Numbers 14

1But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can't go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” $ 2So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. 3We even saw giants* there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

The People Rebel

14 Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. 2Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. 3“Why is the LORD taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4Then they plotted among themselves, “Let's choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!” 5Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel. 'Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. 7They said to all the people of Israel,” The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! 8And if the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the LORD, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the LORD is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” 10But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.* 11And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? 121 will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!”.,. -

Moses Intercedes for the People

1313But Moses objected. “What will the Egyptians think when they hear about it?” he asked the LORD. “They know full well the power you displayed in rescuing your people from Egypt. 14Now if you destroy them, the Egyptians will send a report to the inhabitants of this land, who have already heard that you live among your people. They know, LORD, that you have appeared to your people face to face and that your pillar of cloud hovers over them. They know that you go before them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. 15Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will say, 16’ The LORD was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.’ 17“Please, LORD, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said, 18'The LORD is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’ 19In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.” 20Then the LORD said, “I will pardon them as you have requested. 21But as surely as I live, 14:20 3 and as surely as the earth is filled with the LORD’s glory, 22not one of these people willeveren- Mic 7:18-20 ter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. 23They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of 28 6:65; 32:11 those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. 4But my servant Caleb hasadiffer- 44:24 ent attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the un ees land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land. 25Now turn 44.95 around, and don’t go on toward the land where the Amalekites and Canaanites live. Tomor- Num 13:29 row you must set out for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.*”

The LORD Punishes the Israelites

2626Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 27“How long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me. 28Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. 29You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die. 30You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31“*You said your children would be carried off as plunder. Well, 1 will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised. 2*But as for you, you will drop dead in this wilderness. 33And your children will be like shepherds, wandering in the wilderness for forty years. In this way, they will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness. 34" Because your men explored the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years—a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. Then you will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.’ 351, the LORD, have spoken! I will certainly do these things to every member of the community who has conspired against me. They will be destroyed here in this wilderness, and here they will die!” 36The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land—the ones who incited rebellion against the LORD with their bad report—3’were struck dead with a plague before the LORD. a80f the twelve who had explored the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive. 38When Moses reported the LORD’s words to all the Israelites, the people were filled with grief.

40Then they got up early the next morning and went to the top of the range of hills.“Let's go,” they said. “We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the landthe LORD has promised us.”44:20-23 The people of Israel had a clearer view of God thanany people before them, for they had both his laws and hisphysical presence. Their refusal to follow God after witnessinghis miraculous deeds and listening to his words made the judg-ment against them more severe. Increased opportunity bringsincreased responsibility. As Jesus said: “When someone has beengiven much, much will be required in return” (Luke 12:48). Howmuch gteater is our responsibility to obey and serve God—wehave the whole Bible, and we know God's Son, Jesus Christ.14:22 God wasn't exaggerating when he said that the Israeliteshad “again and again” failed to trust and obey him. Here is a listof their failures: (1) lacking trust at the crossing of the Red Sea(Exodus 14:11, 12); (2) complaining over bitter water at Marah(Exodus 15:24); (3) complaining in the wilderness of Sin (Exodus16:3); (4) collecting more than the daily quota of manna (Exodus16:20); (5) collecting manna on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:27-29);(6) complaining over lack of water at Rephidim (Exodus 17:2, 3);(7) engaging in idolatry with a golden calf (Exodus 32:7-10),(8) complaining at Taberah (Numbers 11:1, 2); (9) more com-plaining over the lack of delicious food (Numbers 41:4); (10) fail-ing to trust God and enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:1-4).

14:34 God's judgment came in the form the people fearedmost. The people were afraid of dying in the wilderness, so Godpunished them by making them wander in the wilderness unti}they died. Now they wished they had the problem of facing thegiants and the fortified cities of the Promised Land. Failing to trustGod often brings even greater problems than those we originallyfaced. When we run from God, we inevitably run into problems.44:35 Was this judgment—wandering 40 years in the wilder-ness—too harsh? Not compared to the instant death that God firstthreatened (14:12). Instead, God allowed the people to live. Godhad brought his people to the edge of the Promised Land, just ashe said he would. He was ready to give them the rich land, but thepeople didn’t want it (14:1, 2). By this time, God had put up witha lot. Again and again the people had refused to trust and obeyhim (14:22). The whole nation (except for Joshua, Caleb, Moses.and Aaron) showed contempt for and distrust of God. But God’spunishment was not permanent. In 40 years, a new generationwould have a chance to enter Canaan (Joshua 1-3).44:40-44 When the Israelites realized their foolish mistake, they.were suddenly ready to return to God. But God didn’t confuse thelradmission of guilt with true repentance because he knew theirhearts. Sure enough, they soon went their own way again. Some-times right actions or good intentions come too late. We must notonly do what is right, but also do it at the right time. God wantscomplete and instant obedience.

41But Moses said, “Why are you now disobeying the LORD’s orders to return to the wilderness? It won't work. 42Do not go up into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the LORD is not with you. 4 When you face the Amalekites and Canaanites in battle, you will be slaughtered. The LORD will abandon you because you have abandoned the LORD.” 44But the people defiantly pushed ahead toward the hill country, even though neither Moses nor the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant left the camp. 45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills came down and attacked them and chased them back as far as Hormah.

C. WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS (15:1—21:35)

After their disobedience and unsuccessful attempt to enter the Promised Land, the Israelites were condemned to wander 40 years in the wilderness. Even in the midst of this punishment, the people continued to rebel, and thus God continued to punish them. But the hearts of the people remained hard and rebellious. Hard hearts toward God may bring similar calamity to us. 1. Additional regulations Laws concerning Offerings