The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 293

nerrr and rngge~ted what seemed an exceedingly wise plau--to send men first to spy ont the land -and dire was the ultimate effect I \Ve do not inculcate i-o,shness ; we only say that courage is sometimes better than caution, and quick action than slow resol.es. \Ve need a holy enthusiasm that will minimise dangers and make us "strong in faith." II. THE DANGER OF EXERTING AN EVIL INFLUENCE. Great responsibility rested on the men wl10 were the means of damping the ardour of tlleir countrymen. 'Whilst they themselves died of the plague, tile rest of the people were condemned to forty years' weary traversing of tile desert. So fierce was the wrath of God at the unbelief of tile Israelites. This gift of influence God has bestowed on every person. ViT e all wield this power to a greater or less extent. We may repel or attract. and in either case we are llelping to mould the opinions e.nd form the prac- tices of our neighbours. We direct their aspirations and colow· the spectacles tllrongh whicll they look at men and things. Is our life-report for good or for evil? III. THE SECURITY AGAINST WIELDING AND YIELDING TO AN EVIL INFLUENCE. It is to be noted that Caleb did not seek to persuade his fellows to renounce the idea of invading the Holy Land, and also did not allow himself so to be persnaded by them. He gives us in the text the reason which swayed him and the power which sustained him in opposition to the fears of the other Israelites: " I wholly followed the Lord my God." There might be times in which the mind would be left in suspense as to the proper course to pursue, in which the chief difficulty would be in ascertaining the will of Heaven. But on this occasion there seemed to Caleb but one thing to be done. Precepts and promises clearly showed that it was the duty and privilege of the Israelites to march to the possession of their inheritance. The path w!ts plainly marked ; to hesitate was to turn aside from following the Lord. Unswerving obedience to God's declared will i., the gramd security against ill-conduct. All that we read of Caleb proves him to have been a man of strong determination. Whatever he did he did with his might. There is a deal of meaning in that word "wholly." A man whose face is partly to God and partly to the world may have hie attention distracted, but he who maintains an attituue that has respect to God only will remain uninfluenced by either the hopes and fears or the blandishments and threats of men. Urge the necessity and help- fulness of taking a decided step, of becoming openly connected with God's people, of avowing an attachment to Christ. Some may raise a difficulty in the way of imitating Caleb's whole-heartedness. Thie man was gifted with force of character. Kow an objector may say," I by nature am weak, irresolute, easily moved. Why am I blamed if I do not manifest that firmness which others display ? " This inquiry runs into a fundamental problem-the reason of the election of men to different degrees of intellectual and moral ability, and the different degrees of accountability resulting therefrom. We cannot well separate the direct gifts of God from the achievements of the individual. We are bound to honour men even for what they owe entirely to God, since the honour reaches higher than. men and is laid as an offering before the Throne. But what we must remember 1s that we are capable of acquiring qualifications which we previously lacked, and we may to a wonderful degree strengthen and improve the powers with which we are endowed.-A. \'er. 12.-The Anakims. I. WE HAVE "ANAKIMB" IN OUR INHERITANCE. Some of the highest blessings are fenced about with the greatest difficulties. 1. No earthly inheritance is without its peculiar disadvantages. Some of the "Anakims '' which resist us in our efforts to fulfil our mission are (a), the evil in our own heart, e.g., indolence, fear, earthliness; (b) the temptations of the world, arising from bad examples, customs, distracting pleasures; (c) direct hindrance in persecution and opposition growing out of the world's ignorance, prejudice, envy, &c. 2. N evert~e- less it is best for us, as it was for Caleb, to have such an inheritance. Diflicult1es (a)h-y ourfa.ith and courage; (b) give scope for energy and devotio~; (c)_make the ultnnate peace the more blessed. 3. Apply these truths (a) to pnvate l~e; (b) to Church work and the difficulties in evangelising the world ; (c) to public mterests,  ~H. XIV, 1-lfi.) THE BOOK OF' JOSHUA. 289