Journey XV. v. 18. And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah. RITHMAH, from Rithen, to bind.* It was here the ten spies brought up an evil report of the good land which caused the people to murmur against Moses and Aaron. Their anger burned against them like coals of juniper ;† for they said, Let us make a captain, and return into Egypt. * The above place was probably so called, from the quantity of the Genista or Spanish Broom growing in that part of the wilderness; and from the toughness or tenacity of its twigs being so great, they were used for withs to bind; and "the Italians, in our days, weave baskets of its slender branches." + Parkhurst says, when speaking of the 4th verse of the 20th Psalm, The coals of Rithmin are mentioned either as affording the fiercest fire of any fuel that the Psalmist met with in the Desert, or because, according to Geierus, the Spanish genista or rethama, "sparkles, burns, and crackles, more vehemently than other wood.” The spies having told them that the land through which they had gone to search, was a land that eat up the inhabitants thereof; and the people that they saw were men of great stature. And there they saw the giants, the sons of Anak, and were in their own sight as grashoppers, and were so in their sight. (See Numbers, c. 13 and 14.) How many discouragements and difficulties appear to check our progress in the journey to the kingdom of God, of which Canaan was typical, and our slothful heart sees dangers and giants every where; and on that account, we refuse to proceed as we ought in the strait path through evil and good report, forgetting too often, "It is he who sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in; (m) who delivered (m) Isa. 40. 22. David out of the teeth of the lion and the paw of the bear, and out of the hand of Goliath; (n) and Daniel in the lion's den; and the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. Is there any ground then to fear? If we meet the sons of Anak in the name of the Lord of Hosts, they shall fall before us; for we know not how far and how fully the Emmanuel, God with us, can save us. Let us then commit our way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass. Thy word, O Lord, is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path: the entrance of thy words giveth light. (0) (n) 1 Sam. 17, &c. (0) Ps. 119. 105. 130. Journey XVF. b. 19. 1 And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at RIMMON, from Rem, to be lifted up, elevated, and Parez, a breach. We find here that the ten men who brought up the evil report of the land, died by the plague before the Lord; and the people also, presuming to go up to the top of the hill contrary to the command of Moses, and without the Angel of the Covenant with them, were destroyed utterly by the Amalekites. What short-sighted creatures are we? Supposing we can do all things, and yet, alas! can do nothing as we ought to do! Sometimes almost in despair, and at other times presumptuous. Poor fallen nature! ever running into extremes. The Israelites but a short time before had the David out of the teeth of the lion and the paw of the bear, and out of the hand of Goliath; (n) and Daniel in the lion's den; and the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. Is there any ground then to fear? If we meet the sons of Anak in the name of the Lord of Hosts, they shall fall before us; for we know not how far and how fully the Emmanuel, God with us, can save us. Let us then commit our way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass. Thy word, O Lord, is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path: the entrance of thy words giveth light. (0) |