The People Murmur
Numbers 14, verse 1. Now all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. Numbers 14, verse 2. All the children of Israel were murmuring against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “Would we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this desert. Numbers 14, verse 3. Why did the Lord bring us to this land to fall in war? Our wives and children shall be plundered. It is better for us to return to Egypt.” Numbers 14, verse 4. So they said to one another, “Let us select a ruler and return to Egypt.” Numbers 14, verse 5. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the congregation of the children of Israel. Numbers 14, verse 6. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who spied out the land, tore their clothes; Numbers 14, verse 7. and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land we passed through to spy out is an extremely good land. Numbers 14, verse 8. Since the Lord chooses us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land that flows with milk and honey.’ Numbers 14, verse 9. But do not apostatize from the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our food; their time has come and gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” Numbers 14, verse 10. Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud upon the tabernacle of testimony before all the children of Israel.
Moses Intercedes
Numbers 14, verse 11. Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people provoke Me? How long will they not believe Me, with all the signs I performed among them? Numbers 14, verse 12. I will strike them with death and destroy them, and I will make you and your father's house into a great and more numerous nation than this one.” Numbers 14, verse 13. Then Moses said to the Lord, “But the Egyptians will hear it for by Your might You brought these people up from among them, Numbers 14, verse 14. and all the inhabitants of this land heard that You are the Lord among these people, who is seen plainly with the eyes, O Lord; and Your cloud stands upon them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Numbers 14, verse 15. Now You would wipe out this people as one man, and the nations that heard Your name will speak, saying, Numbers 14, verse 16. ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore to give them, therefore He spread them out in the desert.’ Numbers 14, verse 17. Now then, let Your strength, O Lord, be exalted in the manner You spoke, saying, Numbers 14, verse 18. ‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth, taking away lawlessness, wrongdoings, and sins; but He would not cleanse the guilty by repaying the sins of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ Numbers 14, verse 19. Remit the sin of this people according to Your great mercy, as You were merciful to them from Egypt even until now.” Numbers 14, verse 20. Again the Lord said to Moses, “I am merciful to them according to your word; Numbers 14, verse 21. but truly, as I live, and My name lives, and all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord; Numbers 14, verse 22. assuredly, all the men who are seeing My glory and signs, which I did in Egypt and in this desert, and put Me to the test now these ten times, and did not heed My voice, Numbers 14, verse 23. they certainly shall not see the land I swore to their fathers; but their children who are here with Me and do not know good nor evil, every inexperienced youngster, to these I shall give the land; however, all those who provoked Me shall not see it. Numbers 14, verse 24. Now My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land where he went, and his seed shall inherit it. Numbers 14, verse 25. Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow, turn and depart for the desert by the way of the Red Sea.”
The Murmurers Are Punished
Numbers 14, verse 26. Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, Numbers 14, verse 27. “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who murmur against Me? I heard the murmuring the children of Israel make against Me. Numbers 14, verse 28. Say to them, ‘As I live, says the Lord, surely in the manner you spoke in My hearing, so I will do to you: Numbers 14, verse 29. your bodies shall fall in this desert, and all your census, who were numbered from twenty years old and above, as many as murmured against Me; Numbers 14, verse 30. and you shall not enter the land upon which I stretched out My hand that you might settle upon it, except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun; Numbers 14, verse 31. but your children, whom you said would be plunder, I will bring them into the land, and they shall inherit the land from which you apostatized. Numbers 14, verse 32. But your bodies shall fall in this desert; Numbers 14, verse 33. however, your sons shall be shepherds in the desert forty years, and shall bear your fornication until your bodies are consumed in the desert. Numbers 14, verse 34. According to the number of the days you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My fierce anger. Numbers 14, verse 35. I the Lord have spoken; surely I will do so to all this evil congregation gathered together against Me. In this desert they shall be utterly destroyed, and there they shall die.’” Numbers 14, verse 36. Now the men Moses sent to spy out the land, and who when they returned murmured against him to the congregation by bringing an evil report of the land, Numbers 14, verse 37. those very men who spoke evil words against the land died by the plague before the Lord. Numbers 14, verse 38. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land.
The First Invasion Fails
Numbers 14, verse 39. Then Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned exceedingly. Numbers 14, verse 40. But they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place the Lord spoke about, for we sinned.” Numbers 14, verse 41. So Moses said, “Now why do you transgress the word of the Lord? For this will not be easy for you. Numbers 14, verse 42. Do not go up, for the Lord is not with you, and you shall fall before the face of your enemies. Numbers 14, verse 43. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from and disobeyed the Lord, the Lord will not be among you.” Numbers 14, verse 44. But they rebelled and went up to the mountaintop; nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses moved from the camp. Numbers 14, verse 45. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and turned them back and cut them down as far as Hormah. Then they returned to the camp.