The fellowship of Eshcol

Verse 3 of chapter 13 says the 12 spies were leaders of their respective tribes. We know that Caleb is about 40 so he was a “young leader” by their reckoning. These 12 were an all-star team and as such, they likely knew each other from previous work they’d done together. We might venture to say that they were friends because of the roles they each shared in their tribes.

Additionally, they planned and executed a deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines that lasted for over a month. The planning, the camping, the skulking?these are things that have bonded men for as long as there have been men. Diverse as a group of 12 was likely to be, it’s reasonable to assume that this group of guys grew to be as tight as a squad of soldiers or a team of firemen.

Then there was the great discovery in the valley of Eshcol. They found giant clusters of grapes there. This was a pretty obvious indication of fertility and blessing. In addition to their other gear, they tasked two men to carry one of the clusters back. I think they were chattering with excitement as they turned toward Israel’s camp at Kadesh with a good report of the land’s potential as a new homeland. But something happened along the way.

Between the valley of that triumph and the report at Kadesh, many of the men began to take counsel of their fears. “Sure, those grapes that we’re lugging back are pretty amazing but what about the giants and their walled cities? I’ll bet those ol’ boys will defend produce like that to the death, our death.” Was there a night when they sat by the fire eating jerky and planning their presentation? Did the fellowship start to fragment one night as those two nut jobs Caleb and Joshua suggested that God was strong enough to defeat the Nephilim? I think something like that did happen. Joshua and Caleb had a choice to make. Would they maintain fellowship with dear friends or would they stick to their convictions? A decision like that is only a no-brainer when someone else has to make it.

Friendship is one of the sweetest gifts God gives. My relationship with my wife is stronger because we were friends for quite some time before we were “something more.” Friendships with fellow church members, relatives, co-workers, and my children add a powerful dynamic to the other roles we play in each others’ lives. We were not made to live in solitude and are not equipped to flourish without the help of other people.

Even so, the desire to be accepted, to hold onto certain relationships at the expense of ultimate things often leads us astray. It is one of the hardest temptations to resist.

We read too quickly over biblical accounts of estranged friends. Like the confrontation Caleb and Joshua had with their comrades, we see the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, and between Paul and Peter. I think Nathan the prophet and David the king were friends. Up until David’s great sin, the two men were consistently on the same side of things. And yet in each case, friendship was hazarded in service of God’s truth.

Often things don’t turn out that way. Most of us know of situations where churches or families have been riven by sin while the friends of the principals stood by silent. I’ve been guilty of dithering in the face of these desperate situations when I should have been more prophetic. Nothing, not friendship, not love, not compassion, not peace, and not righteousness is served when we, the people on the scene withhold the truth from our fellows. It always feels as though the risks outweigh the possible good that may come from speaking but that’s just not been my experience of the thing.

For one thing, we’re not friends if we remain silent when we should speak to our comrades. This could be a primary reason God has brought you together. Our love for our fellows is not adequately expressed if we only speak of lightweight or impersonal matters. For another, it is