Moses, you remember, sent spies into Canaan that they might bring
back a report of the land which God had promised to Abraham and his
descendants. These spies returned. Only two, Caleb and Joshua, brought
back a good report. The majority report was very discouraging indeed,
so much so, that the Israelites turned back again.
There are many in this world who have a bad report of the Promised
Land which the text tells us, is to be our rest and our inheritance.
Will you listen to them? If so, you will also turn back and continue
wandering in the wilderness of sin. Do not forget that Satan is one of
these spies. He will tell you false things regarding your religion,
your brethren, your Saviour, your God and Heaven. This is his business.
He is always at it. You find many Christians who do not think much
about Heaven, they consider it a dream, they contend that this is their
Heaven, hence they place little value on all the reports in the Bible
concerning this land. But we have a true witness, our Joshua, our
Jesus. He came from that country. He knows its hills and dells, its
clime, its fruits, its joys, its eternal delights. He has left us His
report. It is absolutely true. He has seen and heard and tasted and He
speaks as a true witness. He said to His disciples on the eve of His
departure, “I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am, there ye
may be also. In my Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so
I would have told you.” “If ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
God liberated His people from Egypt. He raised the iron heel of
oppression from the necks of His people. He led them forth. He brought
them into Canaan. His omniscience guided them. His omnipresence was
ever with them. He brought them to an end of the toil, labor, dust,
pains, weariness of the wilderness journey. The same God is leading
us to a much better country. In this country there are no enemies, as
there were in Canaan. No battles will be fought, no sickness will be
endured, no trials to pass through, no fading sunsets and following
dark nights, no losses, no crosses, for “All the former things are
passed away, behold, I make all things new.”
Jesus says, “I am the living bread of which if any man eat, he shall
nevermore hunger.” He has broken down the middle wall or partition, so
that we can enter into the very presence of God. Paul speaks of His
work when he says, “By whom also we have access by faith into this
grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
Yes, the glory of God, that glory which shall be reflected from our
hearts and faces when we stand complete before God. John says, “It doth
not appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear,
we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And every one
that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as He is pure.” We
shall be like Him! These are not misty descriptions of our rest and
inheritance! They are real photographs. We need not doubt, we need
not fear. It doth not appear what we shall be, but in that beautiful
habitation of the soul, we will be more beautiful than the beautiful
home which God has prepared.