““But the Lord told me to tell you, ‘Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies.’ “This is what I told you, but you would not listen. Instead, you again rebelled against the Lord’s command and arrogantly went into the hill country to fight. But the Amorites who lived there came out against you like a swarm of bees. They chased and battered you all the way from Seir to Hormah. Then you returned and wept before the Lord, but he refused to listen.”
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Deuteronomy‬ ‭1‬:‭42‬-‭45‬ ‭NLT

God is always with us, but we are not always with him. As Moses neared his death, he took a moment to tell the story of the exodus to the young hebrews. Here, he recounts the story of the 12 spies. We see a clearer picture in this passage that outlines how the spies were sent in to assuage the people’s fears. We see how doing so, though seemingly helpful, actually stoked those fears. We also see how the people gave into those fears and received punishment for that mindset. By the time they tried to recant, it was too late, because God was finished supporting them. In the context of the young nation, this was the perfect beginning to Moses’ final s sentiments. Part of following God is aligning with his timing, despite our fears. Not doing so is a personal affront to him. It often bears deep consequences. God will often move these people out of the way so that others can be blessed by it. This was done with the older Hebrews, as much as it was done by the land to the wicked canaanites. They would need to understand this as they took that land, just as we need to understand this as we too, take our blessings. Therefore, these types of stories must be told and retold, so future generations might make wise choices from them.

God’s Presence and Human Response: God is always present, but humans often stray from God’s presence due to fear and disobedience.

Consequences of Disobedience: Disobedience to God’s timing and will can lead to punishment and the loss of God’s support.

Importance of Learning from History: Stories like the 12 spies serve as warnings and lessons for future generations to avoid the mistakes of the past.