Complainers
Num 14:1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
What a sound that must have been, perhaps three million of God's people lifting up their voices together, not to praise God, not to thank him for His deliverance and guidance, but to cry out and weep before the Lord in bitter despair. They had believed the majority report, that they would not be able to defeat those who were in the land. They forgot God's command to not fear or be discouraged, but to go in and take the land. They were all very discouraged, they believed flesh words more than God's word. Miracles happen when opportunity from God meets our obedience. They were missing their opportunity and blaming God's spokesman.
Num 14:2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
First they murmur in self pity, then they pick someone to blame for their misery. They cried against Moses and Aaron. We sometimes do this, we forget what Jesus has done for us and walk in pity. if so, it's time to put this aside. God loves us, he wants to bless us, hard as that may seem, but it is true.
They were crying out to God to deliver them in Egypt, now they wanted to be back under bondage. It is their thinking that is not mixed with faith that makes them think they are miserable.
Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Num 14:3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
Words of fear and foolish imaginations, negative words of going back to the former life that they had escaped from. Too afraid to believe God and go into his promise for them. Their bodies were brought out of bondage, but their minds were still as slaves.
Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Num 14:4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
Let us make a new leader over us. They were in no condition to choose a leader. They had leaders, God, and Moses and Aaron; obey them.
Num 14:5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
Their leaders faced with such opposition fell before the congregation, on their faces. To the people they might have appeared weak. To God they were showing humble hearts. God is their strength, God would have their answer, not man.
Psa 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
1 Pet 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1 Pet 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Joshua and Caleb, men of faith
Num 14:6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
Two of the twelve princes who spied the land believed God, they were men of faith. To show that they were upset with the majority of complainers. they tore their clothing, a sign of distress and disagreement. They were showing their faith. It was the custom of this culture to make an outward show of the heart by tearing clothing. They were correct in doing this, but torn clothing doesn't always make the person of faith and truth. To Annanias the high priest, it was a hypocritical action as he enviously opposed Jesus.
Mat 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Mat 26:65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
Joshua and Caleb were men of faith and of an excellent spirit.
Num 14:7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
Num 14:8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
Num 14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
Excellent words of faith. How pleased The God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel must have been with their obedient faith. Unfortunately, the flesh mind opposes the Spirit, and the majority of complainers would not receive their words, which were from God's own heart.
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Obey God as you hear his word and you will increase in faith.
Grieved
Num 14:10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
All the people of Israel, instead of repenting and obeying God, chose to remain in rebellion; even seeking to stone those who were obeying God. The darkness of sin and disobedience, always wants to put out God's light of truth. Just as they would do to Jesus and His witnesses.
God is not mocked, the Shekinah glory of the LORD appeared before the congregation. A glory cloud, with the presence of God. Our God lives, and is very much concerned about us. Israel was under the law of obedience and blessings or rebellion with curses and punishment.
Num 14:11 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them?
It sounded like God was getting upset, the Spirit of God was grieved with these grumbling, rebellious children. God spoke only to Moses, he was the intermediary between God and the people of Israel.
We can still grieve God's Spirit as Christians, with the indwelling of his Spirit of Holiness. The law has not changed in this regard.
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
Now, instead of speaking to Moses, the Father speaks to Jesus who intercedes for us.
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Heb 7:24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Israel was under the law. We are in the covenant of grace through Jesus.
Through grace the Holy Spirit speaks to God the Father for us and God the Father speaks through the Spirit to us, so that we can know when He is Grieved. If we have grieved the Spirit, we need to repent and find out why, ask for forgiveness, correct our sinful ways and plead the blood of Jesus. He will forgive us. It is better that we correct ourselves, then to be chastised by the Father.
John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Limited Pardon
Num 14:17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my LORD be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
Num 14:18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
Num 14:19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
Moses interceded for Israel, according to God's word, appealing to his longsuffering and mercy. But what of the LORD'S justice as contained in the verse Joshua quoted? We want to see God only as loving and merciful, yet it was to fulfill his justice that he sent his beloved son to be unmercifully, beaten and murdered. Because of his love for us and his justice and love for us, Jesus became the way of our salvation. The mercy and grace of God, paid in full, by the justice given to us by Jesus. The righteous became our substitute. God for a season became a man, so that we who were destined for death, might have eternal life with the risen Son of God.
Num 14:20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:
As God allowed Adam and Eve to live for a time, after their sentence of death, separated from their precious land and garden; so he pardoned Israel, but not completely.
Num 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
Num 14:22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
Num 14:23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
The catch, was those who willingly resisted God, ten times would not be allowed to enter the promise land. They were given a period of time to live, but they were cut off from his blessings. They chose to rebel, which placed them on the side of curses, instead of obeying and receiving the covenant blessings.
If you have received and been received by Jesus, there is good news for you; the gospel means the good news. You are pardoned without limits. For the new covenant was not by the law, but by the blood of Jesus, a sacrifice for all sins. His blood keeps cleansing us, day by day as we come to him confessing our sins. What if we miss the mark ten times, as did the children of Israel? Will God still give us grace? First, we should not sin, we are not of that spirit, but of the Spirit of God, new creations. Jesus continues to forgive, as he gave an example to Peter:
Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven
times: but, Until seventy times seven.
The law could not save us. Praise Jesus for His grace given freely to whosoever will come to him. Jesus is the Justice and love of God, giving us mercy and grace that we could not earn. He paid a debt that he did not owe, so that we who were unworthy may receive forgiveness and everlasting life, through faith in God's only begotten Son. Moses was a great intercessor, but he could not forgive our sins. Jesus, God's only Son is our intercessor who has forgiven and removed our sins, so that we will be received by God, His Father and ours.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Forty years
Num 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
Caleb had the spirit of obedience, the Spirit of God. What spirit had the murmurers?
1 Sam 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry...
Num 14:25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
Num 14:26 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Num 14:27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
God hears complaining, he heard the great multitude complaining against Him.
Num 14:28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
Their wicked words of unbelief would come back to them. They had cursed themselves.
Exo 14:11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
Exo 14:12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
Num 14:29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,
This was the age group that were accountable for their actions, apparently those under twenty were regarded as not yet accountable. Bible believing America, used this standard for years; twenty one was the age required to vote, now it is eighteen.
Num 14:30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
Only faithful Caleb and Joshua, of all the men of age, would come into the wilderness.
Num 14:31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
God was the God of the little ones, the innocent ones.
Mat 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
Num 14:32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
Num 14:33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.
They had done spiritual adultery, following the devil, instead of God.
Num 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
God hated their unbelief and murmuring. They were being judged, one year for every day that they searched the land and gave a negative report. How important it is to trust and obey God. This would go down in history as a memorial to them. God would be glorified, regardless.
I will surely do it
Num 14:35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
God keeps his word, they were doomed under the law.
Num 14:36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, Num 14:37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
Moses, looking back as he tells the story, confirmed that the spies who had given a bad report, slandering the land, died of the plague, as the LORD had spoken.
Num 14:38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.
Only two of the men had faith and they went into the promise land at the end of the forty years.
Luke 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
The LORD is not with you
Num 14:39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
They were told that they would not enter the promised land because of unbelief. Before, they wanted no part of it, when God was with them they were not of faith. After he left, suddenly they changed their minds. It was too late for them.
Num 14:40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.
Oh, this is so sad. Now they wished to obey, but God is not with them.
Gen 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man,...
They were under the law and sin meant death. We take the grace of God for granted. It is through Jesus Christ that we receive His grace, without him we perish in our sins.
Num 14:41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.
Num 14:42 Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
Num 14:43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.
Sad words, if we are not for God, we are against him. If you refuse him, he will refuse you. If you receive Jesus, he will receive you and you come to the Father. Being so forgiven involves the responsibility to forgive others. Under the law there was no grace to cover our failings. In Christ we are forgiven, apart from him we fail.
Powerless
Num 14:43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.
The Hebrews changed their mind, they wanted to go into the promise land after God had left them. They were relying on their own thoughts and abilities. They had turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD was not with them. How often it is that we are benefited by the good things of God, but then we turn from him and make our own way, only to fail, Then there are more bitter words and anger towards God. Why blame God? You never obeyed him, in turning from him. They were reaping the results of rebellion and unbelief.
Num 14:44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
They presumed to go up unto the hill top; leaving behind the Ark, which was the presence of God and Moses who was the mediator and the truth of God. They left behind God and the word of truth, in going forward in there own thoughts. This is not the way to live; in our own thoughts, desires and religious programs. We must hear from God and obey him each minute of the day.
Num 14:45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.
They had no power now over their enemies. They had left God, and had no power to overcome. Only through God can we overcome.
Only through Jesus do we have the victory. Walk in the light of his Spirit, obey all truth and seek not your own things, but the things that God has affirmed and blessed.
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
The elders of Israel were under a curse under their covenant promise with the LORD. Jesus has brought a better covenant, he has broken curses and his grace gives us opportunities to fail and yet to continue again. If you have failed, it is not over for you, because Jesus is your advocate with the Father. Repent, and go forth in his will.
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