◄ Numbers 14:8 ►
If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us.
Study Bible
If the LORD delights in us
The phrase "If the LORD delights in us" suggests a conditional relationship based on divine favor. The Hebrew root for "delights" is "חָפֵץ" (chaphets), which conveys a sense of pleasure or desire. This implies that God's favor is not arbitrary but is connected to the faithfulness and obedience of His people. Historically, this reflects the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where blessings are contingent upon adherence to His commandments. Theologically, it underscores the importance of living in a way that pleases God, aligning with His will to receive His blessings.

He will bring us into this land
The assurance "He will bring us into this land" speaks to God's sovereignty and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. The Hebrew verb "יָבִיא" (yavi) indicates a future action, emphasizing God's active role in guiding His people. This reflects the historical context of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to Canaan, a journey marked by divine intervention and guidance. It serves as a reminder of God's ability to lead His people through challenges and into the promises He has set before them.

a land flowing with milk and honey
The description "a land flowing with milk and honey" is a metaphorical expression denoting abundance and prosperity. In Hebrew, "זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ" (zavat chalav udevash) paints a picture of a fertile and bountiful land. Archaeologically, Canaan was known for its agricultural richness, supporting this imagery. This phrase is used throughout the Old Testament to describe the Promised Land, symbolizing God's provision and the fulfillment of His promises. It inspires believers to trust in God's provision and the richness of His blessings.

and give it to us
The promise "and give it to us" highlights God's generosity and the gift-like nature of His blessings. The Hebrew verb "נָתַן" (natan) means to give, emphasizing that the land is not earned by human effort but is a divine gift. This reflects the grace of God, who provides for His people out of His love and faithfulness. Scripturally, it points to the idea that God's gifts are given to those who trust and obey Him, encouraging believers to rely on His grace rather than their own strength.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who promised to bring the Israelites into the Promised Land.

2. Caleb and Joshua
Two of the twelve spies sent to scout the Promised Land. They trusted in God's promise and encouraged the Israelites to do the same.

3. The Promised Land (Canaan)
The land God promised to Abraham and his descendants, described as "a land flowing with milk and honey."

4. The Israelites
The people of God, who were delivered from Egypt and were on the brink of entering the Promised Land.

5. The Wilderness of Paran
The location where the Israelites camped and from where the spies were sent into Canaan.
Teaching Points
Trust in God's Promises
Just as Caleb and Joshua trusted in God's promise to give them the land, we are called to trust in God's promises in our lives. Faith in God's word is essential for spiritual victory.

God's Delight and Our Obedience
The phrase "If the LORD delights in us" implies a relationship based on obedience and faith. Our obedience to God can lead to His delight and blessings in our lives.

Overcoming Fear with Faith
The Israelites' fear prevented them from entering the Promised Land. We must overcome fear with faith, trusting that God is greater than any obstacle we face.

The Importance of a Positive Report
Caleb and Joshua brought back a positive report based on faith, not fear. Our words and attitudes can influence others positively or negatively in their faith journey.

The Consequences of Unbelief
The Israelites' unbelief led to wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. Unbelief can hinder our spiritual progress and delay God's promises in our lives.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the faith of Caleb and Joshua challenge us to trust in God's promises today?

2. In what ways can we ensure that the LORD delights in us, as mentioned in Numbers 14:8?

3. What are some "giants" or obstacles in your life that require faith to overcome, similar to the Israelites facing the inhabitants of Canaan?

4. How can we encourage others in their faith journey, as Caleb and Joshua did for the Israelites?

5. Reflect on a time when unbelief hindered your spiritual progress. How can you learn from that experience to trust God more fully in the future?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 1:25-33
This passage recounts the same event, emphasizing the faithfulness of God and the rebellion of the Israelites.

Hebrews 3:16-19
Reflects on the unbelief of the Israelites in the wilderness and serves as a warning to believers to trust in God's promises.

Psalm 37:4
Encourages believers to delight in the LORD, promising that He will give them the desires of their heart, similar to the promise of entering the land.

Joshua 1:6-9
God's command to Joshua to be strong and courageous, trusting in God's promise to give them the land.
Sermons
Moses Standing in the Breach, or the Power of Intercessory PrayerW. Binnie Numbers 14:1-20
The Could not Enter in Because of UnbeliefW. Binnie Numbers 14:1-45
A Noble Effort to Arrest a Nation's RebellionW. Jones.Numbers 14:6-9
An Encouraging DeclarationJ. Burns, D. D.Numbers 14:6-9
The Boldness and Fidelity of Joshua and CalebGeorge Breay, B. A.Numbers 14:6-9
Speaking Out: a Last AppealD. Young Numbers 14:6-10
With God on Our Side We are in the MajorityE.S. Prout Numbers 14:8, 9
People
Aaron, Amalekites, Caleb, Canaanites, Egyptians, Israelites, Jephunneh, Joshua, Moses, Nun
Places
Egypt, Hormah, Kadesh-barnea, Red Sea
Topics
Bring, Delight, Delighted, Delighteth, Delights, Floweth, Flowing, Flows, Honey, Lead, Milk, Pleased, Us-a
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 14:8

     4404   food
     8261   generosity, God's

Numbers 14:1-9

     5188   tearing of clothes

Numbers 14:6-9

     5064   spirit, emotional

Numbers 14:7-8

     5477   property, land

Numbers 14:8-9

     8021   faith, nature of
     8128   guidance, receiving

Numbers 14:8-10

     5048   opportunities, and salvation

Library
Moses the Intercessor
'Pardon, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of Thy mercy, and as Thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.' --NUM. xiv. 19. See how in this story a divine threat is averted and a divine promise is broken, thus revealing a standing law that these in Scripture are conditional. This striking incident of Moses' intercession suggests to us some thoughts as to I. The ground of the divine forgiveness. The appeal is not based on anything in the people. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Weighed, and Found Wanting
'And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! 3. And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? 4. And they said one …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Order and Argument in Prayer
It is further observable that though a good man hastens to God in his trouble, and runs with all the more speed because of the unkindness of his fellow men, yet sometimes the gracious soul is left without the comfortable presence of God. This is the worst of all griefs; the text is one of Job's deep groans, far deeper than any which came from him on account of the loss of his children and his property: "Oh that I knew where I might find HIM!" The worst of all losses is to lose the smile of my God. …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 12: 1866

The Spies
THE UNBELIEF OF THE CHILDREN of Israel, prompted them to send spies into Canaan. God had told them that it was a good land, and he had promised to drive out their enemies, they ought therefore to have marched forward with all confidence to possess the promised heritage. Instead of this, they send twelve princes to spy out the land, and "alas, for human nature," ten of these were faithless, and only two true to the Lord. Read over the narrative, and mark the ill effect of the lying message, and the …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

Afraid of Giants
'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 …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Appendix ii. Philo of Alexandria and Rabbinic Theology.
(Ad. vol. i. p. 42, note 4.) In comparing the allegorical Canons of Philo with those of Jewish traditionalism, we think first of all of the seven exegetical canons which are ascribed to Hillel. These bear chiefly the character of logical deductions, and as such were largely applied in the Halakhah. These seven canons were next expanded by R. Ishmael (in the first century) into thirteen, by the analysis of one of them (the 5th) into six, and the addition of this sound exegetical rule, that where two …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Personality of Power.
A Personally Conducted Journey. Everyone enjoys the pleasure of travel; but nearly all shrink back from its tiresomeness and drudgery. The transportation companies are constantly scheming to overcome this disagreeable side for both pleasure and business travel. One of the popular ways of pleasure travel of late is by means of personally conducted tours. A party is formed, often by the railroad company, and is accompanied by a special agent to attend to all the business matters of the trip. A variation …
S.D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on Power

Exploring Canaan by Faith
EXPLORING CANAAN BY FAITH I can not understand faith. What is faith, anyway? I try to believe; sometimes I feel that my faith is strong, but at other times I feel that my faith is giving way. Can you help me in this matter? Faith seems such a hazy, intangible, elusive thing; now I think I have it, now it seems certain I have it not. I feel at times that my faith is so strong I could believe anything, then again I feel that every bit of faith I had is gone. Can you give me any instructions that will …
Robert Lee Berry—Adventures in the Land of Canaan

Trinity Sunday the Doctrine of the Trinity.
Second Sermon. Text: Romans 11, 33-36. THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY.[1] [Footnote 1: This sermon was first printed in 1535, at Wittenberg.] 1. This festival requires us to instruct the people in the dogma of the Holy Trinity, and to strengthen both memory and faith concerning it. This is the reason why we take up the subject once more. Without proper instruction and a sound foundation in this regard, other dogmas cannot be rightly and successfully treated. The other festivals of the year present …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

The Scriptures
Q-II: WHAT RULE HAS GOD GIVEN TO DIRECT US HOW WE MAY GLORIFY AND ENJOY HIM? A: The Word of God, which is contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. 2 Tim 3:16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,' By Scripture is understood the sacred Book of God. It is given by divine inspiration; that is, the Scripture is not the contrivance of man's brain, but is divine in its origin. The image of Diana was had in veneration …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Ninth Sunday after Trinity Carnal Security and Its vices.
Text: 1 Corinthians 10, 6-13. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us make trial of the Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished by the serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of the Eleventh
An unfinished commentary on the Bible, found among the author's papers after his death, in his own handwriting; and published in 1691, by Charles Doe, in a folio volume of the works of John Bunyan. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR Being in company with an enlightened society of Protestant dissenters of the Baptist denomination, I observed to a doctor of divinity, who was advancing towards his seventieth year, that my time had been delightfully engaged with John Bunyan's commentary on Genesis. "What," …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Thirdly, for Thy Actions.
1. Do no evil, though thou mightest; for God will not suffer the least sin, without bitter repentance, to escape unpunished. Leave not undone any good that thou canst. But do nothing without a calling, nor anything in thy calling, till thou hast first taken counsel at God's word (1 Sam. xxx. 8) of its lawfulness, and pray for his blessings upon thy endeavour; and then do it in the name of God, with cheerfulness of heart, committing the success to him, in whose power it is to bless with his grace …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Earliest Christian Preaching
1. THUS far we have confined ourselves to the words of Jesus. The divine necessity of His death, indicated in the Old Testament and forming the basis of all His teaching regarding it, is the primary truth; the nature of that necessity begins to be revealed as the death is set in relation to the ransoming of many, and to the institution of a new covenant -- that is, a new religion, having as its fundamental blessing the forgiveness of sins. I do not think this view of our Lord's mind as to His own …
James Denney—The Death of Christ

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
A BRIEF AND FAITHFUL RELATION OF THE EXCEEDING MERCY OF GOD IN CHRIST TO HIS POOR SERVANT, JOHN BUNYAN; WHEREIN IS PARTICULARLY SHOWED THE MANNER OF HIS CONVERSION, HIS SIGHT AND TROUBLE FOR SIN, HIS DREADFUL TEMPTATIONS, ALSO HOW HE DESPAIRED OF GOD'S MERCY, AND HOW THE LORD AT LENGTH THROUGH CHRIST DID DELIVER HIM FROM ALL THE GUILT AND TERROR THAT LAY UPON HIM. Whereunto is added a brief relation of his call to the work of the ministry, of his temptations therein, as also what he hath met with …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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