What is the meaning of Numbers 13:28? Nevertheless, “Nevertheless” (Numbers 13:28) is the hinge word. It turns a faith-filled report into a fear-filled one. • Caleb had just said, “We can certainly conquer it” (Numbers 13:30), but the other spies pivot with this single word. • “Nevertheless” signals a choice to elevate circumstances above God’s promise (Genesis 12:7; Exodus 3:8). • When we use a similar “nevertheless” today, we either affirm God’s Word or undermine it—just as Israel did in Deuteronomy 1:26-28. the people living in the land are strong, The spies focus on visible strength instead of the unseen strength of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:7). • Deuteronomy 9:1-2 also calls these Canaanite nations “greater and stronger than you.” • Yet God had already defeated a superpower in Egypt (Exodus 14:30-31). • Their fear contradicts God’s repeated assurance: “The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you” (Deuteronomy 1:30). and the cities are large and fortified. High walls, iron gates, and thick ramparts loom large, but they are no barrier to the Almighty. • Joshua 6:1 describes Jericho as “tightly shut up,” yet its walls collapse at God’s command (Joshua 6:20). • Psalm 127:1 reminds us, “Unless the LORD guards a city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” • By stressing fortifications, the spies imply God’s power is confined—an echo of the unbelief found in 2 Kings 7:2. We even saw the descendants of Anak there. Mentioning Anak’s giant descendants magnifies fear. • Deuteronomy 9:2 calls Anakim “people great and tall… but the LORD your God Himself will drive them out.” • Later, Caleb—the very spy who trusted God—defeats them in Hebron (Joshua 14:12-15). • Goliath of Gath shares this giant lineage (1 Samuel 17:4-7), yet falls before a shepherd’s sling because “the battle belongs to the LORD” (1 Samuel 17:47). summary Numbers 13:28 records a factual observation twisted into a faithless conclusion. The spies’ “nevertheless” places human strength, fortified cities, and intimidating giants above God’s clear promise. Their perspective breeds fear and rebellion, while Caleb and Joshua’s later victories prove that every “strong people,” “fortified city,” and “descendant of Anak” falls when God’s people trust His word. |
    |