Page images
PDF
EPUB

NUMBERS 10: 11-13, 29-36.

LESSON VII.

THIRD QUARTER.

of Moses, asking in the morning for God's guidance and in the evening for God's presence and approval.

2. If Moses had prayed as many men pray, he would have said, "Rise up, O Lord, and make our journey pleasant." We shall make progress in the Christian life when we identify ourselves with God's interests, forget the heat and hunger and weariness of our wilderness way, and pray for the triumph of God's kingdom over all his foes. 3. Moses' evening prayer discloses another secret of Christian progress, the presence of God. God was only one and the Israelites were "ten thousands of thousands," yet Moses was lonely without God and longed to have him close at hand.

ILLUSTRATION.

was:

St. Patrick's prayer when he entered on the conversion of Ireland

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

Following the general theme of this lesson, the events of the next two chapters disclose some of the serious hindrances to the progress of the Israelites, and illustrate the hindrances to our own Christian progress.

IV. The Rebellion against the Manna. Num. II. Scarcely had the fickle people left Sinai, when their determination faltered before the hardships of the way. The cause of the first complaint is not given (vs. 1-3); the march had many perils and privations that might have caused it. But the terrible punishment is named, a "fire from the Lord" that ran through the camp consuming the rebellious people, and was stayed only by the prayer of Moses. The scene of this event was named Taberah ("Burning").

The Graves of Greed.

The second complaint arose from the manna. It tasted like fresh oil, or like wafers mixed with honey. They were cloyed with it, and longed for the flesh and vegetables of Egypt. They fell to childish weeping throughout the camp, and Moses was in despair. Thereupon God promised to grant the people's desires, and send them a surfeit of flesh whose very abundance would convince them of their folly. Blown by a providential wind from the south and east, the Elanitic Gulf, an immense flock of quails flew upon the camp. "These quails cannot sustain themselves long on the wing, and after crossing the desert some thirty or forty miles they would scarcely be able to fly. Fowls of this kind migrate at certain seasons in such enormous numbers that in the small island of Capri, near Naples, 160,000 have been netted in one season. When exhausted, they would easily be taken as they flew at a height of about two cubits above the ground.' Watson. The people caught them in great quantities, prepared them, and spread them on the ground to dry in the sun. They ate of them so greedily that a pestilence broke out and raged through the camp. Many of the foolish people died and were buried there, so that they called the place KibrothHattaavah ("Graves of Greediness ").

The Leprosy of Pride.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

V. The Rebellion of Aaron and Miriam. Num. 12. Scarcely had the rebellion against the manna been punished, before another revolt was set on foot. Aaron and Miriam had become jealous of their great brother. The pretext of their complaints was a Cushite woman, an Ethiopian, whom Moses had married (Zipporah, his first wife, may have died), and they began loudly to ask, "Has not God given us the gift of prophecy as well as Moses? There was little foundation for this claim. At the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex. 15: 20, 21) Miriam had led the women in a song of triumph; Aaron had served as Moses' mouthpiece before Pharaoh, and had been made high priest; both, however, were far inferior to their brother in all the qualities of leadership. Therefore Jehovah pronounced in very plain terms upon Moses' supreme authority, speaking out of the mysterious cloud. Miriam, who seems to have been the leader in this revolt, was punished by an instant leprosy which left her white as snow, and it was only after Moses' earnest and magnanimous prayer, and a shameful exile from the camp for seven days, that she was restored again.

LESSONS FROM THE TWO REBELLIONS. 1. There is no progress except through the endurance of hardness. This is the lesson of the rebellion against the manna. Worlds are made by fire and flood. Metals are purified by furnaces. Gold is found in the mountains. LIBRARY. The Strenuous Life, by Theodore Roosevelt (Scribners). The account of Dickens' early struggles, in vol. I. of Forster's biography. Kipling's poem, "Sergeant

Whatisname." Many illustrations under "Hardships" in Peloubet's Suggestive Illustrations on Acts.

2. There is no progress except by humility. This is the lesson of Miriam's rebellion. Great souls are the most teachable, the least conceited. When General Gordon once received an appointment to an important post, he took his horse and rode to a lonely place for long prayer against the danger of pride.

LIBRARY. Andrew Murray's masterpiece, Humility.

3. There is no progress except by getting rid of sin. Miriam's leprosy was a token of God's hatred of sin. "We make so much of bodily maladies, so little of diseases of the soul, that we would think it strange if any one for his pride should be struck with paralysis, or for envy should be laid down with fever. Yet beside the spiritual disorder that of the body is of small moment. The bad heart is the great disease.". Watson. Miriam's separation from the camp and their enforced delay taught this lesson to all the people.

LESSON VIII.

August 24.

REPORT OF THE SPIES.

Numbers 13: 26-14: 4.

GOLDEN TEXT.-Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust.
PSA. 40: 4.

SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS. Arouse Interest by asking the class what countries they would like to explore, and getting them to name some famous explorers. We are to study to-day one of the most important exploring expeditions of all history.

Draw a Sketch Map of the country from Kadesh Barnea to Lebanon, marking these, Hebron, the Eshcol, and the location of the tribes named. Get the class to make similar maps on pencil tablets, following you step by step.

Condense the reports of the spies into a few words, which all will write on their maps; for the discouragements: "giants," "walls," "devouring," "unable," etc.; for the encouragements: "milk," "honey," 66 grapes,' "figs," "pomegranates," "promises," "GOD." Draw circles around the encouragements, indicating that few could see them.

[ocr errors]

Close with an earnest application of the story to the Christian's Canaan.

CO-OPERATIVE STUDY.

Subjects to be distributed the previous Sunday, for home study and class report and discussion.

Was the expedition of the spies wise or unwise?
How the spies came to give such different reports.
Reasons why the Israelites should have trusted God.
Why did God keep the Israelites forty years in the
desert ?

Compare the Christian life to the Promised Land.
Compare the two classes of spies to modern men and

women.

[blocks in formation]

HISTORICAL SETTING.

Time.

Place.

The time is fixed by Num. 13: 20 as "the time of the first ripe grapes," which in Palestine may be as early as July. B. C. 1490 (common chronology). Eleven days' journey from Sinai (Deut. I: 2), in the desert of Zin, the northern part of the desert of Paran, is a lovely oasis of a New England aspect," surrounded by hills which form the southern rampart of Palestine. It is several miles wide, large enough for Israel's camping ground. A pure stream flows from a cliff, and fills two wells and a large pool. The Arabs call it Ain Qadees, "the holy well," and Dr. Trumbull has identified it as Kadesh ("the holy ") Barnea ("the desert of wandering"). This beautiful place became the Israelites' pivotal point through their remaining thirty-eight years in the desert.

PRONUNCIATIONS.

Am'ǎlěkites, Am'orites, A'nǎk, Ca'nǎan (Kanan), Esh'col (Es'kol), Hit'tites, Jeb'usites, Jěphůn'něh, Ka'desh Bär'nea, Pa'răn, Qa'dees or Qa'dis, Zin, Ahi'măn, She'shăi (She'shă), Tălmăi (Tălmă).

THE REFERENCE LIBRARY.

Commentaries on Numbers, and lives of Moses. Trumbull's Kadesh Barnea (Scribners) is the classic on this lesson. Palmer's Desert of the Exodus (Harpers). Robinson's The Land and the Book has many valuable descriptions. Edersheim's Wanderings in the Desert; Tristram's Land of Israel on Eshcol; the hymns, "Beulah Land,' and "Jerusalem, the Golden"; "Modern Kadesh," article by Prof. George L. Robinson, Ph.D., in The Biblical World, May, 1901.

PICTURES.

Report of the Spies, Beale.

[ocr errors]

The Israelites had now spent about fifteen months in God's wilderness training school. In wise and wonderful ways Jehovah had been teaching them great lessons of trust, duty, worship, obedience, temperance, progress. Now comes an examination to test their minds and hearts, - an examination in which, alas! most of them failed. I. Spying out the Land. A Test of Courage. -Num. 13: 1-25. Having reached Kadesh Barnea, the threshold of Canaan, the Israelites urged (Deut. I: 22) that explorers be sent on ahead; and God sanctioned the plan (Num. 13: 1), because, though he wants men to rely on his guidance, he wants them also to use their own eyes. man, presumably brave and wise, was chosen for this purpose from each tribe save the Levites, who were not to share the partition of the land. The tribe of Joseph furnished two, one each for Ephraim and Manasseh.

A head

Some scholars see evidences that the twelve spies divided into bands, one going about

From a Photograph by Wilson.
Kadesh Barnea.

(As located by Robinson.)

three hundred miles, through Pales

[graphic]

The Twelve
Spies.

tine to the Lebanon Mountains; the other only about one hun

dred miles, to Hebron and the Eshcol valley a little beyond. Caleb, in that case, belonging to the first party, returned first, and is mentioned alone in Num. 13: 30; 14: 24 as making a brave report; while Joshua, taking the longer journey,, afterwards joined Caleb in his courageous stand (Num. 14: 6, 7).

Just such a "spying" of Canaan, for an Egyptian military expedition of the time of Thotmes III., long before Moses, is described on the walls of the temple of Karnak, in upper Egypt. The spies might have passed as Egyptian travelers. The monuments of Egypt and Assyria show that this was a most fortunate time to in

26. And they went and came to Mo'ses, and to Aar'on, and to all the congregation of the children of Is'ra-el, 'unto the wilderness of Pa'ran, to 2 Ka'desh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.

[blocks in formation]

WHY WAS THE EXPEDITION MADE? 1. To confirm the faith of the Israelites. Their long stay in the desert may have made the Promised Land seem almost a dream, while they remembered with longing the fertility of Egypt.

2. To test the courage of the people, and learn whether, on hearing that they must fight in order to win Canaan, they would continue to trust God.

3. To disclose to the people and their leaders their actual spiritual condition, thus proving the necessity of the long delay in the wilderness, and showing Moses and those like him what work remained for them to do in training the people.

2 Num. 20: 1, 16; Deut. 1: 19.

[graphic]

From a Photograph by Wilson. Kadesh Barnea.

(As located by Trumbull.)

SPYING OUT OUR PROMISED LAND. Our life is like a wilderness journey, full of hardships. God understands that we need the inspiration of hope, and so he has set before us a Promised Land. Part of it is in this life, the satisfaction of duty done, the power it gives, the friendships that spring from it, the approval of noble men. The best part of it is in the next life, and the Bible is full of foregleams of heaven. Many spies have brought us good words from our Promised Land. They are the prophets, saints, and Christian heroes of all time, and Christ himself. One reason why Bible study is so profitable is the help it gives us in such comforting views of the future.

APPLICATIONS. "The spies were to climb the hills which commanded a view of the Promised Land. And there are heights which must be scaled if we are to have previsions of the heavenly life. We shall see the coming kingdom of God only if we follow in the footsteps of Christ to the summits of Sacrifice." Watson.

Every father has to spy out the land for his child, every teacher for his pupils, every pastor for his flock. There is no one so humble but he or she is trusted to explore for some one else the fields of thought and action, and bring back true report.

II. A Report of Facts.- Vs. 26-29. The spies were gone forty days (v. 25). We may imagine the first company, returning from lower Palestine, making their report in the presence of an eager assembly.

26. And they. Either the twelve spies, or, as is at least probable, only a part of them, with Caleb but not with Joshua. Came to Moses and to Aaron, who, as leaders of the nation, had sent them forth. And to all the congregation. Doubtless the heads of thousands and hundreds, and as many representatives of the people as could assemble in one place. To Kadesh. See "Place." And shewed them the fruit of the land. They had gone as far as the valley of Eshcol, which means a cluster, a bunch. This rich valley is just north of Hebron, and is described by Robinson as producing the largest and best grapes in all Palestine, besides pomegranates, figs, apricots, quinces, and other fruit in

27. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with 'milk and honey; fruit of it.

Howbeit

fenced,

4

2

and this is the

and the

are strong,

28. Nevertheless 3 the people be strong that dwell in the land' cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of A'năk there. 29. 5 The Am'a-lek-ites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jeb'u-sites, and the Am'or-ites, dwell in the mountains: and the Ca'naan-ites dwell by the coast of Jor'dan.

Jeb'u-site,

Am'a-lek dwelleth

the sea, and along

I Ex. 3.: 8.

2 Deut. 1: 25.

Am'or-ite,

side

3 Deut. I 28.

4 V. 33.

Pomegranate.

Blossom and Fruit.

[blocks in formation]

abundance. The spies selected specimens of figs, pomegranates, and grapes, the latter being a magnificent cluster in honor of which the spies named the brook Eshcol. Two men carried it, hung between them on a pole, to prevent crushing. Kitto (Phys. Hist. of Palestine, p. 330) describes a nineteenpound bunch of grapes produced at Welbeck from a Syrian vine in 1819, and borne as a present to the Marquis of Rockingham by four laborers, who carried it by twos, taking turns, a distance of twenty miles. The Massachusetts Ploughman records a bunch, grown in 1845 by Dr. Mitchell of Philadelphia, which measured two feet, four and five-eighths inches long and three feet across the shoulder, while the Boston Cultivator of 1881 tells

of a bunch of black grapes weighing twenty-three pounds, five ounces.

GRAPES OF ESHCOL. 1. Christians. "By their fruits ye shall know them." A single Christian life is as convincing a proof of the truth of Christianity as a journey through the whole land of "Christian evidences."

2. Christ.

"None of us has entered heaven; but Jesus, who has gone on in advance to take possession of it in his people's name, has sent back an Eshcol cluster of its vintage.' Taylor. Every life lived close to him is full of foretastes of heaven.

[ocr errors]

3. Branches and vine. No life can bear the "fruits of the Spirit" (Gal. 5: 22, 23), those grapes of Eshcol, except as it is united to the true Vine (John 15: 1-8) by faith and obedience. 27. It floweth with milk and honey. They were adopting God's own words to Moses, out of the burning bush (Ex. 3: 8). And this is the fruit of it. They wanted to appear judicial, looking a little on the good side and much on the bad side.

Grapes-and
Giants.

PRACTICAL. Nothing is so dangerous as a half-truth. "To damn with faint praise" has become a proverb. The worst enemies of Christianity are those who condescendingly praise its civilization, and then class Christ with Socrates. They accept Christ's fruits, but reject him. 28. Nevertheless the cities are walled and very great. "Not many cities could have been so large and so strongly fortified as was represented, though Lachish, Hebron, Shalim, and a few others were formidable.”. Watson. Such cities seemed "an almost insuperable obstacle to a people wholly ignorant of artillery or of siege operations." Winterbotham. We saw the children of Anak there. "A class of bandits whose names inspired terror throughout the district — Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, sons of Anak. The great stature of these men, exaggerated by common report, together with stories of their ferocity, seem to have impressed the timid Hebrews beyond measure.' Watson. 29. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South. "The southern part of Pales

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »