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The Lord now spoke to Moses, and
told him to send twelve men, one man from every tribe, to the land of
Canaan, which God promised to give to his people Israel. The twelve
men were to see if the land was good or bad; if the people there were
strong or weak, few or many; and they were to come back again, with some
of the fruits of Canaan, to show to the people. The men went away,
and came to Hebron, and to a place called Eschol; and there they found
some beautiful vines, covered with fine grapes. They cut down one
branch, and put it upon a pole, and two men carried it; it was very heavy,
the grapes were so many, and so large. They gathered some
pomegranates and figs too; and after forty days, the spies came back again
to the camp. All the people wished very much to know what the spies
had seen, and to look at the beautiful fruit they had brought. The
men said, "The land of Canaan is a very beautiful and fruitful
country; full of corn, and vines, and honey; but we fear to go there,
because the people are many, and they are stronger than we."
These men forgot that God was stronger than all, and that He had promised
to fight for them, and to give them the land. They had no trust, no
faith in their kind God; and they tried to frighten the people, that they
might not go to the good land. But two of the spies were not like
the others. Their names were Joshua and Caleb. They trusted in
God's promise, and did not fear. They said, "Let us go up, and
possess the land; for we are able to overcome it." But the
people were frightened, and began to weep; they believed the spies more
than they believed God, and forgot to trust to His power. Then they
murmured against Moses and Aaron, and said, "Why did you bring us
away from Egypt? We were happier there than here: we wish we
had died in the wilderness. Let us choose a captain and return to
Egypt." Caleb and Joshua spoke gently, and tried to quiet them;
but the people became more angry, and began to throw stones at Caleb and
Joshua, to kill them. Then they looked up towards the tabernacle,
and there they saw the glory of the Lord, and He spoke to Moses with a
loud voice. He said He was now tired of His sinful people, and would
not let them go to Canaan, but would destroy them in the wilderness.
But Moses again prayed for them; he asked God not to forsake the people
for whom He had done so many wonderful things; but to forgive them, and
spare them still. God heard Moses' prayer, and He promised not to
destroy the people directly; but He said He could not allow them to go to
Canaan, that good land which he had promised to His obedient people.
His faithful servants Joshua and Caleb, and those of the Israelites who
were now children, should go: but all the others must wander forty
years in the wilderness, until they died. Their children would then
be grown up, and Joshua and Caleb should go with them to Canaan, without
the sinful disobedient parents. The people cried very much when they
heard this. It was a great punishment to them. They could
never again dwell in a settled home; never see a pleasant country any
more; but they must pass all their lives in the desert wilderness. The
ten men who spoke evil of the land of Canaan, died of the plague before
the Lord; but Caleb and Joshua were kept in safety. Then the
perverse Israelites, instead of humbly submitting to their punishment,
said, "We will go to Canaan, the land God promised to us."
Moses warned them; he told them not to go, because God was not with them,
and their enemies would come, and fight against them, and kill them; but
the people would not attend. They went to the top of the hill; but
Moses, and the ark of God, and the blessing of God, did not go with them. And
had they power to take care of themselves? They thought proudly that
they had; but soon their enemies, the Amalekites, came down, and smote
them, and drove them away.
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