Thus, if the wilderness proves what man is, it also proves what God is; and further, it proves what faith is; for Joshua and Caleb had to return with the whole congregation of their unbelieving brethren, and remain for forty years out of their inheritance, though they themselves were quite prepared, through grace, to go up into the land. This might seem a great hardship. Nature might judge it unreasonable that two men of faith should have to suffer on account of the unbelief of other people. But faith can afford to wait patiently. And besides, how could Joshua and Caleb complain of the protracted march when they saw Jehovah about to share it with them? Impossible. They were prepared to wait for God’s time, for faith is never in a hurry. The faith of the servants might well be sustained by the grace of the Master. CHAPTER XV. THE words with which our chapter opens are peculiarly striking, when taken in connection with the contents of chapter xiv. There, all seemed dark and hopeless. Moses had to say to the people, “_Go not up_, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.” And again, the Lord had said to them, “As truly as I live, as ye have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you. Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.... Doubtless _ye shall not come into the land_ concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein.... As for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness.” Thus much as to chapter xiv. But no sooner do we open the section now before us, than, just as though nothing had happened, and though all were as calm, as bright, and as certain as God could make it, we read such words as these: “The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ‘Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, _When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you_,’” etc. This is one of the most remarkable passages in the entire of this most wonderful book. Indeed there is not, in the whole compass of the book, a passage more thoroughly characteristic, not only of Numbers, but of the entire volume of God. When we read the solemn sentence, “Ye shall not come into the land,” what is the plain lesson which it reads out to us? The lesson, which we are so slow to learn, of man’s utter worthlessness.—“All flesh is grass.” And, on the other hand, when we read such words as these: “When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,” what is the precious lesson which they read out to us? This, assuredly, that salvation is of the Lord. In the one, we learn man’s failure; in the other, God’s faithfulness. If we look at man’s side of the question, the sentence is, “Doubtless _ye shall not_ come into the land;” but if we look at God’s side of the question, we can reverse the matter, and say, “Doubtless _ye shall_.”