The Brinkley argus., 1919-02-28
LESSON FOR MARCH 2
THE REPORT OF THE SPIES.


 LESSON TEXT-Numbsrs l3:17-n:ss
 GOLDEN TEXT-This is the victory that overcometh the world. even our faith. T John 5:4
 DEVOTIONAL READING-Psalm l5
 PRIMARY TOPIC-The story of won- derful journey. Memory verse-Num. f4:s
 JUNIOR TOPIC-Two men against ten. Memory yerse-Num. la:2o.
 INTERMEDIATE TOPIC-The folly of cowardice.
 SENIOR AND ADULT ToPIc-causes of failure in life.
 [. The Spies sent Out 13:17-2O).
 Less than two years have passed since the Israelites were delivered from Egyptian bondage. They are now at Kadesh- -Barnea. within sight of the promised land. Moses urges them Q @ in and take immediate pos. session tDest. l :21) but they fail be- cause of their unbefef (Heb. 3:10).
 There was a threefold purpose in sending out the spies: CD to see whether the land was as God had told them tv. 13); (2) to see whether the people who dwelt there were strong or weak. few or many (v. 1S); (3) to see whether the cities were made up ef strongholds or tents (v. 19). What folly If Ged has spoken, to question his word is simply uHbelief.
 II. The Commission Executed (13: 21-25).
 They entered the land from the south and trayepssA it ts its north esn HDits. TAg s1snt fsrty days in this investigating expiration. It is sad esmment apsn human nature when men must Dead 1srty days in finding out shs tratAfllnes of Gods word. On their nstu1a fcsn ths north thsy gathered sA1e OsG1sAs If the fruit of the Iane. 1~s k thGn. perhaps Caleb sri IaAAna n~ns slast9 q sEapes 1psn . a.f sstwesa then ss q ystasas ekat 1Ge hsa spoken Shs trstA Absst - i&aA.
 4i. TAe spIss Rsadsrsd . Rspsst e13 :2ea9a,
 On tAs&r retnaA this committee sf explorers rsAAAcsl . reDort ts the whole coArsgatlSA. It was net unani. ulous:
 1. The najsrity report (vv. 26.2o. e1) 'The land howeth with milk and honey (v. 27). AS proof of it they exhibited the fruit. They all bore witness that this was in accordance with what God had said. (2) '"The people who live there are strong" (v. 28). They seemed to stress this fact. TTnhaliof fr1v 7o,rI- ties. (3) "The people live in walled cities" (v. 2S). They argued that it was impossible to capture them in such sure defenses. (4) "The land was inhabited by giants" (v. 28 cf V. 33). They saw themselves as grass people so distributed-the Amalekites in the south country, the Hittites, Jeb- usites and Amorites in the mountains and the Canaanites along the sea that it was impossible to take them. This, no doubt, seemed reasonable from their folly in that they left God out of the question. The same God who said to them, "Go, possess the land" would go along to fight the battles.
 2. The minority report (vv. 30-33). In part. this report agrees with the first; it does not ignore the difficult ties, nor dispute the facts. It denies | the conclusion of the majority. They did not minimize the task before them, but asserted that with Gods help they were well able to get possession of the 1 land, and urged immediate action. The ten had their eyes on the diff culties, but Caleb and Joshua fixed 1 their eyes upon God. Caleb lived to i see his suggestion made real. The de- cisions of the majority are not always right. Just two men against the many 1 thousands, hut the thousands were wrong and the two were right. It Is not always true that the "voice of the people is the voice of God"
 W. The Rebellion of the People 14:1-3S).
 This rebellion began by crying. Hav- ing left God out of the question they now weep and howl. This weeping 1 and bowling was followed by murmur- ing against Moses and Aaron. They even wished that they had died in the wilderness or in Egypt. God took them at their word he sent them back to wander in the wilderness for thirty-eight years. during which time they all died except Caleb and Joshua. This was followed by proposition to organize for the return 10 Egypt. They proposed to select captain as their leader. The protest of Joshua and Caleb against this resulted in the proposition to stone them. At this point God interposed in their behalf. He manifested his glory before all the children of Israel in vindication of the loyalty of Joshua and Caleb.