Numbers 14:6, commentary and pictures

Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh were two of the twelve men who searched Canaan, among whom Caleb stood as a courageous leader and chieftain.
They rent their clothes in grief, distress, alarm, indignation and earnest protest over Israel's rebellion and the discouraging report that turned the camp from possessing the land, while Moses and Aaron lay fallen on their faces before the Lord in utter silence too great for utterance to implore mercy.
With torn clothes they affirmed that the land searched is exceeding good, fertile and flowing with milk and honey as promised, and urged Israel not to rebel nor fear its people, for the Lord was with Israel, their defense was departed and God would bring His people in and give the land.
The congregation rejected their truthful witness and turned to stone them, and that unbelief and defiance brought God's displeasure and the decree to wander forty years and die in the wilderness without entering the promised land.
Joshua and Caleb alone among the spies still trusted God and reasoned in faith while the others reasoned in doubt and fear, seeing the strong people, walled cities and giants just as plainly yet counting God's promise superior and urging Israel to go up at once in His strength, and as a man thinketh so is he their word of faith proved true when they alone entered and possessed what their feet had trodden.
Their courage was given by the power of the Holy Spirit working through human instrumentalities in every age, and it calls still for faithful Calebs and Joshuas who stand firmly at the assigned post undeterred by danger or reproach, refuse to spread discouraging reports, and press to the front to plant the banner of truth.

Setting and Meaning

Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh were two of the twelve men sent to search Canaan, and Caleb stood among them as a courageous leader and chieftain. Joshua had served with Moses through most of the wilderness sojourn, seeing the wonderful works wrought through him and learning the disposition of the people. With Caleb he gave a faithful account of the richness and attractiveness of the land and encouraged the people to go up and possess it in the strength of God.

Their tearing of their clothes marked grief and distress at the report that discouraged Israel from entering Canaan. It was an expression of deepest sorrow, alarm, indignation, and earnest protest over rebellion against God and the turning of the camp away from possessing the promised fertile land. They grieved because the other spies declared Israel could not conquer Canaan, though the land was fertile and God had promised it.

The rending took place while Moses and Aaron had fallen on their faces before the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation to implore mercy for the rebellious people. Moses and Aaron remained in utter silence because their distress and grief were too great for utterance. In that setting Caleb and Joshua rent their clothes in greatest sorrow and then lifted their appeal to the people.

With torn clothes they affirmed that the land they had searched was exceeding good, fertile, and flowing with milk and honey as God had promised. They urged Israel not to rebel against the Lord and not to fear the people of the land. They declared the Lord was with Israel, the defense of its people was departed, its inhabitants were bread for Israel, and if the Lord delighted in Israel He would bring them in and give them the land. They called the people to go up at once and take Canaan while the Lord promised to go with their armies as General to give easy access into the land.

The congregation rejected their truthful witness and appeal and turned against them. The people threatened to stone them, with even cowardly companions joining in the threat, yet Caleb was not deterred by danger or reproach because he had a message to deliver. In the face of that threat he cried with ringing voice to go up at once and possess the land, for Israel was well able to overcome it.

Israel's response to the evil, lying report brought God's displeasure and the decree to wander forty years in the wilderness. If Israel had accepted the faithful report and gone into Canaan, God would have given them the land. Instead unbelief and defiance brought judgment that the rebellious generation would not enter the promised land but would wear out their lives in the desert and die there. God in mercy sent them back by the Red Sea, and their delay gave the Amalekites and Canaanites time to prepare for war. After the judgment the people tried presumptuously to enter when the favorable time had passed, going without their General and without the ark into prepared ambush, and their attack ended in slaughter and defeat.

Faithful Witness and Application

Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the twelve spies who kept trusting God while the other ten reasoned in doubt and fear. They saw the difficulties just as plainly, acknowledging the strong people, walled and very great cities, children of Anak, giant warriors and iron chariots, yet they counted God's promise superior to giants, walled cities and chariots of iron. They gave a faithful account of the richness, fertility and attractiveness of Canaan as God had promised it, and with grief and distress over the contrary report urged the people to go up at once and possess it in God's strength, for Israel was well able to overcome it.

Their faith and courage came by the power of the Holy Spirit working through human instrumentalities for the fallen race. It is the same power that sustained the patriarchs, made the apostolic church effective, and has upheld God's faithful children in every succeeding age, including Waldensian Christians in the Dark Ages and pioneers of modern missions and Bible translation.

Joshua's faithfulness as a spy, together with his service with Moses through most of the wilderness sojourn, showed he was well qualified to become the acknowledged leader of Israel. In that service he saw the wonderful works of God wrought by Moses and came to understand the disposition of the people. To him God promised to be present as with Moses and to give the conquest of Canaan if he faithfully observed the divine requirements, an assurance that removed his fear over the magnitude and importance of the trust committed to him.

Their words proved true for each company, for as a man thinketh in his heart so is he. The unbelieving said they were not able to go up, leaving God out, losing sight of the beauty and fruitfulness of Canaan through fear, and they were not able but wore out their lives in the desert and perished in the wilderness. The word of faith was true for Joshua and Caleb, who though they shared the forty years wandering with their brethren entered the land of promise. Caleb was as courageous as when he left Egypt, asking for and receiving the stronghold of the giants as his portion, driving out the Canaanites in God's strength, possessing the vineyards and olive groves where his feet had trodden, and eating the grapes of Eschol while cowards and rebels perished.

Their example shows the courage to uphold God and the right when others complain, draw back, refuse faithful counsel, spread doubt and discouragement, and call for retreat, and the same response is needed when risks arise. It warns against repeating the spies' work by spreading a discouraging report that turns people against God's work and its workers. It calls God's people to encourage firm faith in God's leading rather than spreading doubt, to speak against reports that discourage action, to trust that with God they can possess what He has set before them, to face apparent impossibilities, and to press forward with the truth rather than obstruct its mission.

Faithful Calebs and Joshuas are still needed who unite the simplicity, love and humble spirit of little ones with the courage of the tried warrior. They stand firmly at the post God has assigned without shirking disagreeable responsibility, undeterred by danger or reproach even when threatened with stoning by cowardly companions, kept from the fear of man, raising their voices fearlessly in defense of the right, pressing first to the front of the battle, and planting the banner of truth in the enemy's camp. Their names stand for the strong, devoted, self-sacrificing young workers God needs, young men and young women who support the right testimony, press to the front and after a short time in school go forth to give the message to the world, with God helping them by wisdom and understanding as He helped Daniel. They are called to take a united zealous stand, including for city missions and for temperance, delivering the message God has given them even when others despise God's Word.