Numbers 14

Chap. XIV. Ver. 1—25. The people murmur and rebel, and are excluded from Canaan.—Of a generation so prone to murmuring, we cannot be surprised to hear that they were excited to disobedience by such a report; but that, after the miracles they had seen, and with the pillar of cloud before their eyes, they should dare to accuse the Lord of bringing them into the wilderness to perish, is, indeed, the height of impiety, and might well provoke him to discard, and even to destroy them. But the pleading of Joshua and Caleb is truly tender and affecting. “If the Lord delight in us,” say they, “then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread for us: their defence”

—the providence that hitherto had shaded and protected them —‘is departed from them, and Jehovah is with us:’—our shade on our right hand—(therefore) “‘fear them not.’ Thus the Christian, under all his trials, encourages himself “in the Lord his God !” “True Christian fortitude,” says Bishop Hall, ‘teaches us not to regard the number or quality of the opponents, but the equity of the cause; and cares not to stand alone, and challenge all comers; and if it could be opposed by as many words as men, it may be overborne, but it cannot be daunted: whereas popularity carries away weak minds, and teaches the safety of erring with a multitude. Caleb saw the giantly Anakims, and the walled city, as well as the rest; and yet he says, * Let us go up and possess it:’ as if it were no more but to go, and see, and conquer.

Faith is courageous, and makes nothing of those dangers wherewith others are quelled. It is very material with what eyes we look upon all objects. Fear doth not more multiply evils than Faith diminisheth them; which is, therefore, bold, because either it sees not, or contemns that terror which fear represents to the weak. There is none so valiant as the believer.” The reply to this conciliating advice, is to visiters. Moses and Aaron fall, therefore, the Lord, who threatens not only to disinherit, but also to destroy the rebels. Moses, the Lord—not for any merit on their part, but for his name’s sake, and for the greatness of his mercy; and he pleads not in vain; they are spared, but debarred from ever entering the promised land.

Joshua and Caleb, however, i threaten to stone the adon their faces before as often before, pleads for them before are excepted, and their nifies all heart, seems to have been given him for his ze and courage. ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.” ((Psalms 31:24).) Ver. 26—45. The sentence pronounced of exclusion from Canaan.—It was now, as the apostle states, that the Lord sware in his wrath, “They shall not enter into my rest:” and to whom did this refer, ‘but to them that believed not? Let us therefore fear,” lest we also should “‘ come short through unbelief.” (Heb. iii, 11, 18.; iv. 1.) The proper improvement of melan- Ver. 24. Caleb. LG AOL oes > 11S eS OR ee.

hath followed me fully.—t{Caleb had another choly events like these, is to take heed that we fall not into the same error and the same judgment. But how perverse is human nature! though neither Moses nor Aaron, Joshua nor Caleb, could prevail upon them to go up to attack the Canaanites, no sooner are they forbidden to go, and ordered to turn back, than the next morning they rise up early to the assault; and though Moses conjures them not to go, because the Lord had left them, they persevered, and were overthrown. But there is one expression in this part of the chapter which seems to require some explanation. We read, (ver. 34.) ‘Ye shall know my breach of promise,” which appears to us a very improper rendering, for there is no word in the original answering to the word “promise.”

The text is literally, “Ye shall know my failure.” In ver. 3, the rebellious Israelites had charged Jehovah with bringing them into the borders of Canaan for their destruction; the Lord says, they shall wander in the wilderness to the end of their days—some of them for forty years reckoning from their leaving Egypt; and he says, ‘Ye shall bear your iniquities forty years, and ye shall know,” that is, experience shall teach you the cause of my failure, that it originated with yourselves: the promise was conditional, and your conduct has released me from it. Such seems the most natural sense, and is most generally received: but it is proper to add, all the ancient versions read “Ye shall know my indignation.”

Whichever sense we adopt, we may make this general remark, that the promises of God are faithful but if we assume them to ourselves unwarrantably, and without due attention to their import, we shall find a failure, and that failure will rest invariably with ourselves. ‘‘Let us hold fast the profession of faith without wavering: He is faithful that (hath) promised.”

Notes on the verses

Chap. XIV. Ver. 4. Let us make a camp.—“Let us give a head.” In Nehemiah we read they did so, ch. ix, 17. A Ver. 9. Their defence is departed.—Hebrew, (literally,) ‘“ Their shadow;” a metaphor highly expressive of protection and support in the sultry meae countries. (See (Psalms 91:1).; lxxxi. 5.; Isaiah xxx. 2.) The Arabs and Persians have the same word (tsa or Zill) to denote the same thing, using these expressions: ‘* May the shadow of thy high See be extended;” ‘‘ May the shadow of thy prosperity be spread over the heads of thy well-wishers !’ “At court, when mention is made of the sultan, his loftiest title, and the most esteemed, (because given to him by the kings of Persia,) is Zill-wilah, shadow of God.”

—Thornton’s Present State of Turkey. Ver. 13. Moses said, &c.—[From this verse to ver. 19. inclusive, we have spirit; not only a bold, generous, courageous, noble, and heroic spirit, but explanation; the words of the earnest intercession of Moses: they need no exp the Spirit and influence of God, which thus raised him above human inquie- His arguments with God, for he did reason and argue with his Maker, are pointed, co: E 1 ent, and respectful; he filled after me;’ God showed him the way he was to take and the line or while they show a heart full of humanity, they evidence the deepest concern conduct he was to pursue, and he filled up this line, and in all things followed for the glory of God.

The argument ad hominem is here used in the most unexceptionable manner, and with the fullest effect. Ver. 25. Now the Amalekites, &c.—It is difficult here to trace the conthe least excuse the sin of Israel, or object to the justice of the awful senexion of these words. Scott would read without the parenthesis; “ The e that such conduct would not consist with the divine truth or tence, or our; Amalekites, &c. dwell in the valley; to-morrow (therefore) turn you,”—and appearance which it would have, and the congoodness; but he pleads the ap go back into the wilderness toward the Red sea. fi struction which the Egyptians and other neighbouring nations would put upon Ver.

34. Breach of promise.—[Altering of my purpose.— Tenooathi, rather, he example of his former it; and he farther pleads the name of the Lord, and t my failure, or disannulling, from noo, to fail, disannul; for as they had broken their engagements, God was no longer held by his covenant.]—Bagster. Pa Se er. 22. All those men which have seen… should seem that the moral effect of miraculous evidence was much less than Ver. 37. Died by the plague.—That is, by a pestilence, of which we have might have been expected. The people that murmured against Moses, had no particulars. [Thus ten of the twelve who searched out the land were he wrought; and our Lord himself tells us, those given the miracles which struck dead by the justice of God, on the spot.

In commemoration of this event, the Jews, to this day, celebrate a fast, on the seventh day of the month Elul.]—Bagster. Ver. 41. Faith can be subdued only by the grace of God. Ver. 44, But presumed to go up unto.—[This miserable people, a short time ago, thought that, though Omnipotence was with them, they could not conquer and possess the land! Now they imagine, that though God himself is not with them, yet they shall be sufficient to drive out the inhabitants, and take possession of their country! Man is ever supposing he can do all things, or do nothing; he is therefore sometimes presumptuous, and at other times in despair.

|—Bagster,