Beginning of the End - Ellen G. White

and go up at once to possess the land.
But then all but two of the spies started focusing on the dangers
and voiced the feelings of their unbelieving hearts, which were filled
with discouragement prompted by Satan. Their unbelief threw a
gloomy shadow over the congregation. The mighty power of God,
so often shown in behalf of the chosen nation, was forgotten. The
people did not remember how wonderfully God had delivered them
from their slave masters, cutting a path through the sea and
destroying the pursuing armies of Pharaoh. They left God out of the
question, as though they must depend only on human power.
In their unbelief they repeated their earlier mistake of
complaining against Moses and Aaron. "This, then, is the end of all
our high hopes," they said. They accused their leaders of deceiving
the people and bringing trouble on Israel.
A wail of agony arose, mingled with the confused murmur of
voices. One of the spies, Caleb, was brave enough to defend the
word of God, and he did all in his power to counteract the evil
influence of the unfaithful spies. He did not contradict what the
others had said--the walls were high and the Canaanites strong. But
God had promised the land to Israel. "Let us go up at once and take
possession," urged Caleb, "for we are well able to overcome it."
But the ten, interrupting him, listed the obstacles. "We are not
able to go up against the people," they declared, "for they are
stronger then we. ... All the people whom we saw in it are men of a
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