340
Patriarchs and Prophets
and dangers that lay before the Israelites should they undertake the
conquest of Canaan. They enumerated the powerful nations located
in various parts of the country, and said that the cities were walled
and very great, and the people who dwelt therein were strong, and
it would be impossible to conquer them. They also stated that they
had seen giants, the sons of Anak, there, and it was useless to think of
possessing the land.
Now the scene changed. Hope and courage gave place to cowardly
despair, as the spies uttered the sentiments of their unbelieving hearts,
which were filled with discouragement prompted by Satan. Their
unbelief cast a gloomy shadow over the congregation, and the mighty
power of God, so often manifested in behalf of the chosen nation, was
forgotten. The people did not wait to reflect; they did not reason that
He who had brought them thus far would certainly give them the land;
they did not call to mind how wonderfully God had delivered them
from their oppressors, cutting a path through the sea and destroying
the pursuing hosts of Pharaoh. They left God out of the question, and
acted as though they must depend solely on the power of arms.
In their unbelief they limited the power of God and distrusted the
hand that had hitherto safely guided them. And they repeated their
former error of murmuring against Moses and Aaron. “This, then,
is the end of our high hopes,” they said. “This is the land we have
traveled all the way from Egypt to possess.” They accused their leaders
of deceiving the people and bringing trouble upon Israel.
The people were desperate in their disappointment and despair. A
wail of agony arose and mingled with the confused murmur of voices.
Caleb comprehended the situation, and, bold to stand in defense of the
word of God, he did all in his power to counteract the evil influence
of his unfaithful associates. For an instant the people were stilled to
listen to his words of hope and courage respecting the goodly land. He
did not contradict what had already been said; the walls were high and
the Canaanites strong. But God had promised the land to Israel. “Let
us go up at once and possess it,” urged Caleb; “for we are well able to
overcome it.”
But the ten, interrupting him, pictured the obstacles in darker
colors than at first. “We be not able to go up against the people,“ they
[389]
declared; “for they are stronger than we.... All the people that we saw
in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons