The Christadelphian Instructor/Concerning Israel in the Wilderness

103. What happened after the giving of the law to Israel, and the establishment in their midst of all things pertaining to it? Answer: God commanded Israel to march and enter the land of Canaan and subdue the nations that were there.

Proof:

Numbers 13:1-20

And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea. And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God doth give unto us. Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. (Deut. 1:19-21).

104. Did they do as they were commanded? Answer: They meant to do it, but when they heard that the nations of Canaan were strong, they were afraid, and made up their minds not to go, but to kill Moses and set up another captain over them who would lead them back into Egypt.

Proof:

But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. (Num. 13:31-33).

Numbers 14:1-10; Deut. 1:22-33

105. What did God do to them for this disobedience? Answer: Having showed His glory visibly in the camp to protect Moses, He ordered the whole congregation to go back into the wilderness, and there to remain for 40 years till the whole of the men over 20 years of age were dead.

Proof:

Numbers 14:10-35; Deut. 1:34-40

106. What happened at the end of forty years? Answer: At the end of the forty years, the Israelites came to Canaan from the east side of the river Jordan. When the nations on that side had been conquered, Moses died: and then the children of Israel crossed the Jordan and attacked the nations of Canaan.

Proof:

Deut. chapters 2 and 3

107. Was it wicked for Israel to make war upon the Canaanitish nations? Answer: No. The Canaanitish nations were sunk in wickedness, and God had commanded Israel to execute judgment upon them. It would have been wickedness if they had not done it.

Proof:

Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: (Lev. 18:24).

That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. (Lev. 18:28).

And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. (Lev. 20:23).

Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee. (Deut. 9:4).