Torah portion Shelach-Lekha is a “heavy one” since it reports the “Sin of the Spies” (i.e., chet ha’meraglim: חטא המרגלים) and the subsequent failure of the people to trust that the Lord would take care for them. The people’s lack of bittachon (trust) in God is the most serious sin recorded in all the Torah, even more serious than the sin of the Golden Calf (i.e., chet ha’egel: חטא העגל). This is confirmed by the testimony of the New Testament, which presents the fate of the Exodus generation as the dire warning of apostasy for those who claim to follow the Messiah (see Heb. 3:7-4:2).
Trust, then, is the central issue, though in order to trust God, you must believe that you are valuable to Him and that He genuinely desires relationship with you… God redeemed you so you could know and love Him (Isa. 43:1). In this connection it is important to notice that the spies said, “we were in our eyes like grasshoppers” (Num. 13:33). They felt small because they had forgotten the reason for their redemption – they had forgotten how much they meant to God! Their lack of self-respect made them feel unworthy of the inheritance. The sin of the spies was not simply that they doubted they could overcome the “giants in the land,” but rather that they were worthy people in God’s eyes… Sadly the spies view of themselves was more real to them than God’s view of them, and that is why they added, “and so we were (like grasshoppers) in their eyes.” From a spiritual point of view, this was profoundly tragic…
We are living in times of difficulty leading up to the coming of our Messiah, Yeshua, and therefore we all need courage and grace to persevere. When Andrew Murray was bedridden and sick, he advised another sufferer using these words: “In time of trouble say: “First, He brought me here. It is by His will I am in this straight place; in that I will rest. Next, He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace to behave as His child. Then, He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow. Last, In His good time He can bring me out again – how and when He knows. [Therefore] let me say I am here, (1) by God’s appointment; (2) in his keeping; (3) under His training; and (4) for His time.”
From our Torah portion this week (i.e., 
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In the Scriptures God’s Name is revealed as YHVH (יְהוָה), which means “He is Present.” The Name is formed from the words hayah (“He was”), hoveh (“He is”), and yihyeh (“He will be”): הָיָה הוֶה וְיִהְיֶה, indicating God’s omnipresence. Note that all the letters of the Name are “vowel letters,” which mean they evoke breath and life. This is the Name revealed to Moses thousands of years before the advent of other religions (Exod. 3:14), and indeed it is the Name associated with the nishmat chayim (נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים), the “breath of life,” imparted to Adam in the orchard at Eden (Gen. 2:4). It is therefore the original Name of God “breathed out” to mankind. The Name Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) means “YHVH saves.” There is no other Savior beside Him, there is no other Name, there is no other LORD. “For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Only Yeshua the Messiah can deliver you from the wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:10).
It is written in our Torah: “Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the LORD your God has forbidden you… ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image (לא־תַעֲשֶׂה־לְךָ פֶסֶל) or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Deut. 4:23; 5:8). Literally this refers to the ancient practice of bowing before “mediating forces” of God, often symbolized by art and ritual, as a token of respect or as a means of finding “acceptance” within a group. We are not to imitate such customs of the pagan world around us; on the contrary, we testify of the One True God and repudiate the need for intermediaries between God and man… On a different level, “bowing before an idol” means passively yielding to the world and its ideals rather than submitting to the truth. When we seek to fit in, to feel like we belong, and follow the trends and passions of the crowd, we express idolatry of heart. Most intimately, an idol is a source of desire, happiness, and security apart from the LORD. Your “god” is whatever your heart admires, follows and loves… If you have “other gods” before the LORD, then something is wrong, since we were created by God to find life in Him alone. “Surely you don’t think the Scripture speaks vainly when it says: the spirit which He sent to live in us wants us for himself alone?” (James 4:5) “Grace will save a man… but it will not save him and his idol” (A.W. Tozer). Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry (1 Cor. 10:14).
It is written in our Torah, “The LORD your God will return as you return (ושׁב יהוה אלהיך את־שׁבותך), and will have mercy upon you, turning to gather you back…” (Deut 30:3). This has both a present and prophetic application. First, in the present hour, if you turn to God, he will show you compassion, and he will “gather back” all those distant and fragmented parts of yourself into shalom and wholeness. He will restore your lost days; he will bring you out of exile and give you comfort in Yeshua. He makes all things new. “Draw near, therefore to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Second, the LORD will return to earth as the Jewish people return from their captivity, and he will restore Zion during the time of the final redemption. The LORD will turn captivity into mercy; he will turn in his compassion to his people. As it is written: “I will be found by you, declares the LORD… (והשׁבתי אתכם אל־המקום) and I will bring you back to the place…” (Jer. 29:14).
No one wants to admit that they are needy, broken, weak, and so on, and indeed such a confession is blasphemy to the heart of the proud. The truth, however, is that we are indeed all these things, and Yeshua told us we were blessed if we understood this (Matt. 5:3-6). The is great danger to pretend you are strong and capable of living life on your own terms, since eventually you will be blindsided by the truth about your condition. On the other hand, the confession of our weakness opens the way to God’s power, as Yeshua said to Paul in his affliction: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul came to see that the various trials and afflictions in his life taught his profound dependence on God: “for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Do you sometimes have trouble trusting God? Do you wrestle with fear, anxiety, or worry? Does an inexplicable dread or sense of hopelessness sometimes oppress you? Do you secretly wonder what’s wrong with you – and whether you are truly saved, after all? Please hang on. Doubting and questioning are often a part of the journey of faith, and we don’t have to be afraid of our questions, concerns, and difficulties… Being full of “certainty” is not the same as being full of faith, after all, since many sincere people are sincerely self-deceived, while many others experience fear, loneliness, and trouble as a result of their faith. There is so much we simply do not know, and it is dishonest to pretend otherwise. God knows your heart and its struggles; he knows all your secret fears. Thankfully, there is a special prayer included in the holy Scriptures for those times when we feel especially unsteady or insecure: “Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief…” (Mark 9:24) Here we may bring our (lack of) faith to God for healing….
During the prophesied “end of days” (אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים) many people will have an outer “form” (μόρφωσιν) of godliness but will deny its inner power, since their hearts will be turned away from the truth: “And because lawlessness (i.e., ἀνομία, lit. a=without; nomos=Torah) will be increased, the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). In this connection we note that the Hebrew word for “falsehood” (or “lie”) is sheker (שֶׁקֶר), which can also be read as she-kar (שֶׁקַר), meaning “that which” (-שׁ) makes you cold (קַר). The truth of God can’t be known apart from His passion, inner fire, desire. Indeed, the Hebrew word for “sin” (חֵטְא) means “missing the mark,” though that essentially means missing the revelation of God’s glory because lesser fears consume the heart and cool the passion for the truth… Let us ask the LORD to better know His heart by kindling his fire within our hearts!