The idea to send the 12 spies into the Promised Land came from the Israelites, not from God.
God had just told Israel to go up and possess the land, promising to drive out the inhabitants. Instead of obeying, the people asked Moses to send men ahead to search the land first. God eventually allowed their request, but the spies' report led to unbelief and Israel's failure to enter.
Deuteronomy 1:22 — This verse records Israel's own request to send men ahead to search the land, directly answering who initiated the spies.
Deuteronomy 1:21 — God's command to go up and possess the land shows that a spy mission was not part of His original instruction.
After Israel left Horeb, Moses told them, "Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged." God did not instruct them to send spies first. The next verse records the people's response: "And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come." So the plan to send men ahead came from the congregation, not from God. God had already told them the land was set before them and to go up and possess it.
Les Feldick stresses from Deuteronomy 1 that the initiative for the 12 spies came from Israel, not God. God told them to go in and take the land, promising to drive out the enemy with hornets and other means. But Israel could not take God at His word. They said, "Send in spies," and God in His grace condescended to their request. Les calls the sending of the spies "the biggest mistake Israel ever made" and identifies the root problem as unbelief. Their first step of unbelief was asking for spies. He also points out that the wilderness failure was a failure to trust God, not a failure of God's promise. The people could have entered God's rest, but their fear took over after the bad report.
No. In Deuteronomy 1:21 God said, "Go up and possess it." He had promised to drive out the enemy and make everything ready. Israel then came to Moses and said, "We will send men before us..." Les Feldick says that was not God's intention (Clip 1) and that God never instructed those 12 spies (Clip 5).
Les says Israel couldn't believe God at His word, so they hedged and asked to spy out the land first. He calls it "the weakness of the flesh." They were taking things out of God's hands and putting them into the hands of mere mortals.
Ten of the spies came back with a bad report — "We can't do it, we're as grasshoppers." Instead of believing God's promise to drive out the Canaanites, Israel wept and wailed. Les describes this as the first step of unbelief, and Israel missed what could have been immediate entrance into God's rest.
God in His goodness condescended to Israel's request and said, "Alright, I'll let you send in spies." But this permission was not approval of their unbelief. It led to the disastrous report and the wilderness wandering.
God Promises to Drive Out the Inhabitants
Les reads Exodus 23 to show that God promised to drive out the nations little by little, so Israel would not have to fight for the land themselves.
The People's Request for Spies
Les shows from Deuteronomy 1 that the people, not God, asked for men to search the land; God's response was "All right, I'll let you send in spies," but that was not His intention.
The Spies Were Not God's Idea
Les declares that at Kadesh-Barnea it was not God's idea to send the 12 spies; God said go in and take the land, but Israel couldn't take Him at His word.
God Intended Israel to Enter by Faith
Les emphasizes that God did not intend the 12 spies to go in ahead; He intended the whole nation to go in by faith, just as they crossed the Red Sea.
Weakness of the Flesh, Not God's Plan
Les ties the request for spies to the weakness of the flesh — Israel said, "Can't we send in spies?" instead of trusting God's promise.
Unbelief Behind the Request
Les explains that the first step of Israel's unbelief was asking Moses to send spies rather than believing God's promise that the land was ready.
Israel Could Have Entered God's Rest
Les points out that had the 12 spies brought back a good report, Israel could have entered the land ready for them without labor — what Scripture calls God's rest.
God Condescends to Unbelief
Les recounts that Israel said, "Send in the spies, we can't believe God," and God condescended to their request; the resulting report showed their unbelief.
Deuteronomy 1:21: Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.
God's command to enter the land came with no mention of sending spies first.
Deuteronomy 1:22: And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.
This verse records Israel's own request to send spies, showing the initiative came from the people.
Exodus 23:29: I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
God promised to gradually drive out the Canaanites rather than all at once.
Exodus 23:30: By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.
Reinforces God's unilateral promise to clear the land for Israel.
It was the people's idea, not God's. God told Israel to go up and possess the land, but Israel then asked to send men to search it out first. God allowed it, but it was not His original plan.
God condescended to the request and said, "Alright, I'll let you send in spies." Les emphasizes that this was not God's original intention, but He permitted it.
Unbelief. They could not take God at His word and demanded human confirmation before obeying. Les calls this their first step of unbelief.
Watch the Teaching: Why Israel Failed to Enter the Promised Land (Exodus 23 & Deut 1)