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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and
our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into
Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us
return into Egypt.”
Thus they manifested their disrespect for God and for the leaders
He had appointed to conduct them. They did not ask the Lord what they
should do, but said: “Let us make a captain.” They took matters into
their own hands, feeling themselves competent to manage their affairs
without divine aid. They not only accused Moses of deception, but God
also, in promising them a land which they were not able to possess.
They actually went so far as to appoint one of their number as a captain
to lead them back to the land of their suffering and bondage, from
which God had delivered them with His strong arm of omnipotence.
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Moses and Aaron still remained prostrate before God in the pres-
ence of all the assembly, silently imploring divine mercy for rebellious
Israel. Their distress was too deep for words. Again Caleb and Joshua
press to the front, and the voice of Caleb once more rises in sorrow-
ful earnestness above the complaints of the congregation: “The land,
which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If
the Lord delight in us, 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 defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with
us: fear them not.”
The Canaanites had filled up the measure of their iniquity, and the
Lord would no longer bear with them. His defense being removed
from them, they would fall an easy prey to the Hebrews. They were not
prepared for battle, for they felt so strong that they deceived themselves
with the idea that no army was formidable enough to prevail against
them.
Caleb reminded the people that by the covenant of God the land
was ensured to Israel; but their hearts were filled with madness, and
they would hear no more. If only the two men had brought the evil
report, and all the ten had encouraged them to possess the land in the
name of the Lord, they would still have taken the advice of the two in
preference to the ten, because of their wicked unbelief. But there were
only two advocating the right, while ten were in open rebellion against
their leaders and against God.