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But it seems to me that this little glimpse into a long-forgotten and unimportant life may teach us two or three things about the venture of faith, the life of faith, and the reward of faith. I. The venture of faith. I have already said that Hobab had nothing in the world to trust to except Moses' word, and Moses' report of God's Word.
At first Hobab declined, but he eventually complied; as his descendants were among the Hebrews after their settlement in Canaan, and they continued among them, and remained a distinct family, down to the captivity.
That is not the way with people generally," said Jem, shaking his head gravely. "It is not said that it was the way with Hobab," said his mother; "but I am inclined to think, with Francis, that perhaps it might have been so." "He must have been a brave man and a good man, or Moses would not have wanted him," said David.
But Hobab took the plunge, he ventured all upon these two promises Moses' word, and God's word that underlay it. Now that is just what we have to do. For, after all talking about reasons for belief, and evidences of religion, and all the rest of it, it all comes to this at last will you risk everything on Jesus Christ's bare word?
One branch of these Kenites was denominated from Rechab, an illustrious chief of the house of Hobab; who had a son, or descendant, named Jonadab, or Jehonadab, as his name is sometimes written. Jonadab was renowned for wisdom and piety.
Hobab dying there in the desert had made the right choice, and if we will trust ourselves to Christ and His faithful word, and, trusting to Him, will feel that we are detached from the present and that it is but as the shadow of a cloud, whatever there may be wanting in the results of our faith here on earth, there will be nothing wanting in its results at the last.
Not long after, Hobab, the son of Jethro, appears to have been with Israel in the wilderness; and he was invited to go with them to the land of promise, and take his lot among them, and was promised an equal share of blessings with the seed of Jacob "If thou wilt go with us, it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee."
Hobab did not regret his venture, and no man ever ventures his faith on Christ and is disappointed. 'He that believeth shall not be confounded. 'And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee. 36.
Come thou with us, and we will do thee what goodness the Lord shall do unto us. He went, and neither he nor Moses ever saw the land, or at least never set their feet on it. Moses saw it from Pisgah, but probably Hobab did not even get so much as that. So he had all his tramping through the wilderness, and all his work, for nothing, had he?
There was nothing answered to this, and Mrs Inglis added, "And being consecrated to God's service, we do His work well, when we do well the duty he has appointed us, however humble it may be." "But to come back to Hobab, mamma," said Jem, in a little while. "After all, do you really think it was a desire to do God's work in helping the people that made him go with them, if he did go?
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