At the time of Exodus, the entire earth was occupied by the Gentiles, who were under the hand of Satan. Not even a small part of the earth created by God was under His control. The children of Israel were in Egypt, but Egypt was not their land. They had to find a land, and God had prepared a land for them. Hundreds of years before, God had told their forefather Abraham that He would give the land of Canaan to his descendants (Gen. 13:14-17). Actually, God's desire was that Abraham's descendants would take that good land for His purpose.
When the men spied out the land, they found that the descendants of Anak, a particular people whom the Bible calls the Nephilim, or giants, were dwelling there (Num. 13:33). The origin of the Nephilim is seen in Genesis 6. In brief, Genesis 6 tells us that when man fell to such an extent that he became flesh (v. 3), the fallen angels came down to earth to marry the daughters of men (vv. 1-2, 4). This mixed marriage produced the giants, the Nephilim. God could not tolerate this mixture. It was because of this mixing of the human race with the fallen angels that God destroyed the whole human race by the flood. Later, the same mixed race, the Nephilim, a mixture of fallen angels and fallen man, dwelt in the land of Canaan. Hence, God commanded the children of Israel to take over this land and to destroy every living being there so that the human race could be cleared up (Deut. 7:1-2).
However, the children of Israel did not know this. Their consideration was not for God but for their own interest. They did not care for God in the least, but cared only for their safety, their peace, and their existence. They did not confess their weakness or humble themselves before God. Eventually, they offended God to such an extent that they became abhorrent to Him. What they did was altogether abhorrent in His sight.
As human beings we need to be concerned for our daily life, our jobs, our safety, and our security. But we should not forget that God's enemy, Satan, is hidden behind the scene and that the real issue on earth today is a matter not between God and man but between God and Satan. Thus, if we care only for our existence, security, safety, peace, and future, we may become an abhorrence in the eyes of God.
Today some believers are very much for themselves, caring for their security and for blessings in material things but not caring for God's purpose. Such Christians believe in Jesus Christ only for their own benefit; they do not have the slightest thought concerning God's interest on earth and in the universe.
Surely we are God's children, and God is for us. But for whom are we? Some Christians give no thought to God's interest, God's gain, or God's suffering. They think and speak only about themselves and their security. Among worldly people today, security is a big idol. Everything they do is for their security. For their security they study diligently and work hard. Some even fear God and believe in Christ for their own security.
Why did the children of Israel become abhorrent to God in Numbers 13 and 14? They became abhorrent because they were so much for themselves. In everything and in every way they were for themselves, not for God's interests. If they had thought even a little about God's interests, they would have said, "God, as You have been so good to us, we just love You. We would like to sacrifice our future, our safety, our security, our existence, and everything for Your purpose. We forget about our benefit. We care only that You accomplish Your purpose. For Your purpose, let us go and possess the land."
Caring for God and His interests produces faith. When we are so much for ourselves, it is difficult for us to have faith in God. But if we take the standing that we are for God and that for His interests we are willing to risk everything—our future, our family, even our life—faith will spontaneously be produced in us.
We all need to be impressed with the fact that in ourselves we are weak and do not have any faith. Who among us can boast that he has faith? Faith is of God, faith is in God, and faith comes from God. If we would have faith, we must learn to care for God's interests and not for our benefit. The worldly people are concerned daily for their own security and benefit, but we should care for God and His interests. History tells us that those who cared for God and did not consider their own benefit became people of faith, and some even became giants of faith.