REBELLION AND DEATH

The Israelites celebrated the second Passover while they were camped at Mount Sinai (Number 9:1-5). A month later (thirteen months after leaving Egypt) “the cloud was lifted up above the tabernacle of the testimony. The Israelites traveled on from the Wilderness of Sinai, moving from one place to the next until the cloud stopped in the Wilderness of Paran” (Numbers 10:11-12).

Camped at a place called “Kadesh” (Numbers 13:26), God directed Moses to send twelve men, one from each tribe, on a reconnaissance mission. “See what the land is like, and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. Is the land they live in good or bad? Are the cities they live in encampments or fortifications? Is the land fertile or unproductive? Are there trees in it or not?” (Numbers 13:18-20).

Upon their return, they reported: “We went into the land where you sent us. Indeed it is flowing with milk and honey, and here is some of its fruit. However, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified” (Numbers 13:27-29).

Ten of the spies gave a negative report. “We can’t attack the people because they are stronger than we are! … The land we passed through to explore is one that devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw in it are men of great size. We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim! To ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them” (Numbers 13:31-33).

The other two spies, Caleb and Joshua, trusted God for victory. “Let’s go up now and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it!” (Numbers 13:30). “The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us. Only don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don’t be afraid of them!” (Numbers 14:7-9).

Sadly, the majority report was accepted. The faithless Hebrews refused to follow God, and the price of rebellion was death. For thirty-nine more years, the Hebrew people wandered aimlessly in the wilderness until all the adults who had witnessed the Exodus had been buried in the sands of Sinai.

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”

(Romans 6:23).

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).