In Numbers 13 and 14, we read the famous story of the twelve Hebrew spies. Twelve men, being leaders among the children of Israel, were chosen to sneak into the promised land of Canaan to determine whether or not it was fruitful, and whether or not it could be taken by force and claimed as their own (Num. 13:17-20). Afterall, this land was given by God unto the children of Israel – all they had to do was go in and possess it (Num. 13:2). This story, like others, was written “for our learning” and spiritual application (Rom. 15:4). For us today in 2022, it becomes typical of New Covenant believers possessing their promised, eternal inheritance in Jesus (Heb. 9:15; 1 Pet. 1:4). This simple story gives us great insight into how that actually happens.

A Good and Bad Report

Among the twelve men who helped spy out the land, only two of them returned with a hopeful, faith-filled report: Joshua and Caleb. All twelve spies acknowledged the pleasant fruits of the land, but ten of those twelve grew discouraged once they considered the height of the walled cities and the strength of the inhabitants who lived there – the “children of Anak” (Num. 13:28), of whom Goliath was a descendant.

Joshua and Caleb gave a hopeful report, while the others did not. It’s important for us to recognize that these two didn’t deny the existence of Canaan’s’ giants, nor were they naïve about their own abilities. They just were not afraid. And why not? Its because giants look different when you’re clinging to God’s promise. Joshua and Caleb saw the threat, but were not overly intimidated or shaken. Like David and his own giant, they too were confident that God was able to deliver them despite the natural circumstances.

“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight” (Num. 13:30-33).

Isn’t it amazing how simple faith in God can provide us with an entirely different viewpoint? Joshua and Caleb viewed the difficulties awaiting them through a lens of faith and belief. Sadly, they were the minority! Most of the others were content to live in fear. The contention grew so strong between these two parties, the majority versus the minority, that many of the people wanted to elect a new leader and return to the torments of Egypt (Num. 14:1-4)! They were angry and afraid at the prospect of their wives and children becoming casualties of war. As difficult as such a trial must have been for the Jews, it seems these people had lost their faith in God! In response, Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the assembly. Joshua and Caleb both rent their clothing (as a sign of grief), and then pleaded with the people to hear their report instead:

“And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not” (Num. 14:7-9).

Giants Are Our Bread

The promised land was indeed a fruitful and prosperous one, and it was promised to the children of Israel by Almighty God. However, the land was also filled with giant enemies! What could be the remedy? Again, verse 9 says, “Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us…” Here, we have Scriptural instruction regarding how to possess the land of promise. In short, the enemy which occupies that land must become our very bread – our very nutrition in the wilderness – our very growth into maturity. The trials that come our way have been designed by our sovereign God to be the very thing that thrusts us into greater and greater spiritual maturation (Heb. 5:8-10). So many Christians see such trials as their pitfall and destruction, yet a few will find the beauty that was intended for them to discover (Isa. 45:3). A few will see their enemy as a meal to make them stronger.

“God brought him forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: He shall eat up the nations his enemies, And shall break their bones, And pierce them through with his arrows” (Num. 24:8).

Strength FROM the Battle

I heard Bill Johnson say, it’s amazing that God has stored the spiritual nutrition you need for tomorrow within the giant you overcome today. They are bread for us! Yes, the health I need for tomorrow’s battle can often be found in overcoming today’s affliction: As we feast on the fruits of Jesus’ own resurrection, we too receive resurrection power. And as we fight in battle, we grow! It matures us. We turn our difficulties into dinner. Even the valley of the very shadow of death presents a feast for us to partake of if we’re willing:

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over” (Ps. 23:5).

Strength FOR the battle is indeed Scriptural (Prov. 21:31; Ps. 140:7), but so is strength FROM the battle. Many Christians today are looking only at strength FOR the battle, and all the while Jesus intends to provide them with strength FROM the battle. Strength FOR the battle is temporary, while strength FROM the battle is inwrought and eternal. The trials that we overcome become the very sustenance by which we mature and affect creation!

“Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, And gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness” (Ps. 74:14).

“Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11).

“For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing” (2 Thess. 3:11-13).

These verses certainly take on new meaning in the light of what we’ve learned. We should go about eating our “own bread” – and grow not weary in doing so! Thankfully, the grace of God will accomplish it in us.

New Covenant Inheritance

In closing, let’s examine one, final aspect of this story: inheritance. It is vital for us to view this story through the lens of inheritance because that is exactly what the twelve spies were exploring – the promised land of inheritance. Inheritance is what’s at stake! As we’ve already said, for New Testament saints, the Old Testament promised land becomes typical of us actually possessing our promised, eternal inheritance in Jesus, not just judicially upon our salvation (Heb. 9:15; 1 Pet. 1:4; 2 Cor. 1:10).

I believe this is important for one, primary reason: An inheritance can be lost. If Old Testament saints struggled to conquer the enemies of their promised land (and many of them failed to enter into it), why do we expect it to be any different for us today? Like them, we too must press into it with purpose and intent (1 Cor. 9:24; Jer. 29:13). If and when we fall at the hand of our giants, we must arise and keep going (Prov. 24:16). Jesus has mercies that renew with every sunrise, and His grace is always sufficient for the day of battle (Ps. 140:7). If we fail to apprehend that truth today, then let’s begin with fresh faith again tomorrow (Phil. 3:12).

This sounds simple, yet, the Hebrew epistle shows us how easy it is to neglect one’s birthright (inheritance), and fail to apprehend it. Esau sold his inheritance for a pot of food when he hungered. He de-valued it because the needs of his flesh were more important at the time. He sold his inheritance just to satisfy a carnal appetite. And how many saints today are doing the very same? Guilty as charged! The Holy Spirit asks something of us and we neglect it because today’s needs are so very near and present. Even subtly, we end up choosing the path most-travelled – the path of least resistance – and the degree of our fruitfulness is affected as a result (Mk. 4:8, 20).

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” (Heb. 12:14-17).

We all have carnality, but we mustn’t nurture it. Instead, we should kill it (1 Cor. 15:31). Esau fostered a love for his carnality, and, eventually, that caused him to despise his birthright. He gave it away for very little. To foster a love for carnality, instead of a love for one’s inheritance, is to reject one’s birthright and lose out on one’s eternal reward, in glory. Instead, let you and I remain faithful to whatever course the Lord has us walk down – be it easy or difficult, smooth or rough, winding or straight – let’s see our giants as bread. Esau should have learned to subdue his carnality and use that giant as a meal to make him stronger! You and I, too, will have to deal with carnal appetites, but we have the Holy Spirit alive within us to empower us to behave differently than Esau (Tit. 2:11-14; Gal. 5:22-23)! In doing so, we are encouraged to apprehend our New Covenant inheritance, which is the reward of the glory of God (Gen. 15:1; 1 Pet. 1:4; Col. 1:5; 3:3-4; 2 Tim. 4:8).

Reader, if we fail to see our giants as bread then we will neglect the growth unto maturity that defeating them will provide us. If we fail to see our difficulties as our dinner then we will also fail to glean the great strength intended for us by God at their destruction. Trials come to all of us – it rains on the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45; Jn. 16:33). The only thing we can control is our response in the midst of such pain. Will we turn our giants into bread? Will we shift those afflictions toward overall good (Rom. 8:28)? Or will we waste the opportunity due to circumstance, ego, the love of pleasure, or the love of self? Jesus is longing for a people who look just like Him, and He’s using our giants to do so. Help us, Lord, to feast upon such riches, and to turn our giants into bread! Amen.