Moses wasn’t allowed to enter the Promised Land. The Law cannot take us to Heaven. D.L. Moody said, “The Law can only chase a man to Calvary, no further.” The purpose of the Law (the Ten Commandments) is to show us our sin, and therefore our need for the Savior.
This is exemplified in Numbers 13. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan…”
Moses then sent out twelve spies into the Promised Land. They returned 40 days later, saying that it was indeed a land flowing with milk and honey. Caleb said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” (verse 30). But ten of the spies didn’t agree:
But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:31-33
Ten of the spies gave a bad report.
“The mountain of our sin is removed by the grace of God and cast into the sea of His forgetfulness. Jesus is the only one who can give us a good report and save us from the wrath of the Law.”
Most of the world thinks that they will enter the Promised Land when they die. They will make it to Heaven. They are convinced that they will have a good report: “I haven’t murdered anyone. I haven’t committed adultery.”
But ten spies disagree. The Ten Commandments thunder, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer” (1John 3:15), and “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her is committed adultery already with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). While sinners trivialize sin, it is no small thing in the eyes of God. There are giants in the land that call for their blood.
The Apostle Paul trusted that the Ten Commandments would give him a good report, but they didn’t:
“I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.” Romans 7:9-10
The Commandments are like ten spies, searching our sinful hearts, and they bring back an evil report. God’s morally perfect eye is in every place beholding the evil and the good, and He will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing.
Listen to Charles Spurgeon speak of that day:
“What will you do when the Law comes in terror? When the trumpet of the archangel shall tear you from your grave? When the eyes of God shall burn their way into your guilty soul? When the great books shall be opened, and all your sin and shame shall be published? Can you stand against an angry Law in that day?”
So, what are we to do? Scripture tells us:
“But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;
and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: ‘The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.’” Numbers 14:6–9
Joshua—whose very name is the Hebrew equivalent of Jesus—brought a good report. Caleb stood with Joshua, just as every true believer stands with Jesus and agrees with the gospel. And like Caleb, we can boldly say. “Give me this mountain.” We can have boldness on the day of wrath. Jesus even said,
“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” Mark 11:23
The mountain of our sin is removed by the grace of God and cast into the sea of His forgetfulness. Jesus is the only one who can give us a good report and save us from the wrath of the Law:
“…to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:10
He will lead us into the promised land:
“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17
