Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Just have a few thoughts on my heart, brethren, from the book of Numbers. It was referred to this morning in the meeting, and I'd just like to speak a few words in connection with the visit of the spies to the Promised Land. Numbers chapter 13 and verse 17. And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them.
Get you up this way southward and go up into the mountain.
See the land what it is, what it is, and the people that dwell 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 strongholds. And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood there in or not.
And be of good courage and bring of the fruit of the land.
Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes.
Of the 23rd verse. And they came unto the brook of Ashkal, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bear it between two upon a staff. And they brought of the pomegranates and of the figs. And the place was called the Brooke Ashcall, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from fence. And they returned from searching of the land after 40 days.
And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel.
Under the wilderness of Peron to Kadish, and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land, whither thou sentest us, And surely it floweth with milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it.
I'd just like to speak first of all of this good lamb that God was about to give to His people and then to see the effect of the report that they brought back. I believe we could say that there are four different ways that this message was received. It was received by two of the spies as a real encouragement.
Sustained them through their whole wilderness journey, and then ten of the ten of the.
Ones who went up, why, they brought back a message of discouragement, and discouraged a great many others. Then because of this, it tells us about the Lord saying to Moses that he would smite the nation, and that he would take up Moses and make of him a great nation.
And then we see in the end an attempt by some to go up and possess the land.
In their own strength. So I believe it's wonderful that we can think of this blessed truth that's brought before us here in connection with the land of Canaan. I believe what we have had before us in the Epistle to the Colossians really occupies us with that land. We read the verse, the hope which is laid up for us in heaven. And then we also know in Ephesians it tells us that we are blessed with.
Spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ and what a blessed privilege it is.
That we can explore some of these wonderful things in the meetings. We can be together and enjoy these wonderful truths that God has revealed to us in His word. And I believe, brethren, that has gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus, what a rich deposit of truth has been given to us. What a wonderful recovery that has been brought before us in the end of the church's history. How it ought to thrill our hearts as we think.
Of how richly we are blessed if we were to go back to the early days of the Church's history.
There couldn't be a gathering of this kind. The New Testament hadn't been written. They couldn't sit there with the Bible upon their knees. But isn't it a wonderful thing that we can sit here in the very end of the churches history, with the open Bible before us, God's full revealed mind?
Spirit has recovered these precious truths and brought them before us.
And as our brother said to us in the young people's meeting, what a marvelous thing that we're living in such a time as this. We often speak of these difficult times, but it's good for us to think of these blessed Times Now, this period when the Lords coming is so near.
At this time in the church's history when God has recovered these precious things for us.
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And as it was mentioned in connection with Josiah, now that was near the end of the history of the two kingdoms. And yet we see there that there was a Passover kept, and it says it was greater than what had been kept in the past, in spite of the fact that it was at the very end. God blessed His people, as He delights to do.
And so here we find that when these spies went back, they went returned, I should say.
As our brother brought before us this morning, they brought back a good word, and they showed the fruit of the land. And oh surely as we sit in these meetings and think of these blessed things, all how it ought to fill our hearts with thankfulness and praise to know now that we're blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ.
To know that we are members of the body of Christ, that we can gather in God's appointed way.
Around the Lord Jesus to know to the precious truth of the Church.
And oh, how many things we can enter into and enjoy.
It's truly like this land. It was a land flowing with milk and honey. Well, this report that the 12 spies brought back must have been a great cheer and encouragement as they told it and as they showed the fruit. Just one bunch of grapes and it took two men to carry it. Had ever such a bunch of grapes been displayed before?
And surely, I say, our hearts ought to be filled with thankfulness.
But we find that when they heard this good report and when they saw the fruit of the land, it moved them in one sense. But we find that some of them began to think about the difficulties. They said, oh, it's a good land. It truly is a land flowing with milk and honey. But oh, the cities are great.
There are high walls. The people are giants.
And I believe that many of us who in the goodness of God have been gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus would surely say, oh, how thankful we should be for the truth that has been given to us. And many of you, dear young people, can say, as you meet your friends at school and speak to them about the Lord Jesus, I'm sure you've been impressed.
By the things that you have learned.
In comparison to the little that they know of the truth of God.
I can say that for myself, when as a young man I went out to work, I didn't realize what a privilege I had had in sitting in the meetings until I met Christians at work. And when I began to talk to them why, I began to realize how richly I had been blessed, how much truth God had made known to those who were gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
And it filled my heart with thankfulness. But then.
As I said, I wanted to speak of the result of this report, and it tells us here about these spies that were so discouraged. And perhaps as you come to the meeting, you say, well, the truth that is given out is wonderful, but oh, there are so many difficulties and it's so hard to walk in the path.
There are so many discouragements and our meetings aren't just exactly what they should be.
And so we look at the high walls, we look at the giants.
And we see all the problems, and we allow our hearts to become so discouraged.
And that is exactly what happened with ten of these spies. And so if there are any here this afternoon and that's the way you feel.
Oh, I would beg of you to realize that although there are difficulties, we can never, never expect that the enemy is going to leave a testimony alone that wants to walk in obedience to the Word of God. I believe we can say that the special target of the enemy's attack are those who seek to walk in obedience to the Word. He will do all he can.
To upset the meetings, to bring in discouragement.
To turn our hearts away from Christ, to look at the difficulties instead of the Lord.
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And so they looked at the difficulties, and they compared themselves to these men of great stature. All they said, when we saw how tall these men were, we felt like grasshoppers beside them. You see, they compared themselves to the difficulties. Have you and I often done this? And we have seen problems come up among God's people, and we saw our own weakness in the presence of these difficulties. And so we.
Perhaps what's the use? It's a wonderful thing to have these precious things, but there are too many problems, too many difficulties. And then to we also see the effect of the report of these ten men when they began to talk about these difficulties. Why? It tells us in the 14th chapter.
And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried.
And the people wept that night, and all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would God we had died in this wilderness? Notice here, instead of being thankful that the Lord was going to bring them in to possess that good land, and to enjoy all that God had in store for.
They not only were discouraged themselves, that is, the spies, but they discourage the rest. And what did the ones who were discouraged do? All they said, Would God? We have died in Egypt. What is Egypt? Well, it's a picture of the world in its glory. And when our hearts become discouraged, it's so easy for us to be turned aside into the world. The world holds out a great attraction.
And when you perhaps feel sad, then you don't perhaps feel encouraged in coming to the meetings like you wish to.
Then perhaps you decide to turn aside to worldly things. Does this profit your soul? Does it really give you any lasting joy? Someone said to a young believer, why? He said, you've taken the Lord as your savior. And he said, remember, you're spoiled for this world. And dear young people, it's true. When you know the Lord is your savior, you just can't enjoy the world.
In the same way as a worldling, and more than this, if you have been gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
This is still more so you can't enjoy the world in the same way if you have known.
What it is to be gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus, you will have a bad conscience. You won't be happy in that pursuit at all. Or perhaps, as here it says, what God we have died in the wilderness. And that is, they wanted to be taken out of all these difficulties and because they lost sight of two things, of God's goodness, His love for his people.
And it tells us in the Psalms they despise.
The pleasant land they believe not his word, and that is they didn't enjoy what was ahead of them and all. I believe that if you and I could get a glimpse of what is ahead of us. I think of the psalmist when he spoke of the difficulties. He said a day and thy courts is better than 1000. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the tents of.
You know, the door keepers Job is not a very pleasant one. Trying to keep out what is not according to the mind of God is not easy in God's assembly. But he said no matter how many difficulties there may be, he said it's better than dwelling in the tents of wickedness. It's better than going on with those things and all. Let me say this, dear friends.
That I believe when we spent one day in the glory above, we'll wonder why we ever lived for the passing things of time. I believe when we have had our first day in heaven.
Will think, can it be that we ever thought this world was worthwhile at all? Did it really have anything worthwhile to offer? No, it doesn't About oh how easy it is to get discouraged. Discouragement is the tool of the enemy, and it tells us in Second Corinthians chapter one that our God is the God of all encouragement.
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So then we see with the 10s spies who saw the good land, who saw those good things.
But looked at the difficulties, instead of counting on God's faithfulness, they themselves became discouraged, they influenced the others, they caused them to be in tears, They caused them in heart to turn back into Egypt. And in reality, if we see as we go on in the chapter that God had to deal then in his government, because it tells us, and it was mentioned to us yesterday, how in First Corinthians 11 it says.
When we are, we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world.
Thank God we are not going to be brought under the world's judgment, but we can come under the chastisement of the House of God. We can have his dealing hand upon us. I've often said a Christian can be the happiest person on earth or he can be the most miserable.
He can be the happiest when he is enjoying his portion, but he can be the most miserable. Yes, more miserable and a person of the world, because the person of the world hasn't had a glimpse of the good things that are in store for the Christian, and the person of the world doesn't have a nature that can enjoy those things.
And so in his measure, he enjoys the things of the world. It says they enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
But it's different with a Christian. He can't enjoy the world in the same way and if he's not enjoying the Lord.
What a miserable person he is. Haven't we met some most unhappy Christians? Oh yes, I believe we have them pictured to us in these 10 spies who got discouraged, who caused all this weeping and sorrow among the people of God.
But then on the other hand, we find that there were two, Caleb and Joshua, and these two, they had gone with the other ten and they had seen the good land, they had seen the giants, they had seen the walled cities. They weren't blind. And God never, never would have us to be blind to the difficulties. Even when he sent them. He said, see whether it's a good land, see whether the people are.
See what kind of cities they live in. God never minimizes difficulties. He tells us really the power of the enemy that's against us. He tells us how weak the flesh is. He tells us about what the world system is like and how it allures our natural hearts. He doesn't in any way minimize these things. And so Caleb and Joshua saw the good land. They also saw the.
But they had their eyes upon the Lord. They believed that the Lord loved his people. They believed that the Lord who was faithful was going to bring his people into that land. And no matter how many problems there were, as they compared every difficulty with the Lord himself.
If the people were in giants and they felt like grasshoppers beside them, those giants were like grasshoppers beside the Lord. If you compare the giants to the Lord, they're small. But if you compare the giant to yourself, he may seem very great. If you think of the high walls, they may seem very, very great and impregnable.
But if you compare them with the one who is above all he that is higher than the highest.
The one who in resurrection said to his doubting disciples, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
All see the difference with these two men and these two men they.
Encourage the people, they did all they could to try and bring before them the two things how good the land was, and that the Lord delighted in His people and that He would most surely bring them in. But then there's something more to notice about Caleb and Joshua when God and his government said that because of this and because of all their murmurings and complaining.
That they were going to have to wander for 40 years in the wilderness.
We find that Caleb and Joshua shared the lot of the failing people of God. Now, I think there's something very beautiful in this. You know, when we see the condition of the people of God, it's very easy for us to either become discouraged or perhaps say, well, there's no use going on with them because.
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There's so little faithfulness, but I think it's very beautiful to see with Caleb and Joshua that they went on through all those 40 years with the people of God.
We never hear them speaking against the people of God. We see them going on with them. And what was it that cheered their hearts in all the problems that arose? We know about Cora and his company and how they rose up.
We know about, we know about Aaron and Miriam and how they rose up and all, just so many things that came in among the people of God. But there was a constancy about these two. What was it that preserved them all? The fact that preserved them was that the Lord loved His people and that in His time He was going to bring them in. And that was what sustained them. That was what enabled them.
If God had taken those two men and brought them in to enjoy the land right away.
Now that would have been in one sense much easier, but to remain all those 40 years with the people of God in all their difficulties and all their mistakes and all their problems was a real test to them. But there was a constancy and there was a joy that filled their hearts through it all. And we find those two men when the time comes to enter the land.
Joshua leads the man, and Caleb goes and possesses a very part of the land where the giants dwell.
All they proved God's faithfulness. And Oh dear friends, what a blessing we can be among the people of God if we keep our eyes upon Christ, if we realize that no matter how many difficulties come in, the Lord is above them all. He's sufficient for every situation, and He, as we often sing His, be the victor's name.
Triumphant Saints no honor claim his conquest was their own.
He is going to bring his own safely through, and we love to look forward to the time when the church will be presented without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
Well then, notice the 11Th verse. Now the tenth verse.
But all the congregation bards stoned them with stones and the glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. That is here were these two men who sought to be faithful. And it says that the congregation bad to stone them with stones. Perhaps I hear someone say, well, I've tried to encourage my brother and I've tried to be a help, but you know a lot of things.
When you try, it's not very pleasant. People say things and do things. Oh, isn't this lovely to see that in spite of all this, these two men went on. And I might mention the meaning of the two names. Joshua means Savior and Caleb means dog. And so those were the only two that entered the land. In what right did Caleb enter the land? Well, in what right does a dog enter a home?
Only in the right of his Master. And so isn't it lovely? The Lord Jesus is the one who is going to bring his people in. We claim no rights in ourselves, but it says that Caleb wholly followed the Lord, and the dog that stays in company with his Master will get into some wonderful places. Oh, how lovely it is. There's no worthiness in ourselves, but let us keep close to the Lord.
But now in the 11Th verse. And the Lord said unto Moses.
Will this people provoke me, and how long will it be here? 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. And now there was to me. I just take this as an opportunity that was given to Moses.
To, so to speak, go on alone. He might have taken this up and said, well, everything's broken down and everything has failed.
And now the Lord has given me the opportunity just to go on alone. He'll take me, and he'll make a great nation out of me. But notice Moses Reply 13th verse And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, For thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land, For they have heard that thou Lord, and among his people.
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That thou, Lord, art seen face to face, that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them by day, by daytime in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if thou will kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak same. Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he swear unto them, Therefore he has.
Them in the wilderness. And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great.
According as thou has spoken, Well, we see that when the Lord said this to Moses, that he could have gone on alone, that God would make of him a great nation. And Moses turns, and he speaks to the Lord about his people, and how that if the Lord didn't bring them in, dishonor would be brought upon his name.
And so I believe that there could perhaps be a lesson. I have found some Christians when difficulties come in.
And I've heard quite a few say these things lately. Oh, I'm just not going to go along anymore. I think I'll just have to go along alone. I think the day of collective testimony is over, brethren. It's not over. It's not over. The Lord has asked us to remember him until he comes. He is going to preserve. It's going to be a weak testimony. Thou hast a little strength and has kept my word. And.
Denied my name. What is it that makes us want to go along alone? Well you remember poor Elijah when he became discouraged, he said I only am left and they seek my life. The Lord said I have 7000 men that have not bowed the knee to the image of bail. What is it that leads us to think of wanting to go along alone?
How we get occupied with ourselves?
With our own faithfulness. But I think it's lovely to see the heart of Moses on this occasion.
He loved the people of God. He sought their good. He didn't minimize the condition of things. He felt it fully, probably felt it more than anyone else in the whole congregation. But isn't it lovely? He sought the glory of God and the blessing of his people. And may you and I, when we feel discouraged at times, when we say or hear, perhaps other people say, oh, I think.
A collective testimony is over. You just have to go along alone. No it isn't, brethren.
The Lord brought the people through, and there was a vast number that crossed that Jordan and entered the land.
But I think it's so lovely to see this on the part of Moses. And let me say this, if you and I.
Have God's heart toward his people. We won't want to go on alone. Or you say that I can enjoy his presence alone? He asked. Moses could have too, and you and I perhaps can enjoy his presence alone. But there are two things that ought to be dear to the child of God, and that is to enjoy the Lords presence individually and to enjoy his presence collectively.
You know on the 28th chapter of Matthew, after the Lord rose from the dead, He appeared in the midst of His own in an appointed place, and he said, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. And there they were gathered around the Lord. He was there, they saw Him.
But then the time came when they must leave that happy place and he said, lo, I am with you always. They enjoyed his presence collectively. Then they enjoyed his presence individually. May this be our portion. May we not be satisfied with just saying, well, I can walk with the Lord alone. Thank God he'll never leave you. Even if you're on the road to a mess, He's not going to leave you. But when they went back, they found the Lord was in the midst of.
At Jerusalem. So we see in the case of Moses that he wouldn't go on alone.
He entered into the thoughts of God toward his people. He saw that the Lords name would be dishonored if there was no such thing as a collective company who would be brought in to inherit that good land that God had promised to his people? And surely the Lord is going to preserve a people according to his mind, Not because of our faithfulness, brethren, but because the Lord is the faithful and true.
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Us, he is faithful that promised. And now we come to the last one and the end of this chapter.
15th 14th of numbers.
Tells us.
On the 40th verse, And they rose up early in the morning, and got them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and we'll go up under the place which the Lord have promised, for we have sinned.
And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? But it shall not prosper going on up. For the Lord is not among you, that she be not smitten before your enemies. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword, because ye are turned away from the Lord. Therefore the Lord will not be with you. But they presume to go up onto the hilltop.
Nevertheless, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.
And Moses departed, not out of the camp. Then the Amalekites came down.
And the Canaanites which dwelled in that hill and smote them and discomforted them.
Even unto Harmon, here we see another company. This is the 4th instance that is brought before us. A company that presumed to go up, not following the instructions of the word of God, not counting upon the Lorde presence among his people.
Without the ark, which was the symbol of God's presence, they said we can do it, we can do it. Oh, here we see another danger, and that is fleshly confidence. Now that confidence that is not of God, that which presumes to do something of ourselves. And here I believe there is a great danger too. And I was thinking, brethren, specially of those of us who in grace have been gathered.
Precious name of the Lord Jesus. And how easy it is when we become discouraged to say, well, there are activities around this, they're doing great things and I think I'll step off and identify myself with some of these other activities where great things are going on. Yes, but Moses said don't go.
That will be disobedience. The ark will not be there, and if you go, you will expose yourself.
To the inhabitants of the land. And you won't, you won't enjoy and possess that good land, that land flowing with milk and honey in that way.
And so it is if you and I, in order to, shall I say, be identified with a great deal of activity and Christendom, leave the path of obedience.
Our, shall I say, more occupied with making a show and seeing what we can do instead of just going on in the path of obedience. It will not be with the Lord's blessing and as one has watched the lives of many a dear.
Brethren who really loved the Lord and see how they have gone off and they have gone into paths that are not according to the word of God. Oh what a loss to their souls. What a compromise of the truth of God. Oh may the Lord keep us. Brethren, the Lords coming is near and I was thinking of how as we come together in this meeting, how the Lord has spoken to our hearts. I believe He has brought before us.
Yesterday, our real state and the need of recognizing and owning it before him.
And in the meeting this morning, he brought before us a little bit of that good land.
He doesn't worry. Let us see the spies return with all the good things. But if he leaves us here until tomorrow, we're going to have to go back home. We're going to have to go to our various assemblies and let us remember these four different attitudes, these four different results as I'm seeing the good things that were for in store for the people of God in the.
I'll mention them again. We find first of all those who, although they saw them, looked at all the difficulties, discouraged the others, and, sad to say, have brought in much weeping and sorrow, instead of being an encouragement to the people of God. And then we find Caleb and Joshua, who although they knew about all these difficulties.
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They spoke about the Lord and how He was able to bring them in and how He would bring them in.
They emphasized what a good land it was, and they didn't occupy their brethren with all.
Giants, and with all the high walls, but with the one who was superior to it all.
And who loved his people? And then the 4th, the third one rather where we see an opportunity perhaps to say, well, it's all over, you just have to go on alone. It's a day when collective testimony has failed. But it's lovely to see Moses saying, Oh no.
The Lord will be faithful to his people. The Lord will undertake, and he didn't want to see his name dishonored. He was going to bring the people in in spite of all the failure and all the weakness that there was. And then last of all.
We should become occupied with other activities, activities that are not according to the mind of God, not in obedience to His Word.
There we find how that Moses distinctly told them not to go. He said the Lord won't go with you. He said the ark won't be there. And he said if you go, you'll just expose yourselves to the enemies who dwell in the land. But they presume to go. They went ahead and they suffered for it. Oh, brethren, surely that prayer that was mentioned in the young people's meeting needs.
The prayer of our hearts, and only individually, but may the Lord keep us too, in the sense of how we need it collectively. Preserve me, oh God, for in thee do I put my trust.