The Promised Land
From Mount Sinai, Moses led the people north through the desert in the direction of Canaan, the land that God had promised to give them.
Just before they reached Canaan, they camped, and God told Moses to send out twelve men to spy out the land.
One man was chosen from each of the twelve tribes, who were descended from Jacob's twelve sons. 'Find out what the land is like, and what sort of people live there, Moses told them.
The men went off, and came back after forty days, carrying great loads of grapes, figs and pomegranates.
'It is a good land, flowing with milk and honey, they told Moses, but the people live in huge walled cities. They are like giants: they would crush us as if we were grasshoppers.
When the people heard this, they were in despair. 'We should never have left Egypt. It would have been better to die there than die in this desert, they said.
Joshua and Caleb, two of the men who had gone to Canaan, tried to encourage them. 'Canaan is a good land. God promised it to us.
Don't be afraid. He will go with us, and give it to us, they said. But the people wouldn't listen.
God said to the people; 'You still haven't learned to trust me. You have forgotten all that I have done for you. Because you don't trust Me. you shall wander through the desert for forty years.
Everyone who saw what I did in Egypt will die in the desert, all except Joshua and Caleb. Because they trust Me, they will go and take the land that I promised you.
The people were very unhappy when they heard that they would die in the desert, But they still refused to trust God.
Going against God's orders, some of the men went to fight the people in Canaan to try to take over the land, but they were soon defeated.
The years passed, and the people grew very tired of living in the desert. They grumbled about their leaders, and rebelled against Moses and Aaron.
Aaron died and Moses knew he that too had not much longer to live. He told Joshua. 'I'm growing old and I'll never reach Canaan. You must lead the people there.
Don't be afraid: be brave and strong, for God will be with you.
Then Moses spoke to the people, telling them to obey the laws of God. He blessed them And was led by God up Mount Nebo to the peak of Pisgah.
There God showed him the promised land. It stretched from the cities of Gilead and Dan and the land of Judah, to the southern city of Jericho, and far away in the west to the sea.
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