HOW MOSES SENT SOME PERSONS TO SEARCH OUT THE LAND OF THE CANAANITES, AND THE LARGENESS OF THEIR CITIES; AND FURTHER THAT WHEN THOSE WHO WERE SENT WERE RETURNED, AFTER FORTY DAYS AND REPORTED THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE A MATCH FOR THEM, AND EXTOLLED THE STRENGH OF THE CANAANITES THE MULTITUDE WERE DISTURBED AND FELL INTO DESPAIR; AND WERE RESOLVED TO STONE MOSES, AND TO RETURN BACK AGAIN INTO EGYPT, AND SERVE THE EGYPTIANS. FJAJ 3.93
1. WHEN Moses had led the Hebrews away from thence to a place called
Paran, which was near to the borders of the Canaanites, and a place
difficult to be continued in, he gathered the multitude together to a congregation;
and standing in the midst of them, he said, "Of the two things that
God determined to bestow upon us, liberty, and the possession of a Happy
Country, the one of them ye already are partakers of, by the gift of God,
and the other you will quickly obtain; for we now have our abode near the
borders of the Canaanites, and nothing can hinder the acquisition of it,
when we now at last are fallen upon it: I say, not only no king nor city,
but neither the whole race of mankind, if they were all gathered together,
could do it
Let us therefore prepare ourselves for the work, for the Canaanites
will not resign up their land to us without fighting, but it must be wrested
from them by great struggles in war
Let us then send spies, who may take
a view of the goodness of the land, and what strength it is of; but, above
all things, let us be of one mind, and let us honor God, who above all
is our helper and assister." FJAJ 3.94
2. When Moses had said thus, the multitude requited him with marks of
respect; and chose twelve spies, of the most eminent men, one out of each
tribe, who, passing over all the land of Canaan, from the borders of Egypt,
came to the city Hamath, and to Mount Lebanon; and having learned the nature
of the land, and of its inhabitants, they came home, having spent forty
days in the whole work
They also brought with them of the fruits which
the land bare; they also showed them the excellency of those fruits, and
gave an account of the great quantity of the good things that land afforded,
which were motives to the multitude to go to war
But then they terrified
them again with the great difficulty there was in obtaining it; that the
rivers were so large and deep that they could not be passed over; and that
the hills were so high that they could not travel along for them; that
the cities were strong with walls, and their firm fortifications round
about them
They told them also, that they found at Hebron the posterity
of the giants
Accordingly these spies, who had seen the land of Canaan,
when they perceived that all these difficulties were greater there than
they had met with since they came out of Egypt, they were aftrighted at
them themselves, and endeavored to affright the multitude also. FJAJ 3.95
3. So they supposed, from what they had heard, that it was impossible
to get the possession of the country
And when the congregation was dissolved,
they, their wives and children, continued their lamentation, as if God
would not indeed assist them, but only promised them fair
They also again
blamed Moses, and made a clamor against him and his brother Aaron, the
high priest
Accordingly they passed that night very ill, and with contumelious
language against them; but in the morning they ran to a congregation, intending
to stone Moses and Aaron, and so to return back into Egypt. FJAJ 3.96
4. But of the spies, there were Joshua the son of Nun, of the tribe
of Ephraim, and Caleb of the tribe of Judah, that were afraid of the consequence,
and came into the midst of them, and stilled the multitude, and desired
them to be of good courage; and neither to condemn God, as having told
them lies, nor to hearken to those who had aftrighted them, by telling
them what was not true concerning the Canaanites, but to those that encouraged
them to hope for good success; and that they should gain possession of
the happiness promised them, because neither the
height of mountains,
nor the depth of rivers, could hinder men of true courage from attempting
them, especially while God would take care of them beforehand, and be assistant
to them. FJAJ 3.97
"Let us then go," said they, "against our enemies,
and have no suspicion of ill success, trusting in God to conduct us, and
following those that are to be our leaders." Thus did these two exhort
them, and endeavor to pacify the rage they were in
But Moses and Aaron
fell on the ground, and besought God, not for their own deliverance, but
that he would put a stop to what the people were unwarily doing, and would
bring their minds to a quiet temper, which were now disordered by their
present passion
The cloud also did now appear, and stood over the tabernacle,
and declared to them the presence of God to be there. FJAJ 3.98