Division of Canaan
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Thus the difficulty which had threatened such serious consequences
was amicably settled.
Even under false accusation those who are in the right can afford
to be calm and considerate. God is acquainted with all that is mis-
understood and misinterpreted by men, and we can safely leave our
case in His hands. He will as surely vindicate the cause of those who
put their trust in Him as He searched out the guilt of Achan. Those
who are actuated by the spirit of Christ will possess that charity which
suffers long and is kind.
It is the will of God that union and brotherly love should exist
among His people. The prayer of Christ just before His crucifixion
was that His disciples might be one as He is one with the Father, that
the world might believe that God had sent Him. This most touching
and wonderful prayer reaches down the ages, even to our day; for His
words were, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which
shall believe on Me through their word.”
John 17:20
. While we are
not to sacrifice one principle of truth, it should be our constant aim
to reach this state of unity. This is the evidence of our discipleship.
Said Jesus, “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye
have love one to another.”
John 13:35
. The apostle Peter exhorts the
church, “Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another;
love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil,
or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are
thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”
1 Peter 3:8, 9
.
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