Comparing the report of the two spies returning from Jericho to the other spies mentioned in Numbers?

Answer 1

The spies returning from Jericho acknowledged the difficulties, but had faith that God would prevail over the problems. The other spies were much more pessimistic and lacked faith in God.

A few details:After spying out the land (and bringing back, among other things, a cluster of grapes so large it had to be hung on a pole and carried between two men), all the spies affirmed:

"We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit." (Numbers 13:27).

Then they added this caution: "Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan."(vs. 28, 29)

This started the people grumbling, so Caleb, one of the two faithful spies, said:

"Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." (v. 30)

But the other ten responded:

"We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." (v. 31)

Verses 32 and 33 go on to say: And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

The next day, when the people are calling for a new leader to take them back to Egypt, Caleb and Joshua tore their clothes (a sign of anguish of spirit) and spoke to the people:

"The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.' Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them." And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel. (Num. 14:7-10).

Thus ends the reports from the spies, as God now intervenes.

[Quotes from NKJV]