📖 Based on Numbers 13 | Sunday 22nd June 2025
✍️ By Eric Otchere | www.livingourbible.com
Introduction
Few things hinder the move of God like unbelief. In Numbers 13, Israel stood on the edge of the Promised Land, ready to receive what God had already promised. But when the twelve spies returned from exploring Canaan, only two—Joshua and Caleb—responded in faith. The rest spread fear and doubt, causing the people to rebel.
This pivotal moment reveals a timeless truth: God hates unbelief because it questions His character, doubts His power, and delays His promises. The lesson from Numbers 13 is clear—unbelief is not just a personal struggle; it’s a spiritual offense that grieves the heart of God.
“God hates unbelief because it questions His character, doubts His power, and delays His promises.”
1. God’s Promise Requires Faith to Possess It
📖 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.” — Numbers 13:1-2
God didn’t say if they could have the land; He said He was giving it to them. The instruction to explore Canaan wasn’t to decide whether to go—it was to prepare in faith for what was already theirs.
📝 Lesson: When God gives a promise, He expects us to walk in faith, not fear. (See Hebrews 11:6)
“Unbelief is not just a personal struggle; it’s a spiritual offense that grieves the heart of God.”
2. Obedience Doesn’t Guarantee Popular Opinion
📖 “So at the Lord’s command, Moses sent them out…” — Numbers 13:3
Moses did exactly what God asked—yet ten out of twelve leaders returned with a negative, faithless perspective. This shows that even in obedience, not everyone will see what God sees.
📝 Lesson: True leadership and faith often stand alone. Don’t let the crowd’s fear drown out God’s voice. (See Galatians 1:10)
“When God gives a promise, He expects us to walk in faith, not fear.”
3. Fear Magnifies Obstacles, Faith Magnifies God
📖 “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” — Numbers 13:33
The ten spies focused on the giants and forgot about God. Their unbelief made the problem bigger than the Promise Giver.
📝 Lesson: How you see yourself determines how you walk into your calling. Faith magnifies God; fear magnifies failure. (See 2 Corinthians 5:7)
“True leadership and faith often stand alone.”
4. God Honors Faithful Voices
📖 “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” — Numbers 13:30
Joshua and Caleb didn’t deny the giants—they just believed God was greater. Their faith separated them from the rest, and eventually, they were the only ones from that generation to enter the land.
📝 Lesson: Faith may not always be popular, but it is powerful. God rewards those who trust Him. (See Numbers 14:24)
“Faith magnifies God; fear magnifies failure.”
Conclusion
Unbelief kept an entire generation out of their inheritance. God had proven His power repeatedly, yet Israel doubted. That doubt led to disobedience, fear, and ultimately, death in the wilderness. Unbelief is more than hesitation—it’s a refusal to trust a faithful God.
“How you see yourself determines how you walk into your calling.”
Take Action
🔍 Examine your heart. Are you limiting God by what you see?
🙌 Choose faith over fear. Declare His promises, believe His Word, and act in confidence.
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Don’t die on the edge of your promise. Believe—and walk into your destiny.
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