How does fear end out keep people from experiencing God's promises?

Hey, this is Sheree at Bible Project. In today's episode, we're reflecting on God's trust

where the character and how he responds when his people fail to trust and follow him.

What's it in?

Hi, this is Kyrus Aquin at Bible Project, and in this week's study, we're reflecting on the book

of Numbers. This book is titled Numbers in English because of the numbering or census taken

of the people in the first chapters, but in Hebrew, the name of the book is Hamid Bar, meaning

in the wilderness or desert. This is because most of the book traces Israel's journey through

the desert. They're traveling from Egypt to the land of Canaan. It's the land God promised to

Abraham in Genesis 12, and it's a long and arduous journey, and one marked by the challenges

of trusting God in the midst of difficulty. This is a scenario that's pertinent to God's people

throughout the ages. So as the Israelite people approach the land promised to Abraham,

there's a really significant story about their failure to trust in God. The story begins in chapter

13. Moses sends 12 spies into the land at God's command to see what the land is like. Remember that

at this point in the story, the people have been led out of Egypt and through the desert to this

very land that God had promised to Abraham. God had promised that he would be with this people,

and he would settle them in the land and dwell among them as their God. So this is Israel's

opportunity to realize or actualize that ideal setting of God and humanity dwelling together

in Shalom, just like the first chapters of Genesis in the garden. When the spies return,

they report that it's a good land flowing with milk and honey. In other words, it's really fruitful,

but they also say that there are fortified or walled cities and giant warriors there. These are

the descendants of the Nephilim from Genesis 6. Yes, God had promised that he would settle the people

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