p. 281 | NOTES by Dudley Marvin Canright

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 13, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 18.

NOTES.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Some time elapsed between the punishment of Miriam and the sending out of the spies. It is said in Num. 11:35 that the people abode at Hazeroth; that is, they remained there a much longer time than usual. Num. 12:16 states that from Hazeroth they pitched in the wilderness of Paran. This is an indefinite term. Hazeroth was but a few miles from Sinai. A few miles north began the wilderness or desert of Paran, which extended to the Promised Land. Num. 33:18-36 shows that they pitched eighteen different times between Hazeroth and Kadesh-barnea, where the spies were sent out. Deut. 1:19-23. Kadesh-barnea was just at the border of Canaan. Nothing of note occurred at these encampments, at least nothing is recorded, and no vestige is left of most of the places but the names given in Num. 33.

Moses selects, according to the instruction of the Lord, one ruler from each tribe. As these spies were rulers, they would be known, and the people would have confidence in them. They could not say that Moses had chosen special friends, or had sent irresponsible men on this important mission. The Lord would not have them rest faith upon the word of Moses alone, in regard to the goodness of the land; he desired that their own representatives should assure them of the truthfulness of what had been told them.

Of God's ability to give them the land, they needed

no more evidence than God had already given them in the mighty miracles he had wrought in their behalf. Did he overthrow Pharaoh? then how could the Canaanites stand before him? The Red Sea formed no obstacle to that feeble nation when led by the Angel of the covenant; neither would the walled cities of Canaan. All these evidences were given to Israel. They ought not to have had a doubt after all that God in his mercy had shown them.

So the spies were sent; they found the land good and fruitful as the Lord had said, but did not believe that it could be possessed by them. They were so fearful that they imagined all were giants so great that in comparison the Israelites were to them in stature as were grasshoppers to men. And the people, with the same fearful, unbelieving hearts, lifted up their voice and wept; and again they murmured against Moses and Aaron, just as though they were responsible for having led them on the journey. They doubted God, and asked, "Wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey?" And the next proposition they made was, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt." Thus they rejected God by rejecting his chosen servant, whom God had acknowledged in so many ways.

But there were true men among the spies—Caleb and Joshua—men who came from what afterward became the ruling tribes, namely, Judah and Ephraim. They acknowledged that all the others said was true (at least it was not denied) regarding the land, the power of the inhabitants, their walled cities, etc. But what of all their power? Said Caleb, "Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it." Why did these two men feel so confident? The secret is found in their second answer: "If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us." And then they seem to recall all the mighty works and tender care of the Lord for his people, and they say: Rebel not against God who is leading us his own way; fear not the people of the land; "the Lord is with us; fear them not." Faith in God's presence was the ground of their confidence. Why, what could mortal man do against that God whose voice the very elements—earth, sea, and air—obeyed? God was with them, certainly, he could not be with their enemies. God's presence was their confidence. They did not declare their message because of any outward manifestation of God's power to support them; it was simple faith in God's promises.

But the unbelieving people, so willing to trust when under special manifestations of God's power and favor, so bold when God's visible presence was withdrawn, declared that Caleb and Joshua should be stoned. This demand on the part of what was doubtless an angry mob, would probably have been carried out had not "the glory of the Lord appeared" "before all the children of Israel" (Num. 14:10), and the lives of his servants were preserved. It is easy to be bold for God when the multitude or the majority are loyal to him. Personal considerations will then lead us to act loyal. But only true faith in God will enable us to be loyal to him when all others are opposed to him. Such a faith is unpopular, but it is the only faith acceptable to God.

The people were unbelieving. The cause of that unbelief was sin cherished in their hearts. They had not fully repented of their past sins nor acknowledged the righteousness of God's judgments. They still cherished the sin, and unbelief was its manifestation. There are two scriptures which show the secret of unbelief: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." Heb. 3:12. An unbelieving heart is always an evil heart. Unbelief is the manifestation of the indwelling sin. And he who cherishes the sin invites doubt, and will soon find himself hardened or blinded "through the deceitfulness of sin." So our Saviour says to the Jews: "How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?" John 5:44. Just as long as they valued their own honor of higher importance, they could not honor God by accepting his Son. And it is just as true concerning any other sin as that of pride. As long as Israel cherished their own lusts contrary to God's will, they could not believe God. Their hearts were hardened.

"There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea." Deut. 1:2. From Kadesh spies were sent out, and it is here the people might have entered the land to possess it. But their blind unbelief prevented, so God turns them back into the wilderness to wander for thirty-eight dreary years longer, which, with the two years they had already been in the wilderness, made forty years. And this forty years' pilgrimage for only eleven days' journey was all because of unbelief. And then only two of the original six hundred thousand and over reached the promised country. The others were judged out of their own mouths so far as they were concerned, they perished in the wilderness. Therefore, "take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end." Heb. 3:12-14.

M. C. W.