The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-08-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON v, THIRD QUARTER. INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. 4.
TEXT Of the Lesson, Mum. Elf. 1870, 3D.
33-Memory Verses. 20-Golden Text.
Mum. xiv. 9-Comme.tary By the Rev.
ID. n. Stearus.


Mum. xiv. 9-Comme.tsry BY the Rev.
ID. N. st~arns.
IT. Having left Horeb, where they had
been so long encamped, they came to Ka-
desh barnea. on the south border OF the
land, which was IL days journey from
Horeb Here the people asked that spies
might be sent to search out the land and
bring word as to the best way to enter
(Deut. 1, 2, 2lS 22). 1t seems strange
that Moses should BIO pleased with this
thought of sending spies when God had
said that Ii was a good and large land
flowing with milk and honey (Ex. iii, 81,
and when God Himself always went before
them In the cloud, but we remember the
story of Hobab.
Is. Since God had testified as to the land
and had said that He would give 1t TO
them, what did it matter whether the In
habitants were few or many, strong or
weak? Had not the God of Israel shown
them His power In Egypt and at the Red
sea, and was not His presence a sufficient
assurance But they did so forget God,
just as we do.
10. 1t looks as If they were going To see
If God meant what He said, and II He was
2, 3d. But one may say, Why find fault
with the spies when God commanded
them oversees l, %? But little attention
TO Deut 1, %, will show that God only
permitted them 10 have their own way In
this matter, as He did afterward in that Of
a king U Sam. viii, q, Z, 81, 22)
20. 1t seems odd TO tell them To be OF
good courage when unbelief was sending
them forth 1t requires faith in God to
make any one TO be of good courage, but
going to SEQ II His word was true would
hardly tend to courage Listen to Paul in
the storm at sea when everything seemed
against him, Il believe God, that it shall be
even as it was told me" (Acts xvii, 25).
90, "a. One would think that all fears
would be dispelled by visit to the very
place where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lay
buried. How could they help thinking Of
the faith of Abraham and being strength
ened thereby? Then such grapes and pome
granates and figs-how could their hearts
help crying out, 1T is all just as He said?"
Some one has suggested that these two
carrying the grapes make us think of the
Old and New Testaments-the one ahead
did not see what he was carrying, but the
one behind saw both the one ahead and
the grapes too. Yet both carried the same
fruit. Jesus, the True Vine, is the bur-
den of the whole book, but is more clearly
revealed in the New Testament
25. And they returned from searching
of the land after 40 days" And because
of their unbelief they, though so nearly
possessing the land, We're turned back into
the wilderness to wander for 40 years,
year for each day (Num. xiv, 34) Some
time we will sec deeper meaning in all
the forty day" experiences of Scripture
20, %. They could not but bring good
report of the land; they could not say
aught else concerning it than Surely it
6oweth with milk and honey, and this Is
the fruit OF 1t" God always means what
He says and we are perfectly safe in tax
ing Him at His word. When He makes a
statement, we must either honor Him by
believing IL, or dishonor Him by our I'M
belief and make Him liar U John V, 10).
Rather let us believe His every word, and
thus set to our seal that God Is true.
2S 20. Nevertheless the people be
strong" And so they talk of the giants,
and all the inhabitants Of the land and
the walled cities God had mentioned these
nations and had said that He would drive
them out lex. xxxiv ID. Observe His
sevenfold Il will, beginning and ending
with ~ am Jehovah, " in FIX. vi, 6-S, and
see what desperate unbelief these men were
guilty of in putting the least obstacle be-
fore the people, instead Of the living God
who had already done so wondrously for
them II Is refreshing to turn TO Caleb,
and listen to him.
30. Let us go UP ut once and possess it,
for we are well able to overcome it," Here
is confidence in God and it is well founded
it rests on His power who made all
% bo, A l.
Lord God, behold Thou hast made the
heaven and the earth by Thy great power
and stretched out arm, and there is moth
ing too hard for Thee (Jcr. xxi, ID.
These encouraging words by which Caleb
sought to still the people were from his
heart (.Ioshua xiv, 12), for he wholly fol-
lowed the Lord
81 I'VE be not able to go up against the
people, for they are stronger than we." 1t
was not "A question of "they and we, I" but
only of them and God He who brought
them out of Egypt was able TO bring them
into Canaan, and in that light Caleb and
Joshua saw 1t, for they said, THE Lord is
with us; fear them not" xiv, g. Until
we have learned our own inability to save
ourselves, we will not be likely TO let the
Lord save u.s. and until we have learned
our inability to keep ourselves wewill not
know the JOY of His keeping power. We
want deeper knowledge and experience
of all that is included in the words, Not
l, but Christ"
3s, 33 They and We" was to the unbe-
levers suggestive of giants and grasshop-
pers, and resulted in much weeping and
murmuring on the part Of the people, and
call for new captain who would lead
them back to Egypt, SO that the Lord had
pie provoke Me9 How long will it be ere
they believe Me, for all the signs which /
have Showed among them?" xiv, H. II
we place ourselves face TO face with our
difficulties. we will ofttimes be discour-
aged, but when we place our difficulties
face to face with God, then victory is sure
and peace and JOY are ours. The matter that
He makes His own Is rs good as accom-
plishcd In quietness and in confidence Is
our strength lisa. XXX, 15).