The Journey of the Spies.

NUMBERS xiii., xiv.

"Willie's birthday "-The Israelites doing as they liked-First view of Canaan-Doubt and unbelief-Sending of the spies -Their starting-The forty days -Return-The bunch of grapes-The spies' story-Fears of the people-Two against ten-The "might" not with the "right"-Wicked proposal of the people-Moses and Aaron in trouble-Appearance of the LORD-Forty years of wandering for forty days of sin— Reward of the faithful two.

I RECOLLECT reading a story about a little boy named Willie, who was very anxious, just for once, to be allowed to do exactly as he liked. He had kind parents, who knew that this would not be good for him; but, as he wished it so very much, they said at last, that for one day he might have his own way. It was his birthday, and Willie, I believe, got up an hour earlier than usual, that the happy time he was expecting might be as long as ever he could make it. But as the day went on, poor Willie began to find that he had been quite mistaken. He got into all sorts of troubles and difficulties; nothing seemed to go right; there was nobody to help him or tell him what to do; and his very first words to his dear mother, the next

morning, were, "I am sure I shall never wish to do as I like again, unless I ask you first, and you say that you like me to do it too." "Then," said mamma, "Willie has had a lesson given him, better than all his presents, on his birth. day."

Now, the subject to-day shows us how God's people, the Israelites, once were allowed by him to do as they liked, and what came of it. They had nearly finished their long journey. They had travelled from Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, gone down into the wilderness of Sinai, where God had given them his holy law; and now, after eighteen months' pilgrimage, we seem to hear the joyful cry from the people, "The wilderness is passed!" Yes! they have made their painful way from the long, rocky, flinty road among the mountains, the hills have opened out into a broad sandy plain; the sand has by-and-bye changed into a firm path of earth and clay; patches of grass lie here and there, which the cattle begin to crop eagerly, and where the little children can lie down to rest; shrubs and trees appear in small clumps—a pleasant shade under which to pitch their tents; and far before the people's resting-place there is a glorious prospect of a green valley, dotted over with vineyards, with the tops of blue hills stretching on into the distance. It is CANAAN. Mothers lift their children to see the fair land that is now so near. Home! home! at last! is

the glad cry all through the camp. Surely, the thought of all will be, "Let us go up and seek our rest. Soon the pillar of cloud will move; then away, away to the promised land!" For God had said that it should be theirs. His word was certain and true; what doubt could there be? But no; listen to what some of the Israelites are saying, "We are very near this Canaan now, but we do not know what sort of a country it is; we had better send up a few men, to go over it secretly and quietly, and to bring us word again about it."

What! could they not trust to God? He had led them through many an unknown wilderness and mountain-pass during those eighteen months. Had he not taken care of them? Had the pillar of cloud and fire ever led them into danger or trouble? Ah! we can think of all this for the Israelites; what a wonder they did not think of it for themselves! But they were set upon this plan of their own, and God let them have their way." * Moses had said to the people, "Let us go up now and possess the land." they would not, until the men they wished to send had gone up first. And God said, "Send twelve men, one from each tribe." We have just read the names; there were twelve in all, Joshua, Caleb, and ten others.

*

But

Let us try and fancy we see them starting.

That the above is the true account of the matter, the reader will see by a comparison of Deut. i. 19-23 with Numb. xiii. 1–3.

Their staves are in their hands, leathern waterbottles over their shoulders, their dresses bound tightly round them. Their last meal of manna, for some time, is eaten. To-morrow they hope to find another kind of food in Canaan. It is a dangerous journey on which they are going; they must be very careful not to let it be known by the people of the land who they are, or what they have come for. Before they set out they have a long talk with Moses, who tells them what they had best do from day to day. Then, "Good bye; good bye; a pleasant journey, and a safe return!" are heard on all sides. The people stand at their tent doors, along the road, underneath the trees, and crowd each little height in that broad plain of Kadesh, until the forms of the travellers seem small in the distance, and they pass out of sight. Then I can imagine one saying to another, "What a good plan we have contrived! For once we are wiser than Moses. He wanted us to go up at once, you know. Now, before we start really to go into Canaan, we shall know what sort of a place Canaan is, and all about it."

Ah! my children, suppose some one had whispered to those proud, wilful people, in the midst of all their clever plans, "Not one of you will ever set your foot in Canaan. Not one! You may live on yet for years and years, but until you die, the wilderness will be your only home." Would they not have been astonished?

Yet, all that, and worse, was to come to pass, because they would not trust to God, but were set upon having their own way.

Forty days passed on-nearly six long weeks. It was time for the twelve men, spies, as they were called, to be coming back. But nothing had been heard from them. Had they been able to get into the country as they wished? Or, had the people of the land seized upon them, taken them prisoners, or put them to death? The Israelites began to get very restless and anxious. Every day thousands of eyes are turned towards the broad fair plain and the faroff blue hills. At last there is a cry, "They come!" Hundreds rush out to meet them. "Well, well, what tale have you to tell us?" "Oh, stay, we are very weary." "Yes, let us first go back to Moses and the camp." So a great crowd may be seen moving on from all sides towards the tabernacle, where Moses and Aaron are already waiting. That great bunch of grapes, which two of them carry on a staff between their shoulders, astonishes everybody. Why the grapes are as large as plums! Would not the little children like a bite? But never had any of the people seen such fruit in all their lives. So, on they go together, until the great bunch is safely hung up somewhere for all to see it, and we think we hear the cry of "Hush, hush, hush," as it runs through the crowd, and as the spies begin to speak.