REPORT OF THE SPIES. [1635-1451 B.C. So they went up, and searched the land, and after forty days, they returned. They brought a bunch of grapes from Eshcol, so large, that two men were required to carry it. All the spies said that Canaan was a good land,—a land flowing with milk and honey. Caleb and Joshua, two of the spies, wanted the people to go and take possession of it; but the ten told them they were not able. They said, "The cities are strong, and the people who dwell therein are giants." The people believed the false report, and lifted up their voice and wept that night. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS. covenant-the ark was so called because it contained the tables of the law on which were inscribed the terms of agreement between Jehovah and the children of Israel; by the observance of which they should have secured to them possession of Canaan, the privilege of being a peculiar people unto God, and all the temporal blessings connected therewith. Jer. xxxi. 31-34. kinds of leprosy; in this case, and in two men-it is generally supposed that the grapes were borne on a staff between two men, not because of the size of the cluster, but that the grapes might Rise up, &c.-whether the people moved not be bruised. Travellers state that forward or rested Moses offered a pray-some of the species of grapes of Paleser to God. afflicted punished for their murmuring. elders-a selection from the large number of elders already recognised by the several tribes. Lesson 18, 'elders.' prophesied-spoke with the authority of God's messengers, or that of appointed teachers. spake against-they were jealous of the extraordinary favour bestowed upon him by Jehovah. married-the wife of Moses was the daughter of Jethro, a priest of Midian, (Lesson 17) in Hebrew she is called a Cushite; this term is generally applied to the Ethiopians of Arabia. punished-Miriam was evidently the chief offender, as Aaron was not included in the punishment. leprosy a loathsome and contagious disease in the skin, still common in Syria and the East; it especially affects the knees and elbows, and sometimes the whole body. There were several tine and Syria are extraordinarily large, and also that the bunches are larger than those of France and Italy; the valley of Eshcol still produces grapes of large size and delicious flavour. flowing with a phrase proverbial of great abundance. GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. TABERAH- burning; a place of encampment in the Wss. of Paran. KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH-graves of lust; the encampment of the Israelites at which they lusted for flesh. ETHIOPIA-southern Arabia was thus called. KADESH-BARNEA-a city near the wilderness of Paran on the southern border of the promised land. From Kadesh-barnea the Israelites had to turn back into the wilderness, when condemned to wander therein forty years for their rebellions. ESHCOL-'a cluster of grapes;' when the land was divided, the valley of Eshcol lay between Simeon and Dan. "MY COVENANT..TO GIVE THEM THE LAND OF THEIR PILGRIMAGE." Pilgrim to the land of rest, Canaan fair beyond the skies, Here a song and there a sigh. Earth, 'tis but a howling waste, From the brooks of Marah flow. Forward press through sore dismay, See the wat'ry deep divides, Did they kiss their calves of gold, Let it ne'er in Gath be told, ? We have kiss'd them every day. Thou art still our cov'nant God, Eshcol's clusters we have eat, Sweet their taste, their number few; Lord, thy visits now repeat, While we pass the desert through. Soon with yonder blood-bought crowd, ΚΕΝΤ. 26. ISRAEL'S REBELLION. OF KORAH, &c. Then all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said, "Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! Let us make us a captain and let us return into Egypt." Then Joshua and Caleb spake unto all the people, saying, "Rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us." But all the congregation spake of stoning them. The glory of the Lord then appeared in the tabernacle before all the people; and the Lord said unto Moses, "How long will this people provoke me? I will smite them with a pestilence." Moses prayed to the Lord not to destroy them. God then said that all the men that came out of Egypt, except Caleb and Joshua, should wander forty years, and die in the wilderness, and that their children should possess the land. God commanded the Israelites to turn back again into the wilderness. The unfaithful spies died of the plague. The next day the people marched towards Canaan, contrary to God's will. They were met by the Canaanites and the Amalekites, who defeated the Israelites, and slew many of them. The Lord permitted the Israelites to be thus punished because of their great disobedience. While the Israelites continued in the Wilderness of Paran a man was found gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. God commanded him to be stoned. God had declared that all who worked on the Sabbath should surely die. Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On rebelled against Moses and Aaron. The earth opened and swallowed them up; and fire came and devoured two-hundred-and-fifty men who offered incense with them. The next day the people began to rebel, but God sent a plague among them, and 14,700 died. According to God's command a rod for each tribe was placed in the tabernacle; and on the next day it was found that Aaron's rod had budded, blossomed, and brought forth ⚫almonds. The Lord said, " Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels." The rod was a token that God had chosen Aaron and his house to be priests, and none other. PERIOD III.] NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS. the whole congregation-though the Israelites were divided into twelve distinct tribes, they are, nevertheless, spoken of as but one assembly. Would God, &c.-they wished they had died in Egypt, or in the wilderness. Let us, &c.—they came to the resolve that instead of going forward to Canaan they would go back to Egypt, Did they expect that the cloud of God would lead them, and the manna fall to sustain them in their rebellion ? provoke-excite to wrath; arouse to indignation; not that Jehovah was provoked as man is, but that their conduct deserved his and punishanger ment. pestilence-a destructive and contagious disease. wander—and die-this was the sad punishment for their unbelief and disobedience. Heb. iii. 17-iv. 2. Lesson 23, blot out.' turn back-the first command to turn back (Lesson 20, Pihahiroth') was to bring them into a position of peril where their faith should be tried, and where they should experience God's power and goodness; but now the command to turn is for their punishment. They had arrived within a short distance of the southern border of the land of Canaan;| and they were ordered to turn back into the terrible wilderness' through which the Lord had safely led them. contrary-instead of humbling themselves before God, they rashly proceeded to further acts of disobedience. Korah-Korah was of the tribe of Levi; he grew jealous of the dignity conferred upon the family of AmramMoses being the chosen lawgiver, and Aaron & his sons the appointed priests. Dathan, &c.-these leaders were of the tribe of Reuben, Jacob's eldest son; probably they were displeased with the pre-eminence of Moses and Aaron, and submitted to Korah's guidance. the earth, &c.-Moses proposed to try the question of his divine mission and authority by submitting the decision to God; he therefore separated the people from the rebels, saying, that if Korah and his company should die a natural death then the Lord had not sent him. As soon as the separation was complete the judgments of God fell on the rebels. offer incense-the spiritual leadership was the subject of contention. Korah and his company advanced the plea that all the congregation were holy-any of them being equally acceptable to God as priests and teachers. This opinion was refuted by the sudden destruction of the rebels. rod-a shepherd's staff; the great mass of the people having become disaffected, a plague was not only sent among them, but a miracle was performed in order to shew that the spiritual guidance of Israel was vested in the tribe of Levi and in the family of Aaron. The rods were emblematical of spiritual leadership. Psalm xxiii. 4; Isaiah xl. 10,11. John x. 11-14. almond-the Hebrew name of the almond-tree denotes its hasty growth & early maturity; it grows extensively in Palestine, and around its borders, and blossoms very early in the year, so early as January; it is supposed that the rods of all the chiefs were made of this tree; the miracle of Aaron's rod alone budding, blossoming, and bearing fruit at the same time determined the controversy as to the priesthood; there were no more disputes or rebellions on this subject. testimony-meaning the ark of the testimony, or ark of the covenant. Less. 25, 'covenant.' The tables of the Law constituted the covenant, or agreement, between God and the people. GEOGRAPHICAL NOTE. WILDERNESS OF PARAN-lay south of Beersheba, and was near to Edom and the wilderness of Zin. Into this wilderness Hagar and Ishmael went when expelled by Abraham. Lesson 9. The Israelites entered this wilderness after leaving Mount Sinai; it is called by Moses, "the great and terrible wilderness." "NOW ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED UNTO THEM FOR ENSAMPLES, AND THEY ARE WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION." When Israel's host belov'd of God, From Egypt sought the desert dread, Unhurt the Red Sea depths they trod; He rain'd down bread from Heaven's blue height, He bade the rock yield water bright, Till promis'd Canaan met their sight, Than aught that promis'd Canaan gave; We must not be like Israel's band, Who tempted God by deed and thought, His holy faith they would not hold, These things are our examples given, To sin by evil passions driven; VERSES FOR HOLY SEASONS. |
