But to fulfill this they must be obedient to his word, keeping His Law and covenant as a holy nation. And there’s the problem! Israel failed to be God’s missionary nation because they failed to be a holy nation. Israel’s most critical failure, however, was a failure of faith when God brought them to the edge of the promised land at Kadesh-Barnea (Num. 14:1–10). Because of the bad report of the ten spies, Israel refused to enter the land. Moses interceded for them, and God pardoned the nation. But