The Israelites did not enter the promised land because they refused to believe God's promise and instead insisted on sending spies, then let unbelief and fear turn them back.
God told Israel to go up and possess the land, promising to drive out the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 1:21). But Israel asked Moses to send spies first, God condescended, and when ten of the twelve spies brought back a frightening report, the people murmured and would not go in. Because of their unbelief, God declared that generation would fall in the wilderness (Numbers 14:29), and Hebrews 3:19 says plainly, "they could not enter in because of unbelief."
Deuteronomy 1:21 — God expressly commanded Israel to go up and possess the land He had set before them, showing that the original plan was immediate entry by faith.
Deuteronomy 1:22 — This verse records that it was the people, not God, who proposed sending spies before entering.
Numbers 14:1-4 — Here Israel wept, murmured, and even wanted to return to Egypt, revealing their unbelief after the spies' report.
Hebrews 3:19 — The New Testament explicitly identifies unbelief as the reason that generation did not enter into God's rest.
At Kadesh Barnea, God told Israel, "Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it... fear not, neither be discouraged" (Deuteronomy 1:21). He did not tell them to send spies; rather, the people themselves said, "We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land" (Deuteronomy 1:22). After the spies returned, the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and murmured against Moses and Aaron, asking, "Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt!" (Numbers 14:1-2). They refused to trust God's promise to drive out the Canaanites. Because of that unbelief, God swore that their carcases should fall in the wilderness, and Hebrews states plainly, "they could not enter in because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:19).
Les Feldick consistently stresses that sending the twelve spies was not God's idea. God had already promised to drive out the Canaanites, using whatever means necessary, and had prepared the land for Israel to occupy. But Israel "couldn't believe what God said," so they asked for spies before they would go in. God in His goodness condescended to their request, yet the report of the ten spies only increased their fear. Les points out that Israel could have gone in at Kadesh Barnea without losing a single young son and without lifting a sword—but their unbelief kept them out. He also notes from Hebrews that the forty wasted years were the result of unbelief, "not their immorality," making unbelief the root cause.
No. Les explains that God never instructed those twelve spies. God had said, "Go in and take the land," and promised to drive out the enemy, even using hornets. Israel hedged and asked to spy it out first, and God condescended to their request. The spies were a product of the weakness of the flesh, not of faith.
Ten of the spies came back with a horrible report: "We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we" (Numbers 13:31). They said the Canaanites were as giants and that Israel was as grasshoppers in their sight. Les says that when Israel heard this, they wept, wailed, and refused to go in. Instead of remembering God's promise to drive out the Canaanites, they were overwhelmed by the report of men.
According to Les Feldick, the real cause was unbelief. After pointing to Hebrews 4, he says Israel could have gone in and had the land, "but you did not because of your unbelief." He emphasizes that it wasn't their immorality or any other thing—it was their failure to believe what God said. He then applies the lesson to today: "What's the matter with Christianity tonight? Unbelief."
Sending the spies was not God's idea
Les shows that the request for spies came from Israel's weakness of the flesh, not from God, who had already told them to go up and possess the land.
Israel's first step of unbelief
Les identifies the request for spies as the first step of unbelief after God had promised to drive out the Canaanites and make everything ready for them.
The spies' bad report and Israel's reaction
Les describes how the spies came back saying the Canaanites were like giants, and how Israel wept and wailed instead of believing God's promise to use hornets to drive out the enemy.
They could have entered without a fight
Les notes that at Kadesh Barnea Israel could have gone in easily without losing a young son or swinging a sword, but unbelief made them miss that.
God said go, not spy
Les contrasts God's command to go up and possess with Israel's demand to know what they were up against, showing that the spies were Israel's idea.
The biggest mistake Israel ever made
Les explains that God condescended to Israel's request for spies, and the resulting report caused them to say they couldn't drive out the Canaanites, despite God's promise.
Unbelief, not immorality, kept them out
Les points to Hebrews 4 to show that the wasted 40 years and failure to enter were due to unbelief, not immorality, and draws a parallel to unbelief today.
Why Moses Was Forbidden From the Promised Land — The Real Reason
We skipped over some of that. Miriam as well. When Aaron thy brother was gathered unto his people. Now verse 51. After all that Moses has gone through, why in the world can't he lead them into the promised land? And he's not old so far as his activity is concerned. It says his eye wasn't dim. That's more than I can say. And his physical strength hadn't wavered.
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 take the land.
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 proposal to send spies.
Numbers 13:31: But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
The ten spies' negative report.
Numbers 13:32: And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
The spies' fearful description of the land.
Numbers 13:33: And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Israel's fear in their own sight.
Numbers 14:1: And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
Israel's weeping after the spies' report.
Numbers 14:2: And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
Israel's murmured wish to die in Egypt.
Numbers 14:29: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me.
The judgment that that generation would fall in the wilderness.
Hebrews 3:19: So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
New Testament summation of the cause.
Hebrews 4:6: Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Another New Testament statement that unbelief kept them out.
No. Les Feldick says the request for spies came from Israel, not God. God told them to go in and possess the land, but they asked Moses to send men first, and God condescended to their request.
Unbelief. They would not take God at His word. Instead, they let the report of the ten spies make them afraid, and they murmured rather than trusting God's promise to drive out the Canaanites.
Hebrews 3:19 says plainly, "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." Les Feldick also points to Hebrews 4 and says the wasted wilderness years were due to unbelief, not immorality.
Watch the Teaching: Why Israel Rejected the Promised Land — Kadesh-Barnea Explained