Through the Bible – Day 49

Bible text(s)

Numbers 13

Twelve men are sent into Canaan

₁The LORD said to Moses, ₂“Choose a leader from each tribe and send them into Canaan to explore the land I am giving you.”

₃So Moses sent twelve tribal leaders from Israel's camp in the Paran Desert _4-16with orders to explore the land of Canaan. And here are their names:

Shammua son of Zaccur from Reuben,

Shaphat son of Hori from Simeon,

Caleb son of Jephunneh from Judah,

Igal son of Joseph from Issachar,

Joshua son of Nun from Ephraim,

Palti son of Raphu from Benjamin,

Gaddiel son of Sodi from Zebulun,

Gaddi son of Susi from Manasseh,

Ammiel son of Gemalli from Dan,

Sethur son of Michael from Asher,

Nahbi son of Vophsi from Naphtali,

and Geuel son of Machi from Gad.

₁₇Before Moses sent them into Canaan, he said:

After you go through the Southern Desert of Canaan, continue north into the hill country ₁₈and find out what those regions are like. Be sure to remember how many people live there, how strong they are, _19-20and if they live in open towns or walled cities. See if the land is good for growing crops and find out what kinds of trees grow there. It's time for grapes to ripen, so try to bring back some of the fruit that grows there.

₂₁The twelve men left to explore Canaan from the Zin Desert in the south all the way to the town of Rehob near Lebo-Hamath in the north. ₂₂As they went through the Southern Desert, they came to the town of Hebron, which was seven years older than the Egyptian town of Zoan. In Hebron, they saw the three Anakim clans of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai. _23-24When they got to Bunch Valley, they cut off a branch with such a huge bunch of grapes, that it took two men to carry it on a pole. That's why the place was called Bunch Valley. Along with the grapes, they also took back pomegranates and figs.

The men report back to the people

₂₅After exploring the land of Canaan for forty days, ₂₆the twelve men returned to Kadesh in the Paran Desert and told Moses, Aaron, and the people what they had seen. They showed them the fruit ₂₇and said:

Look at this fruit! The land we explored is rich with milk and honey. ₂₈But the people who live there are strong, and their cities are large and walled. We even saw the three Anakim clans. ₂₉Besides that, the Amalekites live in the Southern Desert; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites are in the hill country; and the Canaanites live along the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan.

₃₀Caleb calmed down the crowd and said, “Let's go and take the land. I know we can do it!”

₃₁But the other men replied, “Those people are much too strong for us.” ₃₂Then they started spreading rumours and saying, “We won't be able to grow anything in that soil. And the people are like giants. ₃₃In fact, we saw the Nephilim who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers.”

Numbers 14

The people rebel and are punished

The Israelites rebel against Moses

₁After the Israelites heard the report from the twelve men who had explored Canaan, the people cried all night ₂and complained to Moses and Aaron, “We wish we had died in Egypt or somewhere out here in the desert! ₃Is the LORD leading us into Canaan, just to have us killed and our women and children captured? We'd be better off in Egypt.” ₄Then they said to one another, “Let's choose our own leader and go back.”

₅Moses and Aaron bowed down to pray in front of the crowd. ₆Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in sorrow ₇and said:

We saw the land ourselves, and it's very good. ₈If we obey the LORD, he will surely give us that land rich with milk and honey. ₉So don't rebel. We have no reason to be afraid of the people who live there. The LORD is on our side, and they won't stand a chance against us!

₁₀The crowd threatened to stone Moses and Aaron to death. But just then, the LORD appeared in a cloud at the sacred tent.

Moses prays for the people

₁₁The LORD said to Moses, “I have done great things for these people, and they still reject me by refusing to believe in my power. ₁₂So they will no longer be my people. I will destroy them, but I will make you the ancestor of a nation even stronger than theirs.”

_13-16Moses replied:

With your mighty power you rescued your people from Egypt, so please don't destroy us here in the desert. If you do, the Egyptians will hear about it and tell the people of Canaan. Those Canaanites already know that we are your people, and that we see you face to face. And they have heard how you lead us with a thick cloud during the day and flaming fire at night. But if you kill us, they will claim it was because you weren't powerful enough to lead us into Canaan as you promised.

₁₇Show us your great power, LORD. You promised ₁₈that you love to show mercy and kindness. And you said that you are very patient, but that you will punish everyone guilty of doing wrong—not only them but their children and grandchildren as well.

₁₉You are merciful, and you treat people better than they deserve. So please forgive these people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.

₂₀Then the LORD said to Moses:

In answer to your prayer, I do forgive them. ₂₁But as surely as I live and my power has no limit, _22-23I swear that not one of these Israelites will enter the land I promised to give their ancestors. These people have seen my power in Egypt and in the desert, but they will never see Canaan. They have disobeyed and tested me too many times.

₂₄But my servant Caleb isn't like the others. So because he has faith in me, I will allow him to cross into Canaan, and his descendants will settle there.

₂₅Now listen, Moses! The Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys of Canaan. And tomorrow morning, you'll need to turn round and head back into the desert towards the Red Sea.

The Israelites are punished for complaining

₂₆The LORD told Moses and Aaron _27-28to give this message to the people of Israel:

You sinful people have complained against me too many times! Now I swear by my own life that I will give you exactly what you wanted. ₂₉You will die here in the desert, and your dead bodies will cover the ground. You have insulted me, and none of you men who are over twenty years old ₃₀will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give you as your own—only Caleb and Joshua will go in.

₃₁You were worried that your own children would be captured. But I, the LORD, will let them enter the land you have rejected. ₃₂You will die here in the desert! ₃₃Your children will wander around in this desert forty years, suffering because of your sins, until all of you are dead. ₃₄I will cruelly punish you every day for the next forty years—one year for each day that the land was explored. ₃₅You sinful people who ganged up against me will die here in the desert.

₃₆Ten of the men sent to explore the land had brought back bad news and had made the people complain against the LORD. ₃₇So he sent a deadly disease that killed those men, ₃₈but he let Joshua and Caleb live.

The Israelites fail to enter Canaan

₃₉The people of Israel were very sad after Moses gave them the LORD's message. ₄₀So they got up early the next morning and got ready to head towards the hill country of Canaan. They said, “We were wrong to complain about the LORD. Let's go into the land that he promised us.”

₄₁But Moses replied, “You're disobeying the LORD! Your plan won't work, _42-43so don't even try it. The LORD refuses to help you, because you turned your backs on him. The Amalekites and the Canaanites are your enemies, and they will attack and defeat you.”

₄₄But the Israelites ignored Moses and marched towards the hill country, even though the sacred chest and Moses did not go with them. ₄₅The Amalekites and the Canaanites came down from the hill country, defeated the Israelites, and chased them as far as the town of Hormah.

Numbers 13:1-14:45CEVOpen in Bible reader

Matthew 27

Jesus is buried

₅₇That evening a rich disciple named Joseph from the town of Arimathea ₅₈went and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate gave orders for it to be given to Joseph, ₅₉who took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. ₆₀Then Joseph put the body in his own tomb that had been cut into solid rock and had never been used. He rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb and went away.

₆₁All this time Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb.

₆₂On the next day, which was a Sabbath, the chief priests and the Pharisees went together to Pilate. ₆₃They said, “Sir, we remember what that liar said while he was still alive. He claimed that in three days he would come back from death. ₆₄So please order the tomb to be carefully guarded for three days. If you don't, his disciples may come and steal his body. They will tell the people that he has been raised to life, and this last lie will be worse than the first one.”

₆₅Pilate said to them, “All right, take some of your soldiers and guard the tomb as well as you know how.” ₆₆So they sealed it tight and placed soldiers there to guard it.

Matthew 28

Jesus is alive

₁The Sabbath was over, and it was almost daybreak on Sunday when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ₂Suddenly a strong earthquake struck, and the Lord's angel came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone and sat on it. ₃The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ₄The guards shook from fear and fell down, as though they were dead.

₅The angel said to the women, “Don't be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross. ₆He isn't here! God has raised him to life, just as Jesus said he would. Come, see the place where his body was lying. ₇Now hurry! Tell his disciples that he has been raised to life and is on his way to Galilee. Go there, and you will see him. That is what I came to tell you.”

₈The women were frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. ₉Suddenly Jesus met them and greeted them. They went near him, held on to his feet, and worshipped him. ₁₀Then Jesus said, “Don't be afraid! Tell my followers to go to Galilee. They will see me there.”

Report of the guard

₁₁While the women were on their way, some soldiers who had been guarding the tomb went into the city. They told the chief priests everything that had happened. ₁₂So the chief priests met with the leaders and decided to bribe the soldiers with a lot of money. ₁₃They said to the soldiers, “Tell everyone that Jesus' disciples came during the night and stole his body while you were asleep. ₁₄If the governor hears about this, we will talk to him. You won't have anything to worry about.” ₁₅The soldiers took the money and did what they were told. Some of the Jewish people still tell each other this story.

What Jesus' followers must do

₁₆Jesus' eleven disciples went to a mountain in Galilee, where Jesus had told them to meet him. ₁₇They saw him and worshipped him, but some of them doubted.

₁₈Jesus came to them and said:

I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! ₁₉Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, ₂₀and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.

Matthew 27:57-28:20CEVOpen in Bible reader