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T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s its raiment—is near at hand, but the one who is in need has not heard or has not believed. Following a Shining Cloud N umbers 10:11-13, 33, 34 Memory Verse: “Thou are nigh, O Je hovah” (Psa. 119:151). Approach: It was time for the children of Israel to start once more on their march to the promised land. For two years, they had stayed in the desert o f Sinai. Here they had received laws from
August 1932
Lord, and hence the Lord could be expect ed to remove them from His own path and from the path o f His people. To be so in accord with the Lord that His enemies are ours assures the opening of every closed door, the smoothing o f every rough path, and the final arrival in the promised land. A t the end o f the journey, Moses could say, “ Return, O Lord, unto . . . Israel.” Thus he invited the Lord to remove from the head o f the march and resume His place in the midst o f His people. The Provision for their needs would then be found at the center o f the camp. W e to day may be assured of the presence of the Lord in our midst, the sufficient Supply for every need, and the Satisfier o f every desire. Lesson Questions Vs. 11-13. On what date did the children o f Israel leave the wilderness of Sinai? To what place did they remove? What was its location with relation to Canaan? What significant phrase occurs in these verses, showing God’s part in the leader ship and Moses’ part? Vs. 29-32. Who was Hobab? Had Moses an ulterior motive in inviting him to accompany them? What may have been some o f Hobab’s reasons for refusing to go? What final argument did Moses ad vance? Did Moses need Hobab as a guide when he had the cloudy pillar? Vs. 33-36. What position did the ark take in the line of march? Why? What place did it occupy when Israel was encamped? What spiritual significance do you draw from these facts? In what sense were the enemies of the children of. Israel God’s enemies? How did this realization make for confidence on the part o f the people? Golden Text Illustration A European traveler on his way from the coast in Madagascar to Tananarivo, in the interior, had drunk all the water from his water flask and was suffering from thirst; he inquired o f one of the natives of his party when they would be able to ob tain water. The native answered, “Any time you like,” and led the way to a group of palm-like trees on the edge o f the forest. He pierced the root o f one o f the leaf stems at the point where it joined the tree, whereupon a stream o f clear water spurted out, cool, fresh, and excellent to drink. A t the next village, the guide conducted the traveler to the hut o f a friend, who spread a meal for them. As they sat at the table, the guide said, “ Before we begin our meal, I must tell you that everything upon this table comes from ‘the travelers’ tree.’ This table cloth is made of the fibers o f the leaves; these drinking cups, plates, and knives are made o f the wood or the bark o f the tree. What you think to be cream is a dish made of the seeds of the tree. What you think are almonds are little cakes made o f these seeds, and the oil is pressed from the skin o f the seeds. Not only do we get these and the water you have already drunk, but some o f the people o f Madagascar have made a kind o f clqth that they wear.” The W ord o f God is the “travelers’ tree,” for every soul o f every country, in every clime. The great pity is that the multitudes are like this European traveler before he received his information from the natives. That which would satisfy the life—'its thirst, its hunger, its shelter, and
which, for two years, had rested over the tabernacle, rose high in the sky and began to move across the wilderness. The people had gotten used to their desert home. God had provided them with manna food and with water to drink, and they had their tents to live in. Why should they gather up everything and begin the long hard journey again? You remember that it had been hard for them to make up. their minds to leave Egypt. Although Pharaoh had been so cruel to them, they were afraid to start off even to a promised land with God as their guide. And now, when they were settled in the midst of the wilderness, they began to wish to stay right there. How disappointed God must have been with His people! It is true that they had many hard things to endure in the desert. The roads were rough, they got lost, they were tired and discouraged—but most of all,.they got into trouble because they for got that God was their leader, and that He had promised to take care o f them. They would have escaped lots o f trouble if they had only kept remembering this, and they would have been ever so much happier. From the opening verses o f our les son, it would appear that God at first told Israel to send out the spies; but a careful reading o f Deut. 1 :19-46 re veals the fact that it was the unbelief o f the people which gave rise to the send ing o f the spies. The Lord had led His people to Kadesh Barnea and had opened the door wide for them to enter the prom ised land. But they had become afraid to trust the Lord and had refused to enter, saying, in effect, “W e had better be sure that what the Lord says is true, so we will send these spies to investigate before trust ing ourselves in the land.” Then it was, according to our lesson today, that the Lord told them to send the spies. The re fusal o f the people to walk by faith result ed in the death o f all that generation— one after another dying during the forty years o f wilderness wandering. Such is the force of unbelief; it would displace God with men, and trust the word o f the spies rather than the word o f God. I. T he S election of the S pies (1-3). Since the people demanded it, the Lord allowed them to have their own way. It is not always good when God answers prayer in the way we wish. It is the wise plan to say, “Let me have what the Lord wishes, not what I desire.” Our Lord Jesus was continually saying, “Not my will but thine be done.” The will o f God may not ap pear to be good in our sight at present, but the end o f the story will always reveal it to be the best. It is better to allow God to choose for us than to choose for ourselves. But when we insist, we are sometimes allowed our own way, only to discover that it results in loss o f blessing, and many times issues in years o f pain and agony. Thus it was with Israel: insisting on hav- all manner o f vegetables can be grown. Surely Palestine is still the land flowing with milk and honey. Outline and Exposition
God to govern them, and they had buiit a tabernacle in which to worship Him. A n d always the cloud had rested over the taber nacle, a sign to show that God was with them. But now it was time to move. L e s s o y S t o r y : They knew this be- c a u s e t h e c l o u d
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SEPTEMBER 18, 1932 THE REPORT OF THE SPIES N umbers 13:1 to 14:45
Lesson Text: Numbers 13:1-3, 25-33. Golden Text: “ The Lord is the strength of my life; o f whom shall I be afraid?” (Psa. 27:1). The Land Flowing with Milk and Honey T he entry o f the average modern tourist into the land of Palestine might be termed “the great disap pointment.” One has heard so much o f the beauty o f the land as it was in Bible times, and the sacred associations have so aided in enhancing this pic ture in his mind, that he is not prepared for the reality. Further more, most p e o p l e visit the land in the summer, when it is at its very worst. Thus the shock o f finding brown and s e a r e d fields, rocky, treeless hills, and very little water shatters all his beautiful dreams. The fact of the matter is, however, that while Palestine is actually a dry and bar ren land, for the most part, it is potentially the world’s garden spot. The Arabs who have lived there for centuries have been content to eke out a meager existence, and to try for nothing better. The Jews who are flocking to the land in large numbers now have different ideas. They wish to make the land produce all that it possibly can. When this is accomplished, some truly remarkable results are observed. Mention has been made in a previous lesson o f the single bunch of grapes grown near Hebron, which measured three feet in length. The land is evidently just as pro lific as in the days of the spies. In the Jaffa district, there is quite extensive cul tivation o f oranges. At the time we were there, about eight years ago, these groves produced abundant crops, with very little care, and with no insect pests to hinder. The grain fields produce abundantly, the apricots and peaches are delicious, and
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