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From Eternity Past
sharing the disappointments and burdens of the guilty. Yet he made
no complaint, but exalted the mercy of God that preserved him in the
wilderness when his brethren were cut off. He did not ask for himself
a land already conquered, but the place which above all others, the
spies had thought impossible to subdue. The brave old warrior was
desirous of giving the people an example that would honor God and
encourage the tribes to subdue the land which their fathers had deemed
unconquerable.
Trusting in God to be with him, he “drove thence the three sons of
Anak.” Having thus secured a possession for himself and his house, he
did not settle down to enjoy his inheritance but pushed on to further
conquests for the benefit of the nation and the glory of God.
The cowards and rebels had perished in the wilderness, but the
righteous spies ate of the grapes of Eshcol. The unbelieving had seen
their fears fulfilled. They had declared it impossible to inherit Canaan,
and they did not possess it. But those who trusted in the strength
of their Almighty Helper, entered the goodly land. Through faith the
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ancient worthies “subdued kingdoms, ... escaped the edge of the sword,
out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to
flight the armies of the aliens.” “This is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith.”
Hebrews 11:33, 34
;
1 John 5:4
.
Another claim revealed a spirit widely different from that of Caleb.
The children of Joseph, the tribe of Ephraim with the half tribe of
Manasseh, demanded a double portion of territory. The lot designated
for them was the richest in the land, including the fertile plain of
Sharon; but many of the principal towns in the valley were still in
possession of the Canaanites, and the tribes shrank from the toil and
danger of conquering their possessions, and desired an additional
portion in territory already subdued. The tribe of Ephraim was one
of the largest in Israel, as well as the one to which Joshua himself
belonged. “Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to
inherit,” they said, “seeing I am a great people?”
But the inflexible leader’s answer was, “If thou be a great people,
then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in
the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if Mount Ephraim be too
narrow for thee.”
Their reply showed the real cause of complaint. They lacked faith
and courage to drive out the Canaanites. “The hill is not enough for