The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 189

Certain it ie the.t they could never have found their way eo far themselves. But their preeent etrait wae none of hie bringing. It had come through unbelief, cowardice, and lying. Men have low, mieerable viewe of what is good for them- selves1 and the end is blasphemous language with reepect to the all-loving, all-wise- God a.Dove. He knew far better than they how to protect their wives and children. III. As WE CONSIDER HOW THE FOLLY OF' IT WAS EXPOSED. Everything went contrary to their anticipe.tione. The men who brought up the evil report died by the plague before the Lord. Thie was in itself e. clenr intimation of their wickedness in mielee.ding the people. Caleb and Joehua etood out, vindicated both a.a wise coun- sellors and spee.kere of the truth. Canaan wae all they had represented it to be, but thie thankless, rebellious generation should have no pereonal experience of it. They were indeed to die in the wildomeee, gradually dropping off for forty yeare, and the children whose impending fate they deplored, themselves entered the land of which their fathere bad ehown themselves unworthy. Forty years I Who can tell bow many during that time may have sought carefully, with tears, and in due time found, a place of true repentance and godly sorrow? Not able to enter the earthly Canaan, any more than Moses, Aaron, or Miriam, they may still have found their part in the heavenly one.-Y. Ver. 4.-.A. ?Jain :proposition. Very briefly and comprehensively put, with e.n appearance of decision and unanimity, but nevertheless utterly vllin with respect to both matters mentioned in it. L THE MAKING OF A CAPTAIN. They could call e. man a captain, but that would not make him one. The power of election may be a great privilege, but it ie greater negatively than positively. No election can make a fool into a wise man, or a cowe.rd into e. hero, e.ny more the.n it can make the moon give the light of the sun, or thome to produce grapee. Election may give e. man opportunity only to ehow decisively that he ie not able to nee it. On the other band, no election can give the most capable of men the power to do impossibilities. Captaim are not made in this way at all. The true captain ie be who, having been faithful in that which is lee.st, finde hie way on by natural attraction to that which ie greater. He is not so much elected e.s recognised. There ie much significance from tbie point of view in Chriet's worde: "Ye have not chosen me, but I he.ve chosen you." The Israelites bad rejected the word of the Lord and the leader he bad chosen, nnd wbe.t wisdom wae there in them to find a better leader for themselves? Even e.e God, for his own pur- poses, choosee men after hie own bee.rt, euch ae hie penetrating, unerring eye eeee can be trained and fashioned in the right we.y, so men me.ke choice e.fter their bee.rte only to show their folly and ignore.nee, and the.t oftentimee right speedily. The true election is to elect oureelvee to follow the good, the true, the noble, and the wise, and only them eo far e.s they a.re plainly following Chriet (Heb. xii. 1-4). II. THE RETURN TO EaYPT. The land they had been through and knew was even Ieee accessible the.n the unvisited le.nd of which they had euch exaggerated fee.re. Where should they get provision without God to give them me.nne.? and would not Egypt be even more hostile the.n Cane.e.n ? By this time the name Israel had become connected in the Egyptian mind with dieaeter of every sort. What sort of men then were these to talk of the welfare of wife and children when they proposed a step which would bring them into the direst destitution? Even while they spoke God we.s sustaining them e.nd their families with bread from heaven. It we.s even from his manna that these rebels were made strong a.go.inst him. Proud-hearted, ve.in, conceited mi;.n will propose the most silly ventures rather than submit to God. He is the le.et refuge, in more eensee than one, of the perplexed. Anywhere, into e.ny e.beurdity e.nd refuge of lies, rather the.n give up the darling lusts of the heart, e.nd face the neceRsities of true repentance. Every man ie trying to return to Egypt who, having been disappointed in one earth-born hope, etre.ightway proceeds to indulge another. It ia poor work, when we find ourselves checked by difficultiee in living a better life, to give up in despair. To make the future ae the past ie impossible; it must either be better or woree. God helps the man who steadily and strenuously keeps hie fe.ce towards Canaan.-Y.  170 THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. [cHS. xm., xiv.