The Eyes of the Spy

Scripture(s): Joshua 14:7-9

"I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart.  "Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt [fn] with fear; but I followed the LORD my God fully. "So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God fully.'

Commentary:
(1.) The testimony of his conscience concerning his integrity in the management of that great affair on which it proved the fare of Israel turned, the spying out of the land. Caleb was one of the twelve that were sent out on that errand (v. 7), and he now reflected upon it with comfort, and mentioned it, not in pride, but as that which, being the consideration of the grant, was necessary to be inserted in the plea, [1.] That he made his report as it was in his heart, that is, he spoke as he thought when he spoke so honourably of the land of Canaan, so confidently of the power of God to put them in possession of it, and so contemptibly of the opposition that the Canaanites, even the Anakim themselves, could make against them, as we find he did, Num. 13:30; 14:7-9. He did not do it merely to please Moses, or to keep the people quiet, much less from a spirit of contradiction to his fellows, but from a full conviction of the truth of what he said and a firm belief of the divine promise (Henry, 1996).

[2.] That herein he wholly followed the Lord his God, that is, he kept close to his duty, and sincerely aimed at the glory of God in it. He conformed himself to the divine will with an eye to the divine favour. He had obtained this testimony from God himself (Num. 14:24), and therefore it was not vain-glory in him to speak of it, any more than it is for those who have God’s Spirit witnessing with their spirits that they are the children of God humbly and thankfully to tell others for their encouragement what God has done for their souls. Note, Those that follow God fully when they are young shall have both the credit and comfort of it when they are old, and the reward of it for ever in the heavenly Canaan (Henry, 1996).

[3.] That he did this when all his brethren and companions in that service, except Joshua, did otherwise. They made the heart of the people melt (v. 8), and how pernicious the consequences of it were was very well known. It adds much to the praise of following God if we adhere to him when others desert and decline from him. Caleb needed not to mention particularly Joshua’s conduct in this matter; it was sufficiently known, and he would not seem to flatter him; it was enough to say (v. 6), Thou knowest what the Lord spoke concerning me and thee (Henry, 1996).

Reflection:
When Moses sent out two of his servants to spy out the land, one servant came back with a fearful report, and another servant came back with a good report. The difference between the two is clear. One did not believe God, and one believed God. They both had been in the wilderness for quite some time. However, one could see what the other could not, and he was blessed with the possession of the promise. He did not die in the wilderness with the others that died in their unbelief. He lived to see the promise, and to possess it.  His heart fully followed the Lord in faith. He could have been discouraged, and lost hope, but his hope was rooted in the only true and living God. We can be encouraged by the eyes of the spy, that had faith to believe the promise; to also possess the promises that God has made to us.

Strong's Concordance Definitions: [Joshua 14:9]

Surely the land: 776
1) land, earth
a) earth
1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
3) earth (inhabitants)
b) land
1) country, territory
2) district, region
3) tribal territory
4) piece of ground
5) land of Canaan, Israel
6) inhabitants of land
7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world
8) city (-state)
c) ground, surface of the earth
1) ground
2) soil
d) (in phrases)
1) people of the land
2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)
3) level or plain country
4) land of the living
5) end(s) of the earth
e) (almost wholly late in usage)
1) lands, countries
a) often in contrast to Canaan

Whereon thy feet: 7272
1) foot
a) foot, leg
b) of God (anthropomorphic)
c) of seraphim, cherubim, idols, animals, table
d) according to the pace of (with prep)
e) three times (feet, paces)

Have trodden: 1869
1) to tread, bend, lead, march
a) (Qal)
1) to tread, march, march forth
2) to tread on, tread upon
3) to tread (a press)
4) to tread (bend) a bow
5) archer, bow-benders (participle)
b) (Hiphil)
1) to tread, tread down
2) to tread (bend with the foot) a bow
3) to cause to go, lead, march, tread

Shall be thy inheritance: 5159
1) possession, property, inheritance, heritage
a) property
b) portion, share
c) inheritance, portion

Because thou has wholly: 4390
1) to fill, be full
a) (Qal)
1) to be full
a) fulness, abundance (participle)
b) to be full, be accomplished, be ended
2) to consecrate, fill the hand
b) (Niphal)
1) to be filled, be armed, be satisfied
2) to be accomplished, be ended
c) (Piel)
1) to fill
2) to satisfy
3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete
4) to confirm
d) (Pual) to be filled
e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against

Followed: 310
1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time)

a) as an adverb
1) behind (of place)
2) afterwards (of time)
b) as a preposition
1) behind, after (of place)
2) after (of time)
3) besides
c) as a conjunction
1) after that
d) as a substantive
1) hinder part
e) with other prepositions
1) from behind
2) from following after

The Lord: 3068
Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God
a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of 0136

My God: 430
1) (plural)

a) rulers, judges
b) divine ones
c) angels
d) gods
2) (plural intensive - singular meaning)
a) god, goddess
b) godlike one
c) works or special possessions of God
d) the (true) God
e) God

References:

Blue Letter Bible. "Book of Joshua 14 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 23 Mar 2010.  http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jos&c=14&t=NASB

Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on Joshua 14." . Blue Letter Bible. 1 Mar 1996. 2010. 23 Mar 2010.
 http:// www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?
AuthorID=4&contentID=833&commInfo=5&topic=Joshua&ar=Jos_14_7

Higgins, S. (2010). The Eyes of the Spy. Devotions for Thought. Higgins Publishing. Http://www.devotionsforthought.blogspot.com, Http://www.higginspublishing.com