and Joshua were threatened with stoning for the stand they took. We shall probably get

its equivalent again and again; but as in their case, so in ours, His truth shall be our

shield and buckler.

One of the reasons why the Lord was not too explicit about the land of Canaan, and

the way up, was because it was inhabited by a monstrous seed of the wicked one, the

giants, the sons of Anak, and viewing such antagonists with the eyes of the flesh, the

spies said: "We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."

The cities were walled and very great--and grace was not given in the wilderness to deal

with these remote difficulties. When at last Israel did stand before the walls of Jericho,

they fell down flat at the shout of faith.

The pathway to our inheritance is blocked by principalities and powers, spiritual

wickedness and world holders of darkness. If we should see them with the eyes of the

flesh, we should crumple up as did Daniel. God mercifully spares us this vision. We

believe His Word; that is enough. If we knew the formidable strongholds of Satan that

must be overcome in "the evil day", we should recoil in fear and unbelief. We shall not

face them until we are all assembled beneath the banner of our true Captain, the greater

Joshua, with Jordan behind us, and the land of promise immediately before us. Why not

take a leaf out of this book of experience; why not believe what God has revealed, and

lovingly accept as best what He withholds?

Two Psalms should be read in connection with this passage of Israel's history.

Psa. 90: speaks of those who, being over twenty years of age, died in the wilderness:

they were taught to number their days. Psa. 91: speaks of their children, who grew up at

their sides, and who saw the pestilence and the arrow doing their work, yet knew that

they should not come nigh them.

While a sinner may be saved at the eleventh hour, it would appear from many

passages of Scripture that a believer who is saved, and who puts his hand to the plough,

who looks back like Lot's wife, who does not press toward the mark, who like Demas

loves this present evil age, or like the Hebrews of Heb. 6: or Esau of Heb. 12:

exchange their birthright for a little ease here, are running a serious risk of suffering loss

in that day, of losing their crown or their reward. Caleb and Joshua, on the other hand,

are examples of those who press on unto perfection, who attain "the better resurrection"

of Heb. 11:, or the "out-resurrection" and "prize" of Phil. 3:

May we draw attention to one more feature. "The better resurrection" of Heb. 11: is a

close parallel with the "out-resurrection" of Phil. 3: Now we are not left to surmise as

to when the better resurrection was entered, for Heb. 11: declares that those who looked

for the better country all died in faith, not having received the promise, "God having

provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect"

(Heb. 11: 40).

Caleb and Joshua were not permitted by the Lord to go on to the inheritance at once.

No, they had to wait the forty years just like the rest. The overcomers of Heb. 11: did