Numbers 14
The Israelites Respond in Unbelief
14:1 Then all the community raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night.
Israel saw all of the miracles of God, but because of her total depraved and evil nature, she was not able to trust God to fulfill His promise.
14:2 And all the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perished in this wilderness!
The people directed their verbal attacks toward Aaron and Moses.
14:3 Why has the Lord brought us into this land only to be killed by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”
The men were accusing God of not caring for their wives and children.
14:4 So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”
Look at the total depravity of human nature. The people were not interested in following God. They would rather live as slaves in Egypt.
14:5 Then Moses and Aaron fell down with their faces to the ground before the whole assembled community of the Israelites.
The people insulted God in public. Moses and Aaron knelt down in prayer, knowing that God would judge their sin.
14:6 And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of those who had investigated the land, tore their garments.
Joshua and Caleb were two of the positive spies who trusted God. They tore their garments at the blasphemous reaction of the people.
14:7 They said to the whole community of the Israelites, “The land we passed through to investigate is an exceedingly good land.
The land was agriculturally good.
14:8 If the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us – a land that is flowing with milk and honey.
If God wills, then Israel would possess the land. The land was "flowing with milk," meaning that it was capable of supporting an abundance of livestock. The land was full of "honey," meaning that it was also capable of supporting an abundance of agricultural products.
14:9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection has turned aside from them, but the Lord is with us. Do not fear them!”
With Jehovah fighting for Israel, the Canaanites were like bread to be devoured.
14:10 However, the whole community threatened to stone them. But the glory of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.
Israel did not want to hear this kind of talk. They desired to go back to Egypt. They would stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb if it would help them get back to the slave pits of Egypt.
The Punishment from God
14:11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me, and how long will they not believe in me, in spite of the signs that I have done among them?
Jehovah knew the answer, but He wanted Moses to answer the question.
14:12 I will strike them with the pestilence, and I will disinherit them; I will make you into a nation that is greater and mightier than they!”
Jehovah made a tempting offer to Moses. Everyone wanted to be king of the world. However, Jehovah knew that Moses would turn down this offer. This offer was recorded in the Scriptures as an example to believers. This offer was also witnessed by the angelic world.
14:13 Moses said to the Lord, “When the Egyptians hear it – for you brought up this people by your power from among them –
The answer by Moses to this offer of an eternal kingdom was “no” because Egypt was watching the character of God. Moses loved God so much, that Moses did not want God to be called a liar.
14:14 then they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, Lord, are among this people, that you, Lord, are seen face to face, that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire by night.
If God destroyed Israel, then Egypt would tell other nations that God could not keep His promise to bring Israel into the land. Egypt would tell other nations that either God was a liar, or He did not have the power to live up to his claims.
14:15 If you kill this entire people at once, then the nations that have heard of your fame will say,
This extermination of Israel in the wilderness would make God look bad to the other nations.
14:16 ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to them, he killed them in the wilderness.’
Other nations would say that God was not powerful enough to bring Israel into Canaan.
14:17 So now, let the power of my Lord be great, just as you have said,
Jehovah has the power to keep His promise and deliver Israel into the land, even if Israel was disobedient and deserved destruction.
14:18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children until the third and fourth generations.’
Israel cannot make Jehovah angry enough to completely destroy them.
14:19 Please forgive the iniquity of this people according to your great loyal love, just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.”
If God forgave Egypt for 400 years, then He can forgive Israel for 14 months.
14:20 Then the Lord said, “I have forgiven them as you asked.
Jehovah answered the prayer of Moses. The offer to Moses was legitimate, but God knew that Moses would turn the offer down and intercede for Israel.
14:21 But truly, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.
When the Abrahamic Covenant is completely fulfilled during the Millennial Kingdom, then the Shekinah Glory will fill the earth.
14:22 For all the people have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tempted me now these ten times, and have not obeyed me,
Israel has already disobeyed Jehovah ten different times. These other ten different times were not all recorded in Scripture.
14:23 they will by no means see the land that I swore to their fathers, nor will any of them who despised me see it.
The punishment of Israel was that those who doubt God would not see the land.
14:24 Only my servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit and has followed me fully – I will bring him into the land where he had gone, and his descendants will possess it.
Caleb did not doubt God. He defended God’s character and power to accomplish the task. Caleb would be allowed to enter into the Promised Land.
14:25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites were living in the valleys.) Tomorrow, turn and journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”
Israel was commanded to turn their backs to the Promised Land and return back to the Red Sea.
14:26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 14:27 “How long must I bear with this evil congregation that murmurs against me? I have heard the complaints of the Israelites that they murmured against me.
Jehovah knew the answer, but He was allowing Moses and Aaron to see the true nature of mankind.
14:28 Say to them, ‘As I live, says the Lord, I will surely do to you just what you have spoken in my hearing.
God would keep His promise. The adults would not enter into the Promised Land.
14:29 Your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness – all those of you who were numbered, according to your full number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me.
All of those men who were numbered in the census would die in the wilderness. This decree would affect all adults over 20 years of age.
14:30 You will by no means enter into the land where I swore to settle you. The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
Caleb and Joshua were the only two from the census who would enter the Promised Land. Notice that Moses and Aaron were not included in this promise. God knows the future.
14:31 But I will bring in your little ones, whom you said would become victims of war, and they will enjoy the land that you have despised.
The parents accused Jehovah of not caring for their children. God told the parents that He would bring every little child into the Promised Land. Every child below 20 years old would be immortal until God delivered them safely into the land.
14:32 But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness,
The rest of the adults would be buried in the sands of the desert.
14:33 and your children will wander in the wilderness forty years and suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your dead bodies lie finished in the wilderness.
The children would suffer in the wilderness for forty years, because their parents accused God of not taking care of their children.
14:34 According to the number of the days you have investigated this land, forty days – one day for a year – you will suffer for your iniquities, forty years, and you will know what it means to thwart me.
The spies were in the land for forty days, so the Israelites would wander in the desert for forty years. Israel had more revelation than other nations, so their punishment would always be greater.
14:35 I, the Lord, have said, “I will surely do so to all this evil congregation that has gathered together against me. In this wilderness they will be finished, and there they will die!”’”
Israel was an evil and stubborn nation. God made His promise to one of the most stubborn nations in the world. However, He would keep His promise for His name sake.
14:36 The men whom Moses sent to investigate the land, who returned and made the whole community murmur against him by producing an evil report about the land, 14:37 those men who produced the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord.
The ten spies were the leaders of Israel. They were handpicked by Moses himself. They used their leadership position to deceive the people. They lied to the people about the Nephilim. They committed the sin unto death.
14:38 But Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among the men who went to investigate the land, lived.
Joshua not only lived, but he would become the successor of Moses.
14:39 When Moses told these things to all the Israelites, the people mourned greatly.
Israel was saddened that they would not enter into the Promised Land. They were also sad that they would not return to Egypt. They really wanted to return back to the slave pits of Egypt. It is important to note that man is so totally depraved and evil, that they would rather be enslaved by Satan than to be set free by the Lord Jesus Christ.
14:40 And early in the morning they went up to the crest of the hill country, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place that the Lord commanded, for we have sinned.”
Israel confessed her sin. She was now personally ready to enter into the Promised Land.
14:41 But Moses said, “Why are you now transgressing the commandment of the Lord? It will not succeed!
Moses told the Israelites that her decision was too late.
14:42 Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, and you will be defeated before your enemies.
If Israel disobeyed God, then she would be defeated by her enemies.
14:43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.”
The Amalekites and Canaanites would kill the Israel soldiers by the sword.
14:44 But they dared to go up to the crest of the hill, although neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp.
The Israelites did not listen to Moses. They entered into the land. The Shekinah Glory stayed in the camp.
14:45 So the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country swooped down and attacked them as far as Hormah.
The Amalekites and Canaanites wiped out the Israel volunteer soldiers. Without the help of Jehovah, Israel had no chance of entering into the Promised Land.