God allowed the spies because the Israelites — not God — requested them in unbelief, and He graciously condescended to their request.
God's command to Israel was simple: go up and possess the land He had set before them, because He would drive out the inhabitants and give them homes, wells, and vineyards that were already prepared. But at Kadesh Barnea, Israel was weak in faith and could not take God at His word, so they asked for men to search the land first. God never intended the spying mission, yet in His goodness He condescended to their request and permitted them to send in the spies.
Deuteronomy 1:21 — God's direct command for Israel to go up and possess the land, with no instruction to send spies — showing the spying mission originated with the people.
God set the land before Israel and commanded them to 'go up and possess it' (Deuteronomy 1:21). He also promised to send hornets before Israel and to drive the nations out little by little, so the land would not become desolate and Israel could inherit it (Exodus 23:28-30). Scripture records the people's own request to send men ahead to search the land: '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' (Deuteronomy 1:22). God's command to possess the land contains no instruction to send spies; the request for spies comes from the people themselves.
Les Feldick repeatedly shows that sending the twelve spies was never God's idea. When God said, 'Go up and possess it,' He did not tell Israel to send in twelve men first. God's intention was for Israel to trust Him explicitly and enter the land directly once the tabernacle was complete — no delay with twelve spies. But Israel, weak in faith, could not take God at His word. They backed off and asked, 'Let us spy it out first.' God, in His goodness, condescended to their request and allowed them to send spies — although Les calls it the biggest mistake Israel ever made. The ten spies who brought back a bad report so weakened the nation that they wept, wailed, and refused to go in. For Les, the root of the whole episode is unbelief: Israel's first step of unbelief was asking for spies before they would believe what God had promised.
It was Israel's idea, not God's. Les emphasizes that when God said, 'Go up and possess it,' He never said to send in twelve spies. The Israelites were the ones who backed off; weak in faith and forgetting the power their God had manifested, they said, 'We can't go in until we know what we're up against.' Their request was the first step of unbelief — they wanted the spies to come back and tell them they could do it before they would go in.
God condescended to their request. Because the people asked, He said, 'All right, choose out men and let them go in.' Les stresses that in His goodness, God permitted what He had never intended, letting Israel have what they asked for — even though it became the biggest mistake Israel ever made.
God intended for Israel to trust Him explicitly and to go straight into the Promised Land once the tabernacle was complete — no delay with twelve spies. He had promised to drive out the Canaanites, even sending hornets ahead of them, and to let Israel occupy the homes, wells, and vineyards the Canaanites had built. All Israel had to do was go in and take it.
Ten of the twelve spies came back saying, 'We can't do it — we are as grasshoppers in their sight.' Their report caused Israel to become weak and afraid, and the nation wept and wailed. Instead of believing God's promise that He would drive out the Canaanites, Israel pulled back and refused to go in. Les calls the spying expedition the biggest mistake Israel ever made.
God's Promise of a Prepared Land
Les describes God's promise that the land was ready — homes, wells, and vineyards were already theirs — and all Israel had to do was go in and occupy it.
The Spies Were Israel's Idea
Les shows from Deuteronomy 1 that God told Israel to go up and possess the land without ever ordering twelve spies — the people asked for them because they were weak in faith, and God condescended.
God Condescended to Their Request
At Kadesh Barnea it was not God's idea to search out the land; Israel could not take God at His word, so in His goodness He allowed their request for spies.
The Spies Were a Sign of Unbelief
Les explains that Israel said, 'Send in the spies, we can't believe God, we've got to have spies before we can believe Him' — and God condescended, despite His promise to drive out the Canaanites with hornets.
Israel's First Step of Unbelief
Les identifies the request for spies as Israel's first step of unbelief — they would only go in if the spies came back and confirmed they could, even though God had already promised to drive out the Canaanites.
God Planned No Delay with Twelve Spies
Les asserts that most Bible students miss that the spies were not part of God's plan at all — God intended Israel to trust Him explicitly and move straight into the land without delay.
Wild Olive Tree Grafted In — What Romans 11 Says About Gentiles
Israel was in the promises given to Abraham, but don't lose sight of the fact, God also told Abraham that He would be a blessing to all the rest of the world too. Now He can't do it two times at once, so what did He have to do? He had to set Israel aside, broke them off from the fatness of the root of Abraham, and He put in Gentile dumb as a group of people.
Israel’s Title Deed: Understanding God's Covenant in Genesis 15
But ere they crossed the River Jordan, God gave explicit instructions to the nation of Israel, don't leave a single Canaanite alive. Unfair? Unjust? No. Because they've had 400 years to clean up their act. But instead of cleaning up their act, they degenerated down, down, down, until finally God, in justice, could tell Israel, don't spare a one.
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 Israel to go up and possess the land, with no mention of sending spies — showing the spying mission was not part of God's command.
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.
The people's own request to send men ahead to search the land — the request God condescended to.
Exodus 23:28: And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.
God's promise to send hornets before Israel to drive out the inhabitants of the land.
Exodus 23:30: By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.
God's promise to drive the nations out gradually so Israel could inherit the land.
No. Les Feldick shows from Deuteronomy 1 that God told Israel to go up and possess the land and never mentioned sending twelve spies. Sending the spies was the people's idea, not God's.
Israel was weak in faith and could not take God at His word. They wanted to know what they were up against before going in, so they asked Moses to send men to search the land first.
God condescended to their request. In His goodness He permitted what they asked for and said, 'All right, choose out men and let them go in' — even though it was never His original intention.
Ten of the twelve reported that Israel could not take the land — they were as grasshoppers in the Canaanites' sight. Their report made Israel weak and afraid, and the nation wept and refused to go in.
God promised to drive them out before Israel, using hornets, and to let Israel take over their homes, wells, and vineyards. Israel's only part was to go in and occupy the land.
Watch the Teaching: Why Israel Rejected the Promised Land — Kadesh-Barnea Explained