Numbers 14

Numbers 14:1-4

**D. COMPLAINT AND REBELLION (Numbers 14:1-4)

TEXT**

Numbers 14:1. And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 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! 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? 4. And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return to Egypt.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 14:1. Then all the assembly lifted up their voice and cried; and the people wept that night. 2. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron; and the whole assembly said to them, Would that we had died in this wilderness! 3. And why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword so that our wives and children should be victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? 4. And they said to one another, Let us select a chief and return to Egypt.

COMMENTARY

What should have been a day of rejoicing in anticipation of a great victory through the power of the Lord has been turned into a period of weeping and complaints. Instructions to the people, so confidently expressed by Caleb, are overruled by the discouraging words of the fearful ten, and the spirits of the people are completely extinguished. Now that they are a year and one-half removed from Egypt, the slavery from which they have been delivered does not seem so oppressive. Step by step throughout the interval, the masses have echoed the same tedious refrain: We never should have left Egypt! Moses and Aaron are the immediate targets for criticism. Nothing they might say would be of any weight to them in the present circumstances. Their argument continues, and lays an even greater blame upon the Lord. He has led them here, and certainly must be blamed because they cannot simply march into the new land unopposed. The people have come to expect everything of Him, and nothing of themselves. Murmurings similar to their protests have been heard before; this is the first time it is actually suggested that another leader be chosen, one who will lead them back to the land of their bondage. We might speculate that, had they actually followed this course, their voices would have risen even more strongly against the renewal of slavery before the first day’s servitude had ended.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

How do you account for the fact that the words of the ten spies had a much greater effect upon the Israelites than the words of the two?

Why should the Israelites have forgotten the fact that they were slaves in Egypt, while they refused to march into the land before them as a free people?

Do you think the Israelites would have found true happiness if they had actually returned to Egypt? Defend your answer.

Numbers 14:5-19

E. MOSES-’ PLEA AND GREAT INTERCESSORY PRAYER vv. 5-19 TEXT

Numbers 14:5. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

6. And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: 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. 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. 9. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us; their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not. 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.
7. 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? 12. I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
8. And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) 14. And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by daytime in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
9. Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, 16. Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. 17. And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, 18. The Lord is long-suffering, 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. 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.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 14:5. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the entire assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

6. And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunnah, of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes: 7. and they spoke to all the assembly of the children of Israel, saying, The land through which we passed to spy it out is an exceptionally good land. 8. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us: a land which flows with milk and honey. 9. Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey: their defense is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them. 10. But all the assembly suggested stoning them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the Tent of Meeting before all the children of Israel.
7. And the Lord said to Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be before they believe me, in spite of all the miracles I have performed among them? 12. I will strike them with a pestilence and disinherit them, and make of you a greater and stronger nation than they.
8. But Moses said to the Lord, Then Egypt will hear of it, since by your power you brought up this people from among them, 14. and they will tell it to the residents of this land. They have heard that you, Lord, are among this people; that you, Lord, are seen face to face, and that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire.
9. Now, if you do kill all this people as one man, the nations which have heard of your fame will say, 16. -Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land He pledged to them, therefore he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.-’ 17. But now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as you have spoken, saying, 18. -The Lord is slow to anger, great in love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but He will by no means clear the guilty, bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generations.-’ 19. Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, according to the vastness of your love, even as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now.

COMMENTARY

It is sometimes assumed that the congregation desired to stone only Joshua and Caleb (RCP); however, the manner in which the Lord responded may indicate that the reaction was against all four. Divine glory flashed forth from the Tabernacle to halt the actions of the crowd, and refocused their attention upon their rightful position. No doubt the manifestation was both visible and awesome, since drastic measures would have been required to prevent mob actions against the potential victims.

The two faithful spies make one final effort to influence the people. But they cannot do more than specify the conditions upon which the Lord will fulfill the promise of the land: they must be worthy of the delight of the Lord, and cease rebelling against Him. Neither must they any longer fear the pagan inhabitants any longer. The choice is placed squarely upon the rebels. They may march victoriously into Canaan, led by God’s powerful hand; or, they may resume their grumbling and anarchy. They choose the latter course. Unreasoning mobs are seldom stilled by cool heads and calm pleas. Stoning was not only a most horrible means of death, it was a disgraceful punishment reserved for the most grave circumstances. That such a thing was suggested for God’s men reveals the hostility and irrationality of the mob.

God’s glory, manifested under so many different conditions during all dispensations, has never failed to strike the viewers with awe. These same insurrectionists had viewed His glory at Sinai (Exodus 24:16-17), when He confirmed His covenant with them. That had been a time for rejoicing; this was a time for fear.

For the second time, God proposes to destroy an ungrateful, rebellious troupe and make of Moses a greater people than they. PC offers the suggestion that God was not actually serious about eliminating IsraelHe was putting Moses to the test of unselfishness, loyalty and courage with respect to his people, fully expecting Moses to refuse the offer. From another vantage point, RCP reminds the reader that, even had the Lord put all the rebels down, leaving only Moses, the promise to the patriarchs would not have been broken since Moses was a descendant of the patriarchs. An oversimplified response is simply to point out that every Israelite was a descendant of the patriarchs.

Although Numbers 14:13-14 are corrupt in the original, their meaning is simple: the Egyptians, from whom Israel has been delivered, would delight in pointing out to the inhabitants of Canaan that the God who had presumably led Israel across the Red Sea and to the edge of Canaan, was now suddenly impotent and could not finish His proposed work. The response the Egyptians might logically expect would be a united attack against the former slaves, resulting in their utter defeat. Then, Moses reasons, the name of the Lord would be subjected to derision and contempt. Any tragedy coming upon them, especially the pestilence such as God threatened, would be further confirming evidence to the pagan mind. The logic of Moses rests upon human principles, failing to recognize that God’s actions are not measured by men’s reasoning; if, in His judgment the actions of Israel warrant death, the reaction of others is irrelevant.

The second basis of Moses-’ appeal has much more to commend it as he appeals to God’s forgiveness and mercy. Justice may well require the death sentence, but God is free always to temper justice with mercy as it may accomplish His purposes. Before He can extend mercy, however, He must effect pardon; and they have sinned grossly. Thus two supreme divine prerogatives are involved: the power to forgive and the ability to temper justice with mercy. Moses-’ intercession is a sublime prayer. It is totally unselfish, since Moses might have been briefly tempted to accept the place of progenitor of a new and faithful people. It is solicitous of the name and reputation of God, which Moses would like preserved without even undeserved tarnish. It appeals to the highest attributes of God, prerogatives He alone may possess, in the resolution of this dilemma. If it is not eloquent in its original form, it is a splendid presentation of the thought that the wicked, much more than the righteous, must depend upon the pardoning mercy of the Lord.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

What is the significance of the actions of Moses and Aaron as they fell upon their faces before the people? Are the actions of Joshua and Caleb for the same reasons?

What reason might the two faithful spies have for thinking the people might listen to them now, when their earlier words had drawn an unfavorable response?

Under what conditions would the Lord delight in us? What consequences would follow?

Explain the thought, the people are bread for us in Numbers 14:9.

Upon what legal basis could the Israelites have appealed for stoning their antagonists?

What is the implied reaction of the people when the glory of the Lord appeared from the Tent of Meeting?

Discuss the various motives attributed to God when He proposed the destruction of the rebels in Israel.

List the points presented in Moses-’ petition to the Lord. Discuss the relative weight of each.

Why should there be any need for the Egyptians to tell the people of Canaan of the impotence of God, if Israel were not brought into the land?

What fate would be demanded of the Israelites if God acted upon sheer justice alone? What point or points would be demonstrated if He were to accede to the petition of Moses?

Numbers 14:20-38

F. GENERAL PARDON; SENTENCE UPON THE PROVOKERS, vv. 20-38 TEXT

Numbers 14:20. And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: 21. But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. 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; 23. Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 24. But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land where-into he went; and his seed shall possess it. 25. (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

26. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 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. 28. Say unto me, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you; 29. Your carcasses 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, 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. 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. 32. But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness. 33. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. 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. 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. 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, 37. Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord. 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.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 14:20. And the Lord said, I have pardoned them according to your word; 21. but certainly, as I live, and as all the earth is filled with the glory of the Lord, 22. all those men who have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me now these ten times, and have not heeded my voice, 23. certainly they shall not see the land I pledged to their fathers, nor shall any of those who provoked me see it. 24. But my servant Caleb, because he had a different attitude and followed me completely, I will bring into the land into which he went; and his descendants shall possess it. 25. Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites lived in the valleys. Turn tomorrow and set out into the wilderness by way of the Red Sea.

26. And the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron, saying, 27. How long shall I put up with this evil congregation who murmur against me? I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. 28. Say to them, -As I live,-’ says the Lord, -just as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you: 29. your corpses shall fall in this wilderness, according to the total number, from twenty years of age and older, who have complained against me. You shall certainly not come into the land, in which I swore I would bring you to live, excepting Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun. 31. However, your children, whom you said would become prey, these I shall bring in, and they shall know the land you have rejected. 32. But as for you, your corpses shall fall in this wilderness. 33. And your children shall be shepherds in this wilderness forty years, and suffer because of your unfaithfulness, until your corpses are consumed in the wilderness. 34. According to the number of days in which you spied out the land, that is, forty days, for every day you shall bear your sins one year: namely, forty years; and you shall know my displeasure.-’ 35. I have spoken, I the Lord; surely I will do it to all this wicked generation which have gathered together against me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there shall they die. 36. As for the men Moses sent to spy out the land, those who returned and caused all the congregation to complain against him by giving a bad report concerning the land, 37. those men who brought a bad report of the land died by a plague before the Lord. 38. But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, among the men who went to spy out the land, lived.

COMMENTARY

Whatever the intercessory prayer of Moses might have lacked in eloquence was more than supplied by his sincerity and selflessness. God immediately responds, adopting the course of the petitioner. So the course of an entire nation is determined by the fervent, effectual prayer of the righteous man, (James 5:16).

We do not have a record of ten instances when the nation of Israel tested God’s patience; nor is it necessary to produce such a list. The language of God simply expresses the thought that their provocations have reached the ultimate. The same technique is used again and again in Amos (Numbers 1:3; Numbers 1:6, et passim), when the end of God’s patience comes after three, and then four, transgressions.

God’s sentence comes upon the people in two pronouncements: those men directly responsible for misdirecting Israel are to be struck down by the plague; and the people, who have been gullible, will not be permitted to enter the Promised Land at all. The punishments fit the crimes. Those who have attained the age of twenty are presumed to be responsible for their decisions. They have chosen to believe ten men rather than the Lord and His two faithful spies; hence, they are consigned to wandering about in the wilderness for the remainder of their lives. The ten unfaithful spies are especially culpable, since it is their word which has incited the disobedience. If they are allowed to remain alive and influential among the people, there is no way of guessing what seeds of discord and disruption they might have sown. Knowing their hearts, and that they will contribute nothing constructive to the morale of their audience, God deems them worthy of death. They are struck dead on the spot. The term plague is general rather than specific; making it a matter of speculation as to exactly how the Lord imposed His penalty upon them. Sharply contrasting with the sentence of God upon the unfaithful spies and the doubting people, the commendation of the Lord with respect to Caleb particularly, and to Joshua as well, is refreshing. They alone, of all the Israelites above the age of twenty, would be permitted to enter and possess their portions in Canaan. It is safe to assume, at this point, that Moses and Aaron would have been included with the two faithful men. Moses may have omitted himself and his brother at this point when he wrote the record years later, and both of them had also been excluded from the Promised Land. An ironic note is inserted into the pronouncement of God when He informs the murmuring people that their children, for whom they have expressed special concern about marching directly into the Promised Land, are to be spared through the wilderness ordeal. They, not their fearful parents, will know the full promise of life in a free land of their own. We must conclude that the expressed fears were only alibis; the people were afraid on their own account, not because of their children. Their carcasses, rotting in the desert, would provide stark evidence of this fact.

The words to the children, and their time in the wilderness, are properly, Your children shall pasture in the wilderness forty years, suggesting something quite different from aimless wandering, which is the common thought from earlier translations. The area of this pasturing was irregularly used for the same purposes by the Amalekites, the Midianites, and a few other nomadic tribes. At its best, however, the land is bleak and unsuited to permanent residence. It is hot, arid, mountainous, and inhospitable. For forty years the children of the rebels would endure its privations because of the sins of their fathers. Whoredoms, as used in this context, unquestionably refers to the idolatrous acts of the Jews, as in Exodus 34:16. Blame for these iniquitous deeds rests squarely upon the souls of the defectors: but the consequences of their idolatry come upon the children as well. Obvious spiritual overtones are to be found in these facts.

Little wonder that the people wept when Moses informed them of the decision of the Lord! They could find neither consolation nor hope in it. Before them lay a difficult life, and death would come upon them all without their having realized the one really wonderful promise which would have made all their trials bearable. Again, the punishment well fits the crime. At this point, Moses inserts the editorial comment which confirms the Lord’s prophecies: death came upon these apostates in such a manner as to make it clear that they did not die natural deaths, and all within the time foretold.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

The Lord pronounced two judgments and punishments upon various portions of the Israelites because of their faithlessness. What were these two pronouncements, and whom did each affect?

Name the previous occasions on which the murmuring people tested God’s patience.

Why did God set the period of wilderness wandering at forty years?

Of the total number of people in the tribes of Israel, how many adults eventually entered into the Promised Land?

What alibi did the people give for not moving immediately into the Promised Land? How did God turn this very argument against them?

How is the word whoredoms used with reference to the conduct of the people?

Why did Moses not include himself and Aaron among those whom God promised entrance into the Promised Land?

Numbers 14:39-45

G. DEFEATS BY AMALEKITES AND KENITES vv. 39-45 TEXT

Numbers 14:39. And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.

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. 41. And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper. 42. Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies. 43. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are 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. 44. But they presumed to go up unto the hilltop: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses, departed not out of the camp. 45. Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 14:39. And Moses told these words to all the children of Israel; and the people grieved very much. 40. And they rose up early in the morning and went to the top of the mountain, saying, Here we are. We have sinned; nevertheless, we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised. 41. And Moses said, Then why are you transgressing the word of the Lord, when it will not succeed? 42. Do not go up, lest you be struck down before your enemies, for the Lord is not among you. 43. The Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword because you have turned away from the Lord. Therefore the Lord will not be with you. 44. But they presumed to go up to the hill top, although neither the ark of the covenant nor Moses left the camp. 45. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that mountainous region came down and attacked them, and utterly drove them away as far as Hormah.

COMMENTARY

When the verdict of the Lord is brought unto the people, their response is typically human. Having been told they cannot enter the Land before them, that is exactly what they now say they want to do! But it is much too late. God’s patience has been tried beyond reason, and they must face the consequences of their rebellions. Even their belated expression, We have sinned, is of no avail. Ironically, the course now announced by the people, which would have been exactly what God wanted them to do shortly earlier, is now strongly forbidden; what would have been faithful obedience is now another instance of disbelieving rebellion. Moses stands before them to point out the radically changed circumstances, and the certain consequences of their new resolution: God is not with them, and they will be badly beaten by their enemies. When Israel moves to battle, it is without Moses or the ark of the covenant: and, we may be certain, neither Caleb nor Joshua was among them. Complete defeat was the inevitable consequence. The Amalekites and the Canaanites descended upon them from the hills, and routed them to Hormah, and unidentified city of the region.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

How is it that when the Israelites now want to enter the Land of Promise, they are forbidden?

When would it have been more appropriate for the people to confess that they had sinned?

Would the presence of Moses, or of the ark of the covenant, have assured victory for Israel at this time?

The Amalekites are regularly assigned to live in and around the territory of Kadesh-Barnea; the Canaanites are not. Consult a good Bible dictionary or atlas, and determine the areas of their inhabitance.