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God was angry with the generation of Israelites that went astray. He had freed them from their bondage in Egypt and they had witnessed His miraculous deliverance from slavery. Yet their hearts were rebellious and stubborn – a stiff-necked people. They provoked and tried His patience. They saw His works firsthand but chose to be disloyal. Numbers 14 described the rebellion that was rooted in hearts of the Israelites in their wilderness journey.
As a community they raised their voice, complained and grumbled to Moses and Aaron. Even though Joshua and Caleb vouched of the land that was “exceedingly good” flowing with milk and honey, the people remained unmoved. They contemptuously refused to believe and trust. They paid the price for their unbelief – their bodies lay in the desert and their children suffered for their father’s unfaithfulness to the Almighty God for forty years. Fear of the Amalekites and Canaanites, as being of great size blurred their vision of all that the LORD had done and that God (I AM), who was and is, was much greater and more powerful than all their enemies.
Nonetheless the LORD in His mercy and in answer to Moses’ plea forgave them (Num 14:20). But forgiveness is not likened to full restoration because they were vacillating in unbelief. They were not in complete fellowship with God because of their consistent doubts about the care and concern God has for them. They did not receive His promises and they could not enter into His rest.
What lesson does this have for present day believers? The Christian faith is not merely forgiveness of sin and salvation by faith; it is an on-going relationship with God that grows and develops in faith and obedience. It is complete reliance, trust and belief in the Omnipotent God in all His ways and in all His promises. He will judge us, His children, for our skepticism and agnostic behaviour when we do not seek and claim the promises He gave to all of us. Inasmuch as He punished the Israelites for 40 years in the desert, He will not hesitate to punish us with long and arduous wanderings in our own private deserts. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take” (Prov. 3:5-6 NLT).
