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Education
equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.”
Deuteronomy 10:8
;
Malachi 2:5, 6
.
The appointed ministers of the sanctuary, the Levites received no
landed inheritance; they dwelt together in cities set apart for their use,
and received their support from the tithes and the gifts and offerings
devoted to God’s service. They were the teachers of the people, guests
at all their festivities, and everywhere honored as servants and repre-
sentatives of God. To the whole nation was given the command: “Take
heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest
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upon the earth.” “Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren;
the Lord is his inheritance.”
Deuteronomy 12:19
;
10:9
.
By Faith to Conquest
The truth that as a man “thinketh in his heart, so is he” (
Proverbs
23:7
), finds another illustration in Israel’s experience. On the borders
of Canaan the spies, returned from searching the country, made their
report. The beauty and fruitfulness of the land were lost sight of
through fear of the difficulties in the way of its occupation. The cities
walled up to heaven, the giant warriors, the iron chariots, daunted
their faith. Leaving God out of the question, the multitude echoed the
decision of the unbelieving spies, “We be not able to go up against the
people; for they are stronger than we.”
Numbers 13:31
. Their words
proved true. They were not able to go up, and they wore out their lives
in the desert.
Two, however, of the twelve who had viewed the land, reasoned
otherwise. “We are well able to overcome it” (
Numbers 13:30
), they
urged, counting God’s promise superior to giants, walled cities, or
chariots of iron. For them their word was true. Though they shared with
their brethren the forty years’ wandering, Caleb and Joshua entered
the Land of Promise. As courageous of heart as when with the hosts
of the Lord he set out from Egypt, Caleb asked for and received as his
portion the stronghold of the giants. In God’s strength he drove out the
Canaanites. The vineyards and olive groves where his feet had trodden
became his possession. Though the cowards and rebels perished in the
wilderness, the men of faith ate of the grapes of Eschol.
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No truth does the Bible set forth in clearer light than the peril of
even one departure from the right—peril both to the wrongdoer and to