The first few verses set the scene. It is forty years since they left Egypt. Moses had led them to defeat some enemies, and now proclaims the Law to them again. It is time to take the land. This is land that the Lord had promised to there forefathers. This happened many hundreds of years ago. God has a very different concept of time than we have, and His promises will always come to pass.
The people had to take steps to take the land. When God gives us something we have to do something as well. In fact it is perhaps better to understand that when God says He will give us something, what it usually means is that God will enable is to take something or do something. God did not make us to be passive people, but to be active.
Earlier Moses had looked for help with leadership. Too often we are too proud to ask for help when we need it. We would be wise to be more like Moses. The appointed leaders were to institute the teachings of Moses.
Then they had sent spies into the land, and they came back with a report. They reported that the land was good, but that the it was already occupied. They did not believe they could take the land, so they wandered in the desert for many years.
We get an expanded telling of what was recorded earlier in Numbers. Moses had told them that God would enable them to defeat their enemies, and that He would carry them as a Father cares for his son. The people refused to listen to Moses. God also told Moses to encourage Joshua, for he had faith and would one day lead the people in.
In Numbers we saw how the book was a tale of disaster, here we will see a tale of preparation for success.
So we see that having faith often means believing that God will be with us and will grant us success. Faith is not a case of mind over matter, but of acting in obedience and seeing the glory of the Lord follow.
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