The Children of Israel were all stirred up by the negative report of ten of the twelve leaders who had had a glimpse of the Promised Land. They had reported it was a ‘no-go-area.’ They portrayed themselves as grasshoppers in a land inhabited by giants. It was so upsetting that they contemplated stoning Moses and Aaron, their spiritual leaders, to death. No end of convincing could get them to budge. They were not going to risk their lives – even where the land fulfilled the characteristics of ‘milk and honey.’
Somehow, they had turned deaf ears to the positive report given by Joshua and Caleb, who had opposing views on the matter. Amidst the brouhaha, Caleb silenced the crowd in the presence of Moses and reassured them: “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” (Numbers 13:30)
The way we react is often based on the kind of report we listen to, and are ready to accept. Where the ten saw difficulties and were making declarations like; ”If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? And they said to each other, ‘We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.’ ” (Numbers 14:2-4) Joshua and Caleb saw a God-given and golden opportunity to launch an immediate attack to take possession of the Promised Land.
For the Children of Israel, there was no gainsaying that God had let them down. They could not understand how He would want to thrust them into the hands of giants, or into the mouth of a lion, to have them slaughtered and their families taken hostage. Outraged, they had manifested their dissatisfaction with their leaders and had expressed the need to have them replaced. In their eyes, Moses and his brother Aaron, had failed dismally.
Life is like a road strewn with mountains and valleys that we must scale or wade through in order to grow up. It is an on-going battle that we must seek to win or learn lessons from. Fainting at the first hurdle would be a sign of immaturity that would take the wind off our sails. We ought to build up resistance to the challenges of life - if we must move ahead. Astonishing but true, the Children of Israel had rather retrace their steps and return to Egypt – to their slave masters, than to make any attempt to conquer Canaan.
That was the greatest error ever the Children of Israel could have committed. They despised God – literally serving Him notice. It was so serious, God appeared on the scene to handle the matter Himself. He said to Moses “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? (Numbers 14:11)
The Children of Israel were going to pay dearly for despising God – and this despite Moses’ intervention. “I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them ...” (verse 12) God’s cup was full. He affirmed that these people had tested Him ten times and this was the last straw that had broken the camel’s back. While He promised to forgive them for underestimating Him, He swore; “…as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs that I performed in Egypt and in the desert and who disobeyed me and tested me ten times – not one of them will ever see the land that I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. ” (verses 21-24)
Very often, we talk of God’s goodness, loving kindness and tender mercies. We only see Him as a loving Father patient – “slow to anger and abounding in love.” We hardly picture Him as a righteous Judge - taking offence at the way people treat and deal with Him. “Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hands to be your home…” (verse 30) With the exception of Caleb and Joshua, none of the spies who gave a bad report entered the Promised Land. In fact, they were “struck down” and they “died of a plague before the Lord.” in the Desert of Paran.
The full wrath of God fell upon the Children of Israel for having dared to turn their backs on Him - who had led them through the Red Sea; provided food (manna) and water from a rock for them. They rejected the offer of the Promised Land because they had to fight to take possession of it. Henceforth, they were going to wander in the wilderness for forty years. One by one they were going to fall in the desert. “They will meet their end in the desert, there they will die.”
What would it seem like if you got to the threshold of your breakthrough and failed to get in because of one word of doubt in God’s ability to deliver? I bet you are familiar with the adage; ‘Opportunity once lost shall never be regained.’ And so it was that the Children of Israel wandered for forty year in the desert until all of them who rebelled against God perished.
Are you rebelling against God? Is your intelligence or your position leading you to believe you do not need Him to get on in life? Think again! You may not have a second chance. “Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7).
