The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-08-30
THE TRIP OF THE SPIES.
LESSON x. THIRD QUARTER, IN.
TERNATlONAL SERIES, SEPT. 2.


LESSON x, THIRD QUARTER, IN.
TERNATloNAL SERIES, SEPT. 2.
Text of the Lesson. Mum. xiii. 1888.
Commit Verses 3O-3e-Golden Text.
Mum. xiii. so-Commentary by Rev. d.
NJ. Stearns.
ICondensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly bv
permission OF b. 8. Hoffman, Philadelphia.
publisher.
This lesson. which records the sending
of the twelve spies to search out the
land before entering into it. might well
be entitled ''the sad work of unbeIief:n
for although we are told that Moses sent
them, and in the first and second verses
that ''the Lord spake unto Moses. saving.
send thou men," yet the reason of this send.
ing is seen from Deut. l. %, to be because the
people demanded it The word of the Lord
was, Behold, have set the land before Won:
60 in and possess the land which the Lord
sware unto your fathers Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, to give unto them, and to their seed
after them" Deut. 1. SGD; so the only thing
for faith to do was to go up and puesees 1t.
17-20. These verses give Us the instruc-
tions of Moses to the twelve spies ere they
set forth. There was one from each tribe.
every one ruler, all heads of the children
of Israel Vs. 2, g., 1t does seem to be a
small, mean business In which they were
about to engage, to see whether the land were
good or bad, fat or lean, well wooded or not.
LIZ some father or mother should plan Gift
of great value for their children, the very
best and most appropriate that their love
could suggest or devise, it would surely not
be very fattering to the parents or credit
able to the children if the latter should wish
to examine the gift before consenting to &C
cept it.
q, q This is the record of their Jour
ney and their search. Zin and Rehob were
the southern and northern boundaries Josh
XIV, 1; xix, 2S); so they went through the
whole land to the extreme north. Hebron or
Mamre was Abraham's tenting ground where
he built an altar unto the Lord after Lot was
separated from him Nen. xiii, l8) there, also,
the Lord and His angels appeared to him as
he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day,
and rested themselves under the tree while
they partoook Of the food prepared by Abra-
ham and Sarah (Gen. XVIII; and there Sarah
died and was buried in the cave of Mach
pelah Gen. xiii, 2-19). In that cave lay
the bodies of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and
! Rebekah, Jacob and Leah eGen- Xix, 29-3D;
it is about twenty miles south of Jerusalem,
and about half way to Beersheba What
privilege to visit such place Had these
rulers been men of faith, how that faith would
have been strengthened by the remembrance
! of the promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
1t is evident that Caleb never forgot this
yiSjt to for fort tv-fixy late
asks and receives from Joshua this same
Hebron for his inheritance, nothing daunted
! by the fact that the Anakims were still there
and that the cities were great and fenced,
but saying, ''if the Lord be with me l shall
be able to drive them out" JOSH xiv, lO-15l
25-27. They returned after forty days
| Some time we shall see more than we do now
of the significance of that wonderful number
forty. We think at once of Moses In the
mount with God, Elijah visiting the same
mount, Jesus in the wilderness with the wild
| beasts, the period between His resurrection
and ascension, and the many other forties of
the Scriptures; but who has seen the dee6hs
of significance in any of thsmg
"Surely it foweth with milk and honey.
| and this is the fruit of it" Just as God had
said, truly a good land, and they had moth
! ing to do but march up at His command and
possess and enjoy it. 1t was His gift to them.
Their part was to obey and take it. He
brought them out, that He might bring
| them in and give them the land which He
sware unto their fathers Oeut vi, 90.
Abundance of peace, fullness of joy, rivers
of pleasures, green pastures waters of quiet
ness, quiet resting places-these are some Of
the fruits of or privileges of the Christian
| life which we ought constantly to enjoy, and
toe%I
and of Him who brought US there
%, 90 Nevertheless, the people be strong,
I" the cities walled and very great;
and moreover we saw the children of Anak
there" This was simply leaving God out of
the question, and considering only their own
strength. How could they, with that Taber-
nacle standing in their midst, the pillar Of
cloud over it and the presence of God in it,
thus forget Him and talk as if it was ques-
ton of what they were or of what they could
doa Let us with these verses consider also
verses 31-33, and then we will save the joyful
song of verse so for the last.
1--WE are not able {. they are stronger
than We We were in our own sight as grass
| hoppers." 1t reminds us of tho record in
Job xxx, where the pronouns 81, my"
"me," referring to Job, are used about forty
| five times, and God is mentioned or referred
to only five times In Job xiii, 5, g. we hear
him saying: 81 have heard of Thee by the
hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth
Thee; wherefore abhor myself and repent
in dust and ashes" Then do we find health
and prosperity restored to him. Whether it
be Isaiah, or Daniel, or John, when the glory
of the Lord is revealed to them, there is no
beauty or strength left in them. but ON their
ia es in the dust is where we find them.
When Nebuchadnezzar talked Of his great
Babylon, and the might of his power and the
honor of his majesty, he was soon made to
know that the King of Heaven is able to
abase those who walk in pride dan. iv,
! 36-30. When the day of the Lord comes all
lofty looks and haughtness of men shall be
made low, and the Lord alone shall be ex-
alted in that day lisa. ii, 12-10. Blessed are
those who are willing now to come down Of
their own accord, submit themselves to God.
and let Him work in them to will and to do
of His good pleasure. These ten rulers In
Israel, although they had seen Gods mighty
works in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the
wilderness; although Gods presence was in
thsir midst, and they had heard His voice
from the holy mount, yet they knew Him not,
nor trusted in Him, nor thought OF His
power SO often manifested on their behalf
Unbelief in the promises of God had hard
ened their hearts and blinded their eyes and
they saw only insuperable difficulties
SO. "Caleb stilled the people," We must
be still if we would hear and know the mind
of God, and that voice which stille3 the storm
on Galilee has in all ages stilled the soul that
has been willing to heed it. 'Stand thou still
a while that | may show thee the word OF
God" said Samuel to Saul; and to the people
he said, ''Stand still that may reason with
| Il c. +.
"Be still and know that am Godn is a help
full precept for every day. Rs. Xvi, TO-,
LET us go up at once and possess it. for we
are well able to overcome it" The minority
report was the correct one this time It has
been truly said that one with God is always a
majority, but the world cannot see that.
Every word Of this utterance is weighty; i,
is the language of faith; Of one who sees God
and not self or difficulties "f God be for