Fertile Land

"What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land." (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.) Numbers 13: 19-20

Why is land so important to God? "God the creator, Genesis tells us, 'looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.' We recognize this goodness in the fertility of the soil, natural harbors, scenic beauty, the availability of water, and the subsurface riches of coal, oil, gold, iron and other substances. The land has a God-given goodness and is one of the gifts through which God sustains us." (Combating Modern-day Feudalism: Land as God's gift by Walter Rybeck and Ronald Pasquariello).

Why did God say he was giving the Israelites the land of Canaan, but they had to go take possession of it? Perhaps God was testing their belief in the Sovereignty of His Word and Promises. "Do you hear how Israel transgressed and offended God? Do you see their unbelief? Do you notice how they accused God of going back on His Word? Yes, on that day, the Israelites sinned greatly because they did not belive God's promise to give them the land of Canaan. They did not believe what God had promised Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. They were like so many today who say, "We believe in God and the prophets!" yet they do not really believe God and they do not believe the prophets, because they do not believe what God has promised through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures! Unbelief is a terrible sin before God." (Israelites Unbelief, TWOR@iname.com).

I'm reminded of Caleb and Joshua. Out of all the Israelites, they were the only two from their generation that God would allow to enter into the promise land. Of Caleb He said, "I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly." Deuteronomy 1:36

God wanted to give the Israelites a fuitful, fortified, and fertile land, but there were obstacles they needed to overcome. What are the obstacles you are facing today that may be inhibiting you to receive the promise of God for your life?