25. Taberah. Miriam's Leprosy. The Spies Search Canaan. Numbers x. 33-xiv. 1. When the children of Israel departed from Mount Sinai,21 the 'ark23 of the covenant went before them three days' journey 'to seek a resting place for them. And when the ark set forward, Moses said, "Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee." And when it rested, he said, "Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel." The people again complained, and it displeased the Lord, who sent down fire, which consumed many of them. Moses prayed unto the Lord, and the fire was quenched. The place was called "Taberah. As they journeyed they 'murmured for flesh; and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased. God sent quails; the people ate them and were afflicted with a great plague; and many died. The name of the place was called "Kibroth-hattaavah. Moses complained of the great burden of governing the people, and God appointed seventy elders to assist him. The spirit of God rested upon them, and they prophesied. Two of them, called Eldad and Medad, did not go into the tabernacle,23 but taught in the camp; Joshua 'desired Moses to forbid them from prophesying, and Moses said unto him, "Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!" The people came to "Hazeroth; here Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses, because he had married an Ethiopian woman. For this the Lord punished Miriam with 'leprosy; she became as white as snow, and was shut out of the camp for seven days. Afterwards the people removed and pitched in the Wilderness of Paron.9 God commanded that a man out of each of the twelve tribes should be sent to search Canaan.5 Moses therefore sent twelve men, that were heads of the people, and he said unto them, "Go... see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; and what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land." 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 up at once and take possession of it; but the other ten spies told them they were not able. They said, The cities are strong, and the inhabitants thereof are giants. The people believed the evil report of the ten spies, and they lifted up their voice and wept that night. GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. Taberah- a burning;' a place of encampment in the wilderness of Paran. Kibroth-hattaavah-the encampment at which the Israelites lusted for flesh. Hazeroth-the third encampment of the Israelites after leaving Sinai, and four or five days' march from that mountain. Eshcol-'a cluster of grapes;' the valley of Eshcol lay between Simeon and Dan. EXPLANATIONS. ark of the covenant-thetwo tables of stone upon which were "written with the finger of God." the moral conditions of that covenant which God had made with the people of Israel (Les. 22) were within the ark-hence this name is applied to it. to seek, &c.-the general direction which the congregation should take was indicated by the pillar of cloud and of fire, (Les. 20) but the selection of the most convenient tracks and passes was left to their own vigilant and earnest search. Rise up, Lord-addressed to the visible symbol of God's presence-the glorycloud, or 'Shechinah,' which overshadowed the mercy-seat, and which rose upward from the tabernacle, and then moved forward when the Lord would have the people advance. Return, &c.-when the cloud rested over the tabernacle the people were to encamp; and as soon as the tabernacle was again erected the glory-cloud returned to its place, between the cherubim; these were two golden figures with outstretched wings placed one on each side of the mercy-seat over which their wings were spread. murmured for flesh-the people in their murmurings specially regretted the fish, which was abundant in Egypt. quails-these birds breed in large numbers on the shores of the Red Sea. appointed, &c.-Jethro had suggested to Moses the plan of appointing rulers to assist him in the government of the people, (Les. 21) but Moses waited until he received directions from God. Joshua-signifies a 'saviour'; Moses gave him this name, but he was generally known by the name of Oshea. desired, &c.-from the reply of Moses we may infer that Joshua was filled with jealousy for the fame of his master. because, &c.-this was merely a pretence; for they said, "Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?" Ethiopian, &c.-or Cushite, that part of Arabia where Jethro lived was called Cush or Ethiopia. leprosy this loathsome disease was regarded as a judgment from the hand of God, and was called by the Hebrews the stroke or wound of the Lord. seven days-the leprosy was removed at the end of this time on the intercession of Moses, after Aaron had humbled himself and acknowledged that he had equally incurred God's displeasure. Aaron was spared this infliction because of his public office. grapes from Eshcol-the fineness of the grapes of this region was proverbial. flowing, &c.-because of its rich pastures and its abundance of wild honey. evil report-unbelief and cowardice filled their hearts; they flung their hopes away, and forgot their dependence upon God. CONTEMPORARY CHARACTERS. ELDAD and MEDAD-it is not known why these two men did not go into the tabernacle with the others of the seventy elders, but they received the Spirit of God, and prophesied in the camp. Joshua's remonstrance drew from Moses the wish that all the people might receive the same spirit. CALEB-a warrior of the tribe of Judah who was chosen to represent his tribe when the twelve tribes were sent to search the land of Canaan. He and Joshua were the only two men who were suffered to enter Canaan, of all the 600,000 who left Egypt. Les. 30. QUESTIONS. What was Moses' prayer when the ark moved forward? What was his prayer when it rested? Why was fire sent among the people? What calamity occurred at Kibroth-hattaavah? government of the people? When Eldad and Medad prophesied how was Joshua affected for Moses? What were Miriam's sin and punishment? Narrate the history of the sending forth and the return of the twelve spies. In what respects did the report of the ten spies agree with, and differ from, that of the other two? How was Moses relieved from the PRECEPTIVE LESSONS. To envy, or to rebel against those whom God has appointed to honourable though arduous situations in life is highly displeasing to God, and we should learn to repress such feelings. A grumbling or complaining spirit is greatly to be deprecated; when we complain without cause, it is not improbable that God will give us cause to complain. We are also taught to honour those as God's servants who have given evidence of their qualifications for his work. The sins of faithlessness, of cowardice in a good cause, the glory of individual integrity and the evil influence of a false report upon a murmuring multitude, are taught in the history of the spies. 26. Israel's Rebellion. The Sabbath Breaker. Of Korah, &c. Numbers xiv. 2-45; xv. 32-36; xvi.; xvii. Exodus xxxi. 14, 15. Then all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron; and the whole 'congregation said unto them, "Would God that we had died in the land of Egypts! or would God we had died in this wilderness! ... were it not better for us to return into Egypt?" And they said one to another, "Let us make ‘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; for they are bread for us; their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us; fear them not." But all the congregation spake of stoning them. The glory of the Lord then appeared in the tabernacle23 before all the people; and the Lord said unto Moses, "How long will this people provoke me?... and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they." Moses prayed to the Lord not to destroy them. God then said that none of the men who came out of Egypt, 'except Caleb and Joshua, should enter Canaan3, he said they 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 a plague. The next day the people marched towards Canaan, contrary to God's will. They were met by the Amalekites and Canaanites, who defeated them and slew many of them. The Lord permitted the Israelites to be thus punished for their disobedience. While the Israelites continued in the Wilderness af Paran,9 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 up Dathan and Abiram ; and 'fire came and devoured 250 men who offered incense with Korah. The next day the people began to rebel, God sent a plague among them, and 14,700 died. In accordance with 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, and no other, to be priests. EXPLANATIONS. congregation-assembly; the twelve tribes constituted but one body of worshippers. a captain-the proposal to appoint a leader instead of Moses was a practical rejection of Him who had chosen Moses, and a renunciation too of all interest in Canaan. except Caleb and Joshua-they, and they only, of all that were now above twenty years old, should survive the years of wandering, and live to enter Canaan. God hereby confirmed their testimony, and put those to confusion who had spoken of stoning them. turn back-What a lesson on unbelief! The Israelites are turned back into" the waste howling wilderness" from the very borders of their promised inheritance. gathering sticks-no doubt for culinary purposes, which God had expressly forbidden on the sabbath; the people were to bake and seethe what they had occasion for the day before. Ex. xvi. 23. on the sabbath-the observance of the law of the sabbath was a special part of the covenant of Sinai; therefore the offence here recorded was an act of rebellion against the king of Israel. rebelled-Korah led this rebellion, he was jealous of the preference given to the house of Amram, his father's brother, while Dathan and Abiram, of the tribe of Reuben, considered that their birth entitled them to pre-eminence over Moses. opened this judgment was "anew thing," Dathan and Abiram were at a distance from Korah and his company; they went "down quick into the pit," i. e., they were dead and buried in an instant. fire-when the earth opened to swallow up Dathan and Abiram a fire went out from the Lord and consumed Korah and his company, while Aaron who stood near them was preserved alive. rebel-the question raised by the sons of Reuben was one which would quickly stir up the refractory spirit of the people; and they murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, "Ye have killed the peo 14,700 on this occasion Aaron, by the advice of Moses, offered incense as an atonement for the people. "And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.' rod, &c.-the rod was laid up in the ark of the covenant with the tables of the testimony, and the golden pot of manna. See the ark,' Les. 23. almonds-the Hebrew name of the tree indicates its early blossoming, and is used as a figure of watchful care. CONTEMPORARY CHARACTERS. KORAH-one of the chief of the family of Kohath, the second son of Levi; he was envious of the pre-eminence given to Moses and Aaron, the sons of Amram, his father's brother, and he united with the other rebels to humble and degrade them. It appears that the children of Korah were not included in the judgment on their father. DATHAN and ABIRAM-descendants of Reuben, Jacob's eldest son; they were jealous of the preference shown to the descendants of Levi, who was the third son of Jacob. Les. 14. ON-also a chief of the tribe of Reuben; he is only once mentioned; probably he repented. QUESTIONS. What practical effect had the discouraging representations of the unfaithful spies upon the people? How did the remonstrance of the two faithful spies affect them? Point out to me the justice of the severe decree of God against the people. Of what was their punishment a solemn warning? What sin did they next plunge into? What was their punishment? ple of the LORD." Distrust in God is one of the great sources of unhappiness; it was so with the Israelites, it is so with us, as if God dellghted in the trials and sufferings of his servants, while his thoughts towards them are " thoughts of peace, and not of evil.” We learn here that man is slow to comprehend the character of God as a God of infinite justice as well as holiness. We see that sabbath-breaking was regarded as a great offence, it is so now; it was then summarily punished, it is not so now, "because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily." The awful example of the rebels in this lesson warns us not to go with those who "despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities"; remembering that it is said, "Whosoever... resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God." 27. Moses displeases God. Aaron dies. The Fiery Serpents. Numb. xx., xxi. xxxiii. 39. Then came the whole congregation26 of Israel to "Kadesh, in the **Wilderness of Zin; here Miriam died and was buried. At this place there was no water for the congregation; and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his 'water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. ...And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice; and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron; Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." Moses sent messengers to the king of **Edom, to ask him to allow the Israelites to pass through his land; saying, “We will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells; we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders." And Edom said, "Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the 'sword." The people then journeyed to "Mount Hor. Here Aaron died, and his son, Eleazar, was appointed23 high priest. The Israelites again rebelled against God and against Moses. God punished them by sending fiery serpents among them, and much people of Israel died. The people acknowledged that they had sinned, and asked Moses to pray unto the Lord to take away the serpents from them. Moses prayed for the people. He was then directed to make a brazen serpent and put it on a pole, that all those who had been bitten by the fiery serpents, when they looked up to the brazen serpent might be healed. The Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, asking leave to pass through his land; but he and Og, the king of **Bashan, came against Israel with their armies. Their armies were defeated, and themselves slain. The Israelites 'took possession of their countries, and cities, from the "River Arnon to Mount Gilead,13 and all Bashan. GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. Kadesh-the place in the wilderness of Zin, at which Miriam died. Wilderness of Zin-that portion of Arabia Petrea which extended between the eastern arm of the Red Sea, and the Sea of the Plain. Edom-the country to the south of Canaan, called also 'Idumea.' Les. 11. Mount Hor-in Arabia Petrea on the borders of Edom. It is said to be the highest of the mountains of Seir. Amorites-descendants of Emer (Amor) a son of Canaan (Les. 5.) they lived east of the Dead Sea; and were a people of great stature and courage. Bashan-a fertile district of Canaan, east of Jordan and the Sea of Galilee; it was celebrated for its oaks, its pastures, and its cattle. River Arnon-rises in the mountains of Gilead and falls into the Dead Sea; it divided the country of the Amorites from that of the Moabites. |