The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-23
THE SUNDAY-sCHOOL LESSON.
August "a, 1902-Numbers xiii, 26j
xiv, I-4-The Report of the Spies.

xiv, 1.-the Report of the spies
The wilderness of the Siuaitc peninsula,
great and terrible" Gods schoolhouse for
His people. There he taught them His law and
worship The course of study covered whole
year. The graduation 10 have occurred at
Kadesh Sin and folly marred it all. The
commencement of Israel in Canaan was set
back a generation.
The appointment OF the spies was a gross In
suit 10 Jehovah. He had assured the people that
the land was good He had promised the pos
session of it to them. That Should have been
enough In the Lords name they ought TO have
set up their banners and gone up at once to
possess it, The long vista back 10 Egypt was
studded with the memorials of Gods faithful
ness and power The fact that he had been so
mindful of them in the past should have been
them pledge of future blessing
They should have reasoned. IF God could
take us out of the invincible clutch OF a great
world power, Egypt, what prevents His plant
ing us securely in Canaan" But in the cpl
demic of fear, the breaking of Pharaoh's in
flexible will the plaques OF their cruel Cypress
ors the deIiverance the Red and at Rep
hidim, sweetened waters and mama, the won
ders of Sinai-an were forgotten. Israel con-
ferred with flesh and blood in preferences to tax
ing counsel OF the Lord. with the inyariaSle and
miserable outcome of such a course.
BY this very deed the people showed their I'M
fitness to enter the land of promise. more
paIpabIe exhibition could scarcely be conceived
Of The Lord acceded 10 their request, but knew
that in doing so Canaan was as enectually closed
to Israel as Eden to the first guilty pair.
Moses. with the consent Of the Lord. pro-
ceded TO choose with the greatest care possible,
a prince from each tribe. No doubt he strongly
hoped that their report would restore the esprit
d. corps of the wavering host.
To this DAY Palestine is a sort Of bridge be-
tween Asia and Africa. which there are al
ways strangers passing back and forth. This
little company would not necessarily attract at
tention especially as they probably at
tired as Egyptians, and likely spoke the Ian
guage of that country fuently. II they
got into close quarters they might be trusted to
get out by their wits. They belonged TO race
notorious for hnesse.
For the sake of greater security and more thor
OUCH exploration they may have gone by twos
or threes They crossed the southland. which
borders Canaan between the Mediterranean and
the Dead sea, and then probably threaded their
way up the Jordan valley far north as snow
capped Hermon, returning by the lowlands along
the sea. with occasional side trips into the high
lands.
What memories and emotions must have been
stirred in their minds as, here and there. they
came upon places indissoubly associated with
the names and lives Of the patriarchs. until at
length they stood at Hebron, where. 400 years
before Abraham had pitched his tent and
reared his altar!
After an absence OF forty days they returned
to the camp OF Israel. bringing with them sam
pies of fruits that would have put TO shame the
best exhibit of modern horticultural society.
The people had waited exactly as long for the
Of had for he
turn of Moses from Mount Sinai, and much more
patiently. Their report listened 10 with
avidity.
The exordium of the report was gracious 1t
pictured. in the lavish language Of the Orient
the phenomenal frutfulness Of Canaan The
whole congregation of Israel had a striking
confirmation Of their worcs in the huge purple
cluster from Eshcol, besides the pomegranates
and fgs.
But the exordium short. 1t was a mere
| ornamental fringe TO a body. the warp OF which
was unbelef and the woof distrust. The land
is desirable of course, but its possession is i'm
| practicable" The towering stature. the in
vincible prowess. the vast number OF the inhab-
itants, are pictured with most dispiriting ef-
feet The Hebrews were accustomed 10 the
sight in Egypt OF ponderous fortihcations. But
these were on the dead level Of the Nile valley.
To see such walls lifted upon the top Of mac
cessibe cliffs would produce the extreme effect
Of impregnabilty They could hardly tell where
the natural base left of and the artificial super
structure began. The cities seemed walled TO
the very heavens.
They name five fierce nations inhabiting the
| land, who would al once form a league offensive
and defensive against any invaders. And the
| Hebrews, dwarfed by 400 years Of cruel servi-
tude. would only appear like grasshoppers be-
| fore those stalwart and free sons OF the high
| land and lowland.
Two men hang that jury OF spies. Caleb and
Joshua, dauntless souls, fun Of faith, demand a
| hearing They hush TOR a moment al least the
| ever-augrnenting murnur OF disappointment
dstrust and incpient rebellion. They admit
| the difficulties but at the same moment sound
! the bugIe call Of faith: Let Us go up at once
| and possess 1t, for we are well able to over
/ come it,"
But inhdelity IS now rampant. The ten faith
less explorers reiterate the inability OF Israel 70
| cope with the gigantic Nephilm. They also in
| terpolate sinister hint against the land itself.
plague that consumed all who set foot upon IT,
| Decentralization is now complete. The whole
congregation spend a night in weeping on
| every side the exclamation is heard: Death in
| Egypt would have been better than this -
Treason and revolt in the air. The PROPOSE
ton is openly made 10 elect a captain 20 lead
| them back to Egypt. In vain do Moses and