When Grasshoppers Become More Than Conquerors

Written by Jarred Rushing

(8 minutes)

What if how willing we are to believe that He is kind determines how far into transformation we will go?

After the Israelites encountered Yahweh's kindness at the Red Sea and journeyed through the wilderness, they arrived at the edge of the land that was promised to them. And Yahweh tells Moses to send men into the land to spy it out.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.” (Numbers 13:1-2)

All Yahweh says is, "Send some men who are leaders to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give you." So Moses passes the message to the Israelites, but notice his additions to Yahweh's words.

Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” (Numbers 13:17-20)

This is what happens when our ashes get ahold of Yahweh's words. Our fear and insecurity always want to measure and analyze beforehand. We want to know everything there is to know so we can avoid trusting and having faith in Abba's kindness. The fact of the matter is this: if we really believed He was kind, we would never shore up His words with our own anxiety-fueled measurements. Yahweh told Moses to go and spy out the land that He was giving to them, as if to say, "Go and catch a glimpse of what's about to be yours!" And then Moses comes along with his measuring rods: Are the people strong or weak? Are they few or many? Is the land good or bad? Are the cities small campsites or castles? Is the land bountiful or bare? Are there things growing there or is it a desert? With every question rooted in fear, Moses is avoiding having to trust in Yahweh's kindness. You could rephrase every single question Moses asked like this: Is Yahweh really good? Is Yahweh really kind? Can Yahweh really be trusted? Will Yahweh really take care of us? 

Let's not fool ourselves. It's not about the people in the land, or the number of them, or if the land is nice, or if the cities are protected, or if the land is vibrant, or if there's fruitful vegetation; it's about trusting Abba vs. knowing for ourselves. This is the Garden of Eden all over again. Moses is opting for the tree of knowing good and evil for himself, instead of trusting the Tree of Life to provide everything he needs. This is always the choice that's before us. Will I allow fear to drive me toward knowing what's good and evil in my own sight? Or will I allow love to drive me toward trusting someone else with my life?

The twelve spies spent forty days in the land of Canaan. They collected all the information they could about the people who lived there and the land itself. They studied the people so well that they knew things about their ancestors who lived there before them. They took cuttings of the fruit and samples of the milk and honey. They knew everything there was to know about the people and land that Yahweh was trying to give them. 

The spies came back and reported, “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.” (Numbers 13:27-29)

They knew everything they could possibly know. And in light of all of the facts and information, Caleb quieted the crowd much like the Holy Spirit quiets us, and he said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30)

But the majority of the spies were all standing in agreement with fear. They responded to Caleb's insane and laughable judgment with these words: 

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight. (Numbers 13:31-33)

We can't do it.
They're too strong.
|Even the land is a monster.
The people are like giants. 

And the most significant phrase in the men's bad report is this: "And we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

Now, with all of the exaggerated facts and figures that they were presenting, this was the most honest and truthful statement that they made. The reason we can't do it is because we have become like grasshoppers... in our own sight. The sheer size of the people, the cities, and the land has completely overwhelmed us. The facts and figures, all of our measuring, has robbed us of our identity and now we don't see ourselves correctly anymore. Why? Because we've accounted for everything, except the kindness of God. Fear never accounts for the kindness of Abba. Fear conveniently leaves out of all its evaluations the only thing that actually matters when determining our future and well-being: Abba's kindness. There is a pattern worth noting in this story. When Israel lost sight of the kindness of Yahweh, they lost sight of themselves, which led to the entire world losing sight of just how special and valuable these children of Israel actually were. 

When we lose sight of Abba's kindness, we lose sight of ourselves. Seeing Him correctly is the key to seeing ourselves correctly.

Will we be cheek-swabbers, who waste our time studying why things won't work and why the problem is too big for us to handle? Or will be land-surveyors, who use our imagination to spy out the land that Abba already says is ours? 

Cheek-swabbing, with all of its facts and figures, will never account for the kindness of God. Land-surveying only accounts for the kindness of God and does not allow problems to have any influence or say in how we move forward. 

Caleb saw everything that the other spies saw, but he was more familiar and intimate with Abba's kindness than he was with fear. And when the kindness of Yahweh is your foundation, your report will always be, "Let's go up at once and take the land. We are surely able to overcome it!"

One of our nicknames as beloved sons and daughters is this: More Than Conquerors.

A conqueror is someone who successfully overtakes a land. The only way for us to be more than conquerors is to have someone else successfully overtake the land on our behalf. This is the reality for sons and daughters who are convinced that Yahweh is perfectly good and kind. 

Fear will always make you fight for yourself. Fear forces us to be mere conquerors who rely on our own strength and ability to see victory, which leads more often to defeat because grasshoppers aren't good at conquering anything. They are good at running away. Oh, but lovers trust the kindness of Abba and allow Him to fight on their behalf. This is why lovers always get more done than doers. Because the lovers get to stand still and watch their Bridegroom win battles they never have to fight. 

There are areas in our life that we have always approached as cheek-swabbers. We've never allowed the kindness of Yahweh to define our perspective. As you take a walk with Abba today, find the area where He is giving you grace to change your mind. "Beloved son and beloved daughter, I want My kindness to be the only lens that you see this through going forward. Will you hold My hand and see this through My eyes? Will you hold My hand and see yourself through My eyes? This will change everything. And this will ultimately change the world."

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