovered that the most pleasant life is one where we abstain from unnecessary desires and achieve an inner tranquility (ataraxia) by being content with simple things and by choosing the pleasure of philosophical conversation with friends over the endless pursuit that physical pleasures afford.

He taught his epicurean philosophy around 350 BC to 270 BC but was not the originator as we see the very principles of such played out here as the Nation of Israel physically abandons what were relative comforts by comparison.

From Epicurus, a theory called the Hedonic Paradox was created (in large part) by writer Victor Frankle, who was once a prisoner of concentration camps in WWII Nazi Germany.

When I was in junior high, one of the first books I ever sought anything from was Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning where he borrows from the Epicurean advice to avoid needless pleasures and even in prison camp learn to focus on those that bring the most lasting happiness.

I’ll never forget reading about Frankl in a concentration camp observing those who let their physical surroundings dictate their happiness and mood versus those who took control of the surroundings imposed upon them.

I recall a certain story he tells of men who, the moment a morsel of bread was given, consumed it completely and without any restraint compared to others who would save their bread, not allowing it to dictate how they would relate to it, to the point that some of them would even share their meager ration with those begging for more.

Frankl noticed that in terms of their population, the immediate eaters died rather quickly, but those who governed their surroundings and situation prevailed over most temptations and lived the longest.

And even though I have long struggled to reign in my passion for immediate gratification, I’ve learned from such insights over the years and see them readily in the teachings and principles of scripture.

Frankl himself wrote,

“Pleasure is, and must remain, a side-effect or by-product, and is destroyed and spoiled to the degree to which it is made a goal in itself.”

The Hedonic Paradox (also called the Pleasure Paradox) states that if you seek pleasure or happiness for the sole purpose of achieving it for yourself, you will fail as it will more and more be elusive.

One reason is the pursuit of pleasure becomes a burden in and of itself, an imposing law upon us, if you will, and once in place, it controls us.

Another reason is based on the idea that pleasures naturally give a decreasing amount of enjoyment the more they are experienced.

This leads to another form of bondage, which is the pursuit of more, higher, better, different pleasures—a plight our youth are beginning to face.

Bottom line, happiness is not the goal, but a side effect of doing something “bigger than yourself.” To achieve it, you must not go after it directly, but engage in other things that are truly meaningful and are not linked to trying to be happy.

Simply put, satisfaction and happiness are not a goal to be achieved; they are a result of pursuing something outside of ourselves that is selfless and sacrificial.

The Pursuit of Happiness and Altruism

Pleasure seekers, whom history calls hedonists, live seeking activities that give them pleasure. They do things because they think it will make them happy.

Materially, they buy the latest car, wear the most fashionable clothes, go to the spa and get pampered, buy the most expensive things, eat the finest food—all in the pursuit of pleasure or happiness.

People do this religiously too. They want the spike, the next thing and focus on the fruit upward before patiently allowing for the root downward to establish itself.

As we all know, the pleasure, or what Christ called “sumptuous living” on the part of the rich man, is fleeting and increasingly offers diminished returns to the point that I wonder if in the hereafter such things fade entirely and we are all left with only the presence of what is ultimately the most important—eternal things—our selfless love.

Studies have actually shown that altruistic activities, meaning doing things for others, seem to cause greater happiness even here.

A study by Thoits and Hewitt (2001) showed that volunteer work causes greater happiness and life satisfaction, while increasing self-esteem and even improving physical and mental health.

In another study, Boehm and Lyubomirsky (2006) found that students who were asked to perform random acts of kindness during a ten-week period achieved a significant improvement in happiness levels.

And they even maintained this state months after the experiment. The acts of kindness were nothing more than them opening the door for an elder or doing the dishes for a roommate.

This is the genius of Mormonism; it understands and encourages the fortification of the Spirit of Man—which is also its failure.

All of these findings are firmly ensconced in the teachings of the Proverbs, Psalms, the Prophets, the stories of the Nation of Israel, and most poignantly, in the comprehensive teaching of Yeshua our Lord.

These teachings, however, include a process, and it is letting Him bring them forth in your life by the Spirit and NOT just choosing to amplify and reform the Spirit of Man in us.

In fact, the number of passages referring to selflessness, sacrifice, and suffering for the benefit of others and to the detriment of self, are so many it’s almost like we should read passages that don’t speak to it.

Selflessness and self-control begin to walk hand in hand as we mature in Him.

The Apostolic Record makes it plain, saying in Romans 8:13,

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Moses’ Frustration and God’s Response

I suspect that all of these insights are what led YAHAVAH to be so darn angry with the Nation. They thrived on the “next thing,” they complained when they had to suffer and go without, and all of this was indicative that their love for God was essentially based on “what have you done for me lately?” and/or “I love you because of what pleasures you give me, and not because I trust all you do and allow in my life.”
 
Interestingly, Moses appears to have gotten fed up and to have even lost some trust as we read, in the face of God promising to send enough food to satisfy the Nation for a month,

Numbers 11:21-23 (KJV)

21 The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.

22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?

23 And YAHAVAH said unto Moses, Is YAHAVAH’S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

I suggest that Moses is a good example for us to see that even the biggies wondered and doubted—almost all of them—at some point in time in their lives, and in the face of some special circumstance, got weakened in the faith, and temporarily lost some trust and reliance on what they formerly were certain of.

It’s part of being human. In fact, to even walk in faith appears to be something of a miracle in the face of the fact that Yeshua said if his own disciple had faith the size of a mustard seed they could have moved mountains.

Suggesting that even the apostles had less faith than that of a mustard seed, and therefore that walking in faith is rare, that few be there that find it, and we are most blessed to possess and live by even a modicum of the stuff.

Anyway, YAHAVAH comes through, both for the people and Moses as we read at verse 31,

Numbers 11:31-35 (KJV)

31 And there went forth a wind from YAHAVAH and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers

: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of YAHAVAH was kindled against the people, and YAHAVAH smote the people with a very great plague.

34 And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

35 And the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.

Lessons from Numbers 12

Inner Family Uprisings, Curses, and Restoration

Some things of interest to point out: Aaron was with Moses and the Nation from the Exodus, and he will die on the 10th day of the fortieth year of their wandering. So, he was there throughout.

Because we read so little info, it seems that God just grew fed up with the people and waited for them all to die before He would bring their offspring into the promised land. So in the end, we don’t have much to read from about 36 of those years of the forty.

On to Chapter 12. It’s a short chapter with an interesting cautionary tale surrounding inner family uprisings, curses, and restoration.

We can read it – it’s only 18 verses long:

Numbers 12:1-16 (KJV)

1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

2 And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.

3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

4 And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

5 And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.

12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.

13 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.

14 And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.

15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

16 And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

The Question of Moses’ Wife

So back to verse one, and we will end today covering this story.

Numbers 12:1 (KJV)

And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

Right off the bat, we have a question – was Moses married to Zipporah, the Midianite and a Cushite/Ethiopian woman, or are they one and the same persons?

Let’s speak first to Zipporah. She was one of the seven daughters of Jethro (Exodus 3:1; 18:5) also called Reuel/Raguel (Exodus 2:18; 4:24, 25; 18:1-6; Numbers 10:29).

She was a Midianite married to Moses during his 40 years in the wilderness after his flight from Egypt.

When God commanded Moses to return to Egypt to free the Israelites, Exodus 4 says Moses took Zipporah and sons and started his journey. It does appear that Zipporah departed from Egypt before the Exodus but later rejoined with Moses in the wilderness.

In Exodus 18, we read how once Jethro heard that Moses liberated the Nation, he sent Zipporah and their sons to join them, presumably because it was now safe and that she left them when it wasn’t?

We really can only guess.

After the mention of Zipporah going back in Exodus 18, we never hear of her again until this first verse in Numbers where Moses’ wife is referred to as a Cushite or Ethiopian, and you believe that this was her.

Some scholars maintain that they are the same woman, but if that is the case, we have to figure out how a Midian could also be considered an Ethiopian or Cushite.

If they are different women, we have to admit that Moses either had two wives and practiced polygamy, or perhaps Zipporah died and he took on another.

We do have some scholars say that the Ethiopian woman was actually married to Moses BEFORE he went into the wilderness where he also picked up Zipporah from Jethro, and when he returned to liberate them, he reunited with her.

Interestingly, the scripture does not have Moses mention the passing of Zipporah, and because he was the writer, I wonder if there was some difficulty between Moses and Zipporah that goes unstated.

We do know that when she confronted Moses about failing to circumcise her son or sons, she was aggressive, and perhaps this friction from her led Moses to taking on another woman?

In the story, we see that both Aaron and Miriam harshly criticize Moses’ marriage to a Cushite woman, but it appears this opinion came out after he returned to Egypt to set the children of Israel free.

Cushites were of the ancestry of either Kush (a.k.a. Nubia) in northeast Africa, or Arabians. The sons of Ham, mentioned within the Book of Genesis, have been identified with nations in Africa (Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya), what is called the Levant (Canaan), and Arabia.

The Midianites themselves were later on depicted at times in non-Biblical sources as dark-skinned and called Kushim, a Hebrew word used for dark-skinned Africans.

One Dr. Claude Mariottini, Professor of Old Testament, in an article “Moses’ Cushite Wife,” discusses extensively the controversial question: Did Moses have one wife, Zipporah or did Moses have two wives, Zipporah and the Cushite woman?

He points out that “In his book, Antiquity of Jews, Book 2, Chapter 10, Josephus wrote that while Moses lived in Egypt, he commanded the Egyptian army in a war against Ethiopia (which we covered back then) and that it was at this point he married an Ethiopian woman.”

This sounds like she was an additional wife. What I don’t understand is why it took this long for Miriam and Aaron to express this displeasure with her.

Perhaps their relationship had been touchy and reached a boiling point for some reason, whether she is Zipporah or a separate Ethiopian woman.

It appears that jealousy of the power and influence Moses had was the real cause of their complaint, though his having married an Ethiopian woman was the vehicle used to fuel everything.

Finally, having come from seven sisters, having been arguably tough on Moses when he was derelict of duty, and not one to withhold her opinion, perhaps Zipporah was a driving, strong woman in Moses’ life, and what we are reading about here is a power-struggle reaching a boil with Moses’ siblings who were sick of her ways.

In the end – we do not know if these are one woman or two.

Aaron and Miriam’s Complaint

So, what did Moses’ siblings actually say? Verse 2:

Numbers 12:2 (KJV)

And they said, Hath YAHAVAH indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And YAHAVAH heard it.

According to Exodus 4:15, Aaron had received a portion of the Spirit to speak through, and Exodus 15:20 literally calls Miriam a prophetess in her own right.

So, their claim was true of also receiving inspiration, but it was the heart of the comment, it seems, that YAHAVAH heard from them—which was not good.

What was the heart? Apparently, envy, maybe anger and frustration, of feeling that Moses was being led around by his wife. Why say this? Verse 3:

Numbers 12:3 (KJV)

(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of

the earth.)

Remembering that Moses was the writer of Numbers, it seems odd that he would describe himself this way – sort of like a humble brag, right?

We know that Moses was meek, and even though all the translations I consulted use the line, “very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth,” it seems that in the Hebrew there is reason to retranslate the line to better mean,

“Now this man Moses was depressed or afflicted more than any man of that land.”

That sounds more fitting in reason and context, especially in light of what Moses’ attitude was in the last chapter when he was overwhelmed and even angry and complaining against God.

Add in the fact that his wife (whoever she was) was somehow influencing or riding him on items, to the point that his siblings got angry with her, Moses was in a pressure cooker for sure.

Having been married to the same wife of my youth for over forty years, I can attest to the human fact that for men, everything works better at home, at work, and at play when our other half is at peace.

There is something about the two becoming one that takes a toll on the women (for sure) but there is a toll on the men as well because we are driven to want to please her, make her happy, and help her thrive—because for whatever reason a man who loves his wife is concerned with her well-being—we get sort of sidelined when they aren’t well.

Adding his wife’s complaints or opinions on matters relative to his leading the Nation, and I see Moses as really feeling depressed as:

• The people are ungrateful,
• God is angry,
• and now his family is at odds
• due to friction between Moses’ wife and sister and brother.

You can bottle the pressure he was under.

Now there is a semi-coup to retake power by Miriam and Aaron. Guess who comes to Moses’ aid?

Numbers 12:4 (KJV)

And YAHAVAH spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

Can you imagine such an invitation from God? “Meet me at this location – now.”

Numbers 12:5-8 (KJV)

5 And YAHAVAH came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

6 And he said, “Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I YAHAVAH will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of YAHAVAH shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

This is fascinating because God Himself tells them that He would or did speak to prophets/prophetesses via dreams and visions.

Just to say, Moses was not considered a prophet in this sense, which we will get to momentarily.

But as YAHAVAH says to Miriam and Aaron, He would speak to those who are prophets in and through dreams and visions.

Interestingly, throughout the scripture, God has made use of dreams in communicating His will to humankind.

The most notable are tied to:

• Jacob: Genesis 28:12; 31:10
• Laban: Genesis 31:24
• Joseph: Genesis 37:9-11
• Gideon: Judges 7:1-25
• Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5

Other significant dreams include:

• Abimelech: Genesis 20:3-7
• Pharaoh’s chief butler and baker: Genesis 40:5
• Pharaoh: Genesis 41:1-8
• the Midianites: Judges 7:13
• Nebuchadnezzar: Daniel 2:1; 4:10, 18
• Joseph had the Lord appear in a dream regarding Yeshua: Matthew 1:20; 2:12-13
• the wise men from the east: Matthew 2:12
• Pilate’s wife: Matthew 27:19
• and Paul: Acts 16:9; 18:9; 27:23

Interestingly, God Himself describes these dreams “as dark riddles” in verse 8 as opposed to the direct speech which He communicates with Moses.

Visions are considered apparitions and the word means a looking glass where something is visualized.

Dreams and Visions

At Pentecost, we are familiar with Peter telling the crowd that Joel’s fulfillment was occurring right then and there, where we read:

Acts 2:17 (KJV)

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

What is the difference between dreams and visions? Dreams happen when we are asleep, and visions happen when we are awake.

The question becomes are such things—dreams and visions, things YAHAVAH admits to using among the Prophets—still occurring today?

The writer of Hebrews wrote back after Yeshua had ascended into the clouds,

Hebrews 1:1-2 (KJV)

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.

The Greek here seems to be saying that God not only spoke by His Son’s words but by who His Son was and what His Son did.

Taking that, we might assume the following:

That a dream or vision is not in any way oppositional to the person of His Son, we might see them as revelatory.

That said, dreams and visions are also suspect in some ways and a person must be willing to do as James says, and take the dream, lacking wisdom, to God, and asking Him to provide the meaning or interpretation.

I tend to think that dreams and visions today are personal and without question, meaning, we do not doubt the dreams that come from God in any way, whereas dreams that don’t come from God are always suspect and mysterious.

There is a body of believers who are known as cessationists today. The Calvinist John MacArthur is the most widely known of them.

The word means you believe that the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible have ceased.

There are all sorts of spiritual gifts mentioned in scripture and we will discuss those as they come, but when it comes to dreams and visions, are they over or continuing?

I don’t rightly know, and the confusion is based on the fact that I’ve had both, but what they literally mean and where they actually originated from is up for debate as I suspect that the majority of them come from non-God sources.

I reject the idea that a person can have a dream or vision for or on behalf of another – I believe that God would at least inform all parties if such were of Him and applicable to others.

I would also suggest that all dreams and visions must accord with biblical principles established beginning to end and in light of God, in those last days, speaking by His Son.

What is troubling are all the facets of potential counterfeits, whether they are by accident (bad burrito before bed) or by sinister infiltration by the Dark.

Interestingly, cessationists are ready to completely shut down all spiritual gifts while at the same time believing that spiritual forces from Satan and his angels continue to reign and afflict Man.

Finally, I am taken by Jungian archetypes, the collective subconscious, and what he called synchronicities, on the basis that when God breathed His living breath of life into Man made in His image, there is a collective soul-pool, so to speak, that is as living as any other created thing and that it has the potential to operate, influence, and appear to us in and through dreams and life.

Up in the air. Totally unsure of it all. But in the end, look solely to Him, the scripture, and the Spirit, and its fruit of love to govern and guide you, and be wary of visionaries and dreamers.

God’s Direct Communication with Moses

Interestingly, where God communicated through prophets by enigmatic riddles, He did not so do with Moses.

In His case, God communicated Himself to Moses in a different way—He spoke to him face to face, apparently, showing him His glory, with Him hearing His voice and not in dark or enigmatic speeches that He would speak to the Prophets.

In this way, we see how God directly worked in and through Moses as the Lawgiver, and therefore the communications with Him were clear and concise.

These facts led YAHAVAH to then say to Miriam and Aaron,

Numbers 12:7-8 (KJV)

7 My servant Moses is not so (meaning, not so in the way I speak with prophets, but adds), who is faithful in all mine house.

8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of YAHAVAH shall he behold: wherefore then (why) were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

The word, faithful here is also applied to

Samuel (1 Samuel 2:35; 3:20), David (1 Samuel 18:27).

And then YAHAVAH differentiates clearly between Moses and others, saying,

Numbers 12:9 (KJV)

9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

Interestingly, the picture of Moses speaking clearly with YAHAVAH is a direct type of Father speaking directly to that of His only begotten Son.

The comparatives are there. Moses was faithful as His Son was even more. Listen to the writer of Hebrews as he informs us of such in the third chapter, beginning at verse 1:

Hebrews 3:1-6 (KJV)

1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

2 Who was faithful to him (God) that appointed him (Yeshua) as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

3 For this man (Yeshua) was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath built the house hath more honour than the house.

4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

So, in this, we have a type found in Moses. Back to Numbers 12:

Numbers 12:10-16 (KJV)

10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

Miriam’s Punishment and Moses’ Plea

I think we can rightly say that it was likely Miriam who led the attack against Moses and why she is punished where Aaron is spared.

I find the disease sort of humorous because there may be (MAY BE) a little just deserts God gave to Miriam for the simple reason that if Miriam’s heartburn had ANYTHING to do with this woman being a black-skinned Ethiopian, then the irony is God sort of seemed to say to Miriam, “well, let’s just make your skin white as snow!”

Numbers 12:11-13 (KJV)

11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.

12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.

13 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.

And we get another insight into the Living God—Miriam’s brothers were concerned for her and sought to have her healed, but God knows how to rightly administer remedial justice, and so we read Him say:

Numbers 12:14 (KJV)

14 And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.

Spitting in someone’s face was a great sign of disrespect, and apparently, there was a custom where a father who is fully overwhelmed by anger at a rebellious child would spit in their face.

It appears that if a parent did such a thing, the child would be banished from the father’s proximity for seven days.

The logic here is if this was an allowed and judged method in matters of high provocation on the part of a child, should not the punishment be equally severe where the creature has rebelled against the Creator’s chosen?

Miriam, having rebelled against the one YAHAVAH called to be an elohiym to the people, was shut out of the camp for seven days in the same manner she would be for angering her father.

Some suggest that the picture of Aaron and Miriam’s jealousy or envy of Moses and His Bride was a type for the Jews being jealous over Christ and the apostles gathering a bride.

Some believe that the leprosy with which Miriam was hit was a picture of the sinful Nation also turning against the living God and His chosen prophets.

Numbers 12:15-16 (KJV)

15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

16 And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

And that wraps up Chapter 12. Chapter 13 and beyond (perhaps) next week.