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MARCH 20
back word to us of the way by which we should
go up, and of the cities into which we shall
come.’
1:7,8 the land. The land which the Lord set 23 “The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve
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before Israel to go in and possess was clearly of your men, one man from each tribe. And
described here. The mountains of the they departed and went up into the moun-
Amorites referred to the hill country to the tains, and came to the Valley of Eshcol, and
west of the Dead Sea. The plain (Arabah) was spied it out. They also took some of the fruit
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the land in the rift valley from the Sea of of the land in their hands and brought it down
Galilee in the north to the Dead Sea in the to us; and they brought back word to us, say-
south. The mountains were the hills that run ing, ‘It is a good land which the LORD our God
through the center of the land north and is giving us.’
south.These hills are to the west of the Sea of 26 “Nevertheless you would not go up, but
Galilee and the Jordan River. The lowland
rebelled against the command of the LORD
referred to the low rolling hills that sloped 27
toward the Mediterranean coast (Shephelah). your God; and you complained in your tents,
The south (Negev) described the dry waste- and said, ‘Because the LORD hates us, He has
land stretching southward from Beersheba to brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver
the wilderness. The seacoast referred to the us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy
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land along the Mediterranean Sea. The us. Where can we go up? Our brethren have
boundaries of the land of the Canaanites were discouraged our hearts, saying, “The people
given in Numbers 34:1–15. Lebanon to the are greater and taller than we; the cities are
north marked the northwestern boundary on great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we
the coast.The northeast boundary of the land have seen the sons of the Anakim there.” ’
was the Euphrates River.See Numbers 34:1–12. 29 “Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or
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afraid of them. The LORD your God, who goes
1:10 the stars of heaven.The Lord had prom- before you, He will fight for you, according to
ised Abraham that his descendants would be all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,
as numerous as the stars in the sky (Gen. 15:5; 31 and in the wilderness where you saw how the
22:17).The nation’s growth proved both God’s LORD your God carried you, as a man carries
intention and ability to fulfill His original his son, in all the way that you went until you
promises to Abraham. came to this place.’ Yet, for all that, you did
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not believe the LORD your God, who went in
the way before you to search out a place for you
to pitch your tents, to show you the way you
time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud
brethren, and judge righteously between a by day.
man and his brother or the stranger who is 34 “And the LORD heard the sound of your
with him. You shall not show partiality in words, and was angry, and took an oath, say-
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judgment; you shall hear the small as well as ing, ‘Surely not one of these men of this evil
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the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s generation shall see that good land of which I
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presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case swore to give to your fathers, except Caleb
that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to
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hear it.’ And I commanded you at that time all him and his children I am giving the land on
the things which you should do. which he walked, because he wholly followed
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“So we departed from Horeb, and went the LORD.’ The LORD was also angry with me
through all that great and terrible wilderness for your sakes, saying, ‘Even you shall not go
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which you saw on the way to the mountains of in there. Joshua the son of Nun, who stands
the Amorites, as the LORD our God had com- before you, he shall go in there. Encourage
manded us. Then we came to Kadesh Barnea. him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
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And I said to you, ‘You have come to the ‘Moreover your little ones and your chil-
mountains of the Amorites, which the LORD dren, who you say will be victims, who today
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our God is giving us. Look, the LORD your have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall
God has set the land before you; go up and go in there; to them I will give it, and they
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possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has shall possess it. But as for you, turn and take
spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’ your journey into the wilderness by the Way
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“And every one of you came near to me of the Red Sea.’
and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let 41 “Then you answered and said to me, ‘We
them search out the land for us, and bring have sinned against the LORD; we will go up and
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