The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1919-02-27
LESSON FOR MARCH 2
THE REPORT OF THE SPIES.

THE REPORT OF THE SPIES.
LESSON TEXT-Numbers l3:l7-l4:3s
GOLDEN TEXT-This IL the victory
mat overcometh the world. even our faith.
Il John "a.
DEVOTIONAL READING-Psalm Is.
PRIMARY ToPIC-The story of a won
JUNIOR TOPIC-Two men against ten.
Memory Verse-Num. 1920.
INTERMEDIATE ToPIc-The folly Of
| eowardice.
SENIOR AND ADULT roP1c-cause.
Of failure in life.
I. 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 to 20 in and take immediate pos
session (Deut. l :21) bur they fail he.
cause Of their unbelief (Heb. 3:19).
There was threefold purpose In
sending out the spies: ~ to see
whether the land was as God had told
them ". 49,; (2) to see whether the
people who dwelt there were strong
or weak. few or many ". 1s); (3) to
see whether the cities were made up
Of strongholds or tents ". 19). What
folly! II God has spoken, to question
his word is simply unbelief.
u. The Commission Executed (13:
21-25).
They entered the land from the
south and traversed 1t to its north
ern limits. They spent forty days in
this investigating exploration. It is
sad comment upon human nature when
men must spend forty days in finding
out the truthfulness of Gods word.
On their return from the north they
gathered some specimens Of the fruit
Of the land. Two of them, perhaps
Caleb and Joshua. bore a cluster of
grapes upon staff between them as
a witness that God had spoken the
truth about the land.
III. The Spies Rendered 4 Report
us :28-Ss).
On their return this committee of
explorers rendered a report to the
whole congregation. 1t was not unani.
nous:
1. The majority report wv. $500.
~ "The land howeth with milk and
honey ". 27). As a proof of it they
exhibited the fruit. They all bore
witness that this was in accordance
with what God had said. (2) 1.-THE
people who live there are strong" ".
28). They seemed to stress this fact.
Unbelief dwells mainly upon difficult
ties. (S) "The people live in walled
cities" ". 2S). They argued that it
was impossible to capture them In
such sure defenses. az 1.-THE land
was inhabited by giants" ". % ct v.
33). They saw themselves as grass
hoppers. Furthermore, they saw the
people so distributed-the Amalekites
In the south country, the Hlttltes. Jeb-
usites and Amorites In the mountains
and the CanaanItes along the sea
that II was impossible to take them.
This, no doubt seemed reasonable from
the human side. but they displayed
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 wv. 3O-33).
In part. this report agrees with the
drst: II does not ignore the Difficult.
ties. nor dispute the facts. 1t denies
the conclusion Of the majority. They
did not minimize the task before them.
but asserted that with Gods help they
we're well able to get possession Of the
land. and urged immediate action.
The ten had their eyes on the din.
culties, but Caleb and Joshua fixed
their eyes upon God. Caleb lived to
see his suggestion made real. The de-
cisions Of the majority are not always
right. Just two men against the many
thousands. but the thousands were
wrong and the two were right. II IL
DOT always true that the "voice Of the
people II the voice Of God"
". The Rebellion Of the People
l4:l.3s).
This rebellion began by crying. Hav.
Ing left God out Of the question they
now weep and howl. This weeping
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 fol
thirty.eight years. during which time
they all died except Caleb and Joshua
This was followed by n proposition "a
organize for the return to Egypt
They proposed to select n captain a
their leader. The protest OF Joshus
and Caleb against this resulted In the
proposition to stone them. Al thI'
Joint God interposed In their behalf
tie manifested his glory before NIL tn,
children Of Israel 10 vindicntion Of the
loyalty Of Joshua and Caleb.
Holding the Trenches.