And afterward the people journeyed from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran. And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Send thou men, that they may search out the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel. Ye shall send a man of every tribe of his fathers, each a prince among them. And Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran: according to the commandment of Jehovah, all of them heads of the children of Israel (13:1-4).
If we had only this portion of scripture bearing on the subject we should probably form a wrong impression, for we get the Lord speaking to Moses: “Send thou men that they may search the land of Canaan;” and yet their act of going up was unbelief, though God sent them. In Deuteronomy 1, we are shown the root of the matter (vss. 19-21). We get God first at the Red Sea telling them to “stand still and see the salvation of God,” and then telling them to “go forward.” Now being brought to Kadesh-barnea, with the land before them, they are told to “go up and possess it.”
If we turn to Genesis 15 we shall see the land given to Abraham; and when he wanted to know how he should possess it, God let him know it was confirmed unto him by sacrifice. It was a covenant of pure grace. But they could not then have it in possession though it was given and confirmed to them, because God never judges unripened evil; and “the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full.” When He deals with the earth after the church is gone, we are told “the harvest of the earth is ripe.” When the deluge was sent, God waited a hundred and twenty years after announcing the judgment, and that period is called God’s longsuffering. He allowed evil to get thoroughly ripe. So the descendants of Abraham are shown in Genesis 15 that they have to go down to Egypt (vs. 13). There was to be a time of trial (the smoking furnace); but a time of salvation (the lamp that burneth) would succeed (vs. 17). They would be delivered from the smoking furnace.
And the iniquity of the Amorites was full now. God had brought Israel there. Deuteronomy 1:2,2(There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.) (Deuteronomy 1:2) tells us it was eleven days’ journey from the Red Sea to Kadesh-barnea. And they were forty years before they entered the land! I daresay there is something corresponding to that in the experience of most Christians; ―a very long time before they learn to have a heavenly experience.
The account of their entrance into the land is given in Joshua; and that corresponds with Ephesians. It was a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands; the eyes of the Lord rested there always. It drank water of the rain of heaven, and Deuteronomy 8 tells of seven blessings belonging to it. So in Ephesians we are told that Christians (saints now) are “blessed with all spiritual blessings (these were earthly blessings) in heavenly places in Christ,” The best blessings, in the best place, God has given to those who now through grace are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
So it says (Deut. 1:2222And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come. (Deuteronomy 1:22)): “Ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search out the land,” etc. They had stood still, and had gone forward; but now they would not go up. It was unbelief. In the next chapter they wanted to go up, and He said, “Go not.” In unbelief they would not go up in this chapter; in unbelief they did go up, and were defeated. It shows how very needful obedience is.
The majority of people would tell you sanctification follows justification. But of course, in speaking of practical sanctification it goes right through a Christian’s life. It must be so, because we are walking through a defiling scene. But the most important aspect of sanctification is that given in 1 Peter 1:22Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2) and 1 Corinthians 6:1111And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11). Directly a real work of grace is begun by God in a soul, that soul is set apart, sanctified, to the obedience of Christ (that character of obedience) as well as to the value of His precious blood.
So this brings before our souls the importance of obedience. Moses did not detect the wrong; but the root of sending the spies was the unbelief in the heart of the people. So we are warned, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” It is a real thing, very real.
Then Deuteronomy recounts what we have here. If God gave them a land they ought to know it would be a good land. Besides, He had described it. They need not want to know anything more than they had from God Himself. And if He told them to possess it, they ought not to question He would enable them to do so.
But it says in Corinthians, some “comparing themselves with themselves are not wise.” They were comparing themselves with the sons of Anak. Those who brought back an evil report regarded themselves as grasshoppers. They would have been saved from such a thought if they had brought in God. “With God all things are possible;” and “all things are possible to him that believeth.” Even Job in his day said, “I know Thou canst do everything.”
Of course we have wonderful testimonies to it in different parts. When the remnant was brought back from the Babylonish captivity they were very few and very weak; and it looked as if they would not be able to build the temple. The great power then was the Persian, for the Babylonish power had been destroyed; the arms and breast of silver had taken the place of the head of gold; and the question is asked, “Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain.” A mountain is such a stable thing, perhaps the most stable thing in creation, with its great base; yet God could make it a plain if it stood in the way of His earthly people.
We always ought to bring God in: “Have faith in God.” In Isaiah 41:14,14Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 41:14) we read, “Fear not, thou worm Jacob,” which is meant to express human weakness. Our blessed Saviour, when crucified in weakness, says, “I am a worm and no man.” So here God shows He can take a worm to thresh a mountain; and this is written to encourage our faith. I do not think we need so much to ask to have our faith increased, as to make a right use of the faith God has given us. The disciples felt they would need great faith to carry out the Lord’s instruction, so they said, “Increase our faith;” and the Lord said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Mustard seed is called the smallest of all seeds (all cultivated seed; not all in creation); so the Lord says, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed.” So the great thing is to use the faith He has given. If we do plead for more faith, it is tantamount to asking for more trial, for faith must be tried: “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold which perisheth, though it be tried with fire, may be found unto praise, and honor, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” Let us then lea in to bring God in, and have faith in God about everything.
We said just now, Ephesians corresponds with Joshua; and when they went in, they had to meet these giants and these cities. If a Christian was really desirous of entering into the portion he has with Christ in the heavenlies, he would be the one who would meet the power of Satan. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but... against wicked spirits in heavenly places.” It is a real conflict; and we have no strength for that conflict at all. We are wholly cast on God for it, and have to put on the whole armor of God. And first, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” His power is limitless. “With God all things are possible.” We have to be strong in that I would speak of two things; the breastplate of righteousness. and the shield of faith. You cannot make progress unless yet?
have on the whole armor of God; but these two pieces are of special importance. Many confound that breastplate with the righteousness which we have of God. That is Christ, “Who of God is made unto us... righteousness.” That is true, but this is practical righteousness. “I do herein exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense towards God and towards men.” If we have anything on our conscience, if we realize we are pursuing a path not pleasing to the Lord, we have not on the breastplate of righteousness; and that exposes us to Satan’s attacks. He will take advantage of that.
“The shield of faith;” (this was not a buckler worn on the forearm, but one that covered the whole body);” able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” See what injury those fiery darts would do the body unless extinguished by the shield of faith. Never let us lose that. Satan takes every advantage, sometimes of physical weakness; and if the breastplate and shield are lowered he will take advantage of it. He knows he cannot pluck us out of the Lord’s hand. We have sure security and a sure destiny. But while this is true, it is possible for Satan to have power to do us injury.
Here the Lord granted their request but sent leanness into their souls. So that is a lesson for us, to be careful what we ask for. It is a very dangerous thing to ask God for what we naturally like. We had that previously. They got tired of the manna, and wanted flesh. That ought to prepare us for this. The root of the matter was in their had state. If we only had this chapter it would look as if it emanated from God. Deuteronomy shows us it emanated from the people, and their bad moral state.
God knew exactly what they would have to meet with, the giants, the walled cities, etc. When they got over Jordan they went to Gilgal, where the reproach of Egypt was rolled away, and they were circumcised. They gave up their natural defense then, and had to rely on God for their protection.
Then they kept the Passover. That shows it was exactly forty years from the time they kept the Passover in Egypt till they kept it in the land. They were wandering in the wilderness forty years for their sin, ―the sin of despising the pleasant land (Psa. 106:2424Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: (Psalm 106:24)). The three great sins of the wilderness were the worshipping of the golden calf; loathing the manna; and despising the pleasant land. It was because of the last they were kept forty years, a year for a day, in the wilderness. This is called the “provocation” in Psalms 95:7, 87For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, 8Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: (Psalm 95:7‑8). A searching word for us; “Harden not your hearts.”
I take it we all have been where we have had to stand still and see the salvation of God. If they were sheltered by the blood in Exodus 12. from the stroke of judgment there was nothing of resurrection there. In the Red Sea we get death and resurrection; the death of Christ for us. In the Jordan we get our death with Christ. He has exhausted all the wrath. We were in Egypt, and the word was, “Go forward;” and we have been brought out into the wilderness.
“This world is a wilderness wide,
I have nothing to seek or to choose;
I’ve no thought in the waste to abide,
I’ve naught to regret or to lose.”
It has that character for the believer. There is nothing here to minister to that which is born from above. Well, God has said to us now, “Go up.” Are we content with wilderness experience? We shall have it all the time we are here.
“There shall all clouds depart,
The wilderness shall cease.”
Beyond the wilderness there is the rest that remaineth for the people of God. But then we are heavenly ones. “As is the Heavenly, such are they also who are heavenly.” A Christian may say, “I don’t set myself up to be heavenly;” but you are heavenly. “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.” And you ought to have a heavenly experience. They possessed what they put their foot on; and the word to all of us is, “Go up and possess.” We want spiritual energy for it, and that the Lord will enable us to go up.
When they came back after being up in the land forty days, they brought back that wonderful bunch of grapes from Eshcol; but only two out of the twelve brought back a good report; ten brought an evil report. Two had faith, and ten had no faith; they left God out.
It may seem strange that so much is said about Caleb rather than Joshua; but Joshua is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ in the energy of the Holy Ghost. The first time he is brought before us is when Amalek came out in Exodus 17; and Moses, Aaron, Hur, and Joshua, all four, in that scene of battle between Israel and Amalek, were types of Christ. It takes all four to typify Him; and then it is only the shadow, and not the very image. The Intercessor is Moses; the High Priest is Aaron; we see the Advocate in Hur, and in Joshua, Christ the Leader leading His people to victory in the energy or the Holy Ghost. We have an Intercessor able to save to the very end, “all along the way” (Heb. 7:2525Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)). But we get no restoration in Hebrews. The priesthood of Christ is brought out there; and priesthood is not for restoration. It is to help us and succor us. He is able to sympathize with us, able to save to the end. Those that fall away in Hebrews are apostates, and never were true believers. But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition.”
But then Hur would represent the Advocate or Paraclete (1 John 2:11My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1)). There you get recovery; communion interrupted and restored. He is the Intercessor with God, not the Father. He is the Advocate with the Father, not with God. “If any man sin” it does not rob him of his relationship; He is still “the Father.”
About Joshua I say this, because I think that is why Caleb has prominence here. Caleb means, “all heart.” That is what the Lord Jesus was. Even God says in the Old Testament “My son, give Me thine heart.” A sinner is never told to give his heart to God. Preachers often say so; but there is nothing in scripture to warrant it. It is not what we bring, nor what we give up, but what we receive that makes the difference. So it says, “My son, give Me thine heart.” There is relationship; that is for the believer. So when the man said to the Lord, “Suffer me first to go and bury my father,” showing he loved his father and would like to do all he could for him, the Lord would not have a divided heart. He says, “Let the dead bury their dead.” Oh, to have more heart for Him whose heart is always true to us!
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up boldly and possess it, for we are well able to do it. But the men that went up with him said, we are not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we (13:31, 32).
Unbelief says, “We be not able to go up,” but Caleb says, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.” He knew what God could do. It is exactly the same with us, you see. It is not simply difficulties, but impossibilities that God can remove. The Lord tells His disciples, “It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” People try to tone that down, and speak of what is called a needle’s eye in the east; but it is really a needle’s eye, and an impossibility.
The disciples raised the question, “Who then can be saved?” for they thought, as Jews, a rich man was in a far better position to please God than a poor man. Because in the case of the voluntary offerings a rich man could bring a bullock, whereas a poor man might only be able to bring two doves or young pigeons. The Lord said, “With men it is impossible.” It is interesting too, to see that the beginning of the very next chapter tells us of a rich man saved.
It is not exactly corresponding with the subject before us, but it is interesting to note that when they said the Lord had gone to be guest with a man that was a sinner, Zaccheus said, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor.” I take it, he gave the half of his income to the poor; “and if at any time I have taken anything from any man” (in the course of his business as tax collector), “by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” Evangelists, very often take that up as a witness of a real work of God in the man’s soul, but that is not it. There is nothing to do, nothing to pay, nothing to promise. That was the usual habit of Zaccheus, but it had never brought him salvation. “This day is salvation come to this house.” What had happened on that day? He had received Christ. Therefore it was not what Zaccheus had done; not his past, nothing could be mixed at all with it; it was only that day salvation had come.
Then there is a voice to us as believers. Do not let us give a false report of the land. Our lives ought to commend the land. We ought to have a heavenly experience, and others ought to see that is a very, very blessed thing. If a man talking about being in communion, and occupied with heavenly things was full of gloom, he would bring back an evil report. Let us rather bring back the grapes of Eshcol!
And they brought to the children of Israel an evil report of the land which they had searched out, saying, The land, which we have passed through to search it out, is a land that eateth up its inhabitants; and all the people that we have seen in it are men of great stature; and there have we seen giants―the sons of Anak are of the giants,―and we were in our sight as grasshoppers, and so we were also in their sight (13:33, 34).
It was through unbelief, ―leaving God out entirely. What a contrast between the two testimonies, ― their’s and Caleb’s!
Now Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt (13:23).
We did not look at that parenthesis in verse 23. I suppose most people would dispose of that by saying it is only an historical fact; but we must remember it is part of the inspired word of God, which is unburdened of all superfluity. It is impossible for God to give us anything unnecessary. If we look at “seven years,” they form a complete cycle of time: every seventh year was a sabbatical year.
I have not a doubt there is something for us to learn in the meaning of the names. Hebron means “fellowship,” “society.” It has an important place in the early books of the Bible, but no place at all in the prophetical books, or in the New Testament.
Egypt is a well-known type of the world. We get Egypt, Babylon, and Sodom as types of the world in the Old Testament, the world in different aspects. Perhaps Egypt is the most striking of all; it is the world in which we were poor slaves and needed deliverance, and that is what the Lord did for us: “Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.”
And Zoan was, under one or two of their dynasties, the capital of Lower Egypt. It is connected here with Egypt. I feel there is a volume of teaching in what is presented to us. Zoan means (according to Dr. Adam Clarke), “moving,” never still. That would be just the character of the world. “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” “The wicked are like the troubled sea, which cannot be quiet;” all commotion and confusion.
The first mention of Hebron is in Genesis 13:1818Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. (Genesis 13:18). It was a place of worship, a place of communion with God. Being built before Zoan would show that the things for the saints of God precede anything and everything of the world. It was in Hebron Abram was told of the birth of Isaac. It was there God visited him in Genesis 18. It was there that he bought the field of Machpelah as a burying place. It was from thence they got the grapes of Eshcol. And it was there that faithfulness was rewarded, for it was given as an inheritance to Caleb. “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
It is interesting in Judges 1 to see these very ones, these giants that unbelief made so much of, and that filled them with sorrow and made them despise the pleasant land, ―are there still when they go into the land (vs. 20). The very ones are mentioned there who filled them with fear here.
When we come to the kingdom, after the death of Saul, the king of man’s choice (for “He gave them a king in His anger and took him away in His wrath”), the man after God’s own heart was established, and it was at Hebron he was anointed king over all Israel. So it is the reigning place of God’s king (2 Sam. 21). It is worth searching out; there is a lot of teaching in it.
And it says in Psa. 78:43,43How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan: (Psalm 78:43) about Zoan, “He wrought His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the field of Zoan.” There God displayed His power on behalf of those He came down to deliver. We are told in Isa. 19:11,11Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? (Isaiah 19:11) “Surely the princes of Zoan are fools;” and this would remind us of what is said in Corinthians 2:8: “None of the princes of this world knew, for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;” they acted as fools. The end of Zoan is judgment. In Ezek. 30:14,14And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No. (Ezekiel 30:14) it says, “I will... set fire in Zoan;” it was to be devoted to judgment.
With all this before us we see a deep meaning in that parenthesis. Things we are tempted to pass over often contain a lot of precious truth; and things that are perplexing in scripture, and that we can make nothing out of, often are found to contain something very sweet, if the soul waits on the Lord about it.
This tells us that in communion God’s purposes are made known. Before the world was, God had His own purposes. If we look at 1 Peter 1:20,20Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (1 Peter 1:20) it tells us that Christ “verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world.” So God had His purposes before the foundation of the world was made. I think it is striking that it brings you up to the kingdom. The “mystery” you could not expect to find in the Old Testament; but you find the reigning day.