Numbers 13:23-25 -“When they reached the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes.  Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs.  That place was called the Valley of Eshcol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there [Eshcol means "cluster"].  At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.”

In this story, Moses sent twelve scouts or “spies” into the Promised Land.  We usually remember this story because of its sad ending – only two of these men returned with a good report about the Promised Land, confident that God would help the Israelites settle there.  The other ten insisted that it was hopeless and incited the people to refuse to enter the Promised Land, which led to their forty years of wandering in the desert as punishment.  The New Testament repeatedly applies this story to our Christian lives (see 1 Corinthians 10:10-12; Hebrews 3:12-19; Jude 1:5).  Eternity is our Promised Land that we must enter.  The fruit mentioned in this passage is prophetic, pointing forward to God’s plan of salvation that transforms our lives today.

Numbers 10:35-36 – Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Rise up, O Lord! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you.” Whenever it came to rest, he said, “Return, O Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel.”

The Ark of the Covenant was the most important thing in the Tabernacle and the Temple – it was the reason God’s blessing was there in a special way. Without the Ark of the Covenant, everything was incomplete. The Ark of the Covenant played a crucial role in the major events in Israel’s history. As you can see from the verse above (Leviticus 16:2), the Ark was something very serious, a matter of life and death, even for the High Priest – because God manifested his presence there in a unique way.

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