King James Version

The Book of Numbers

Chapter 14

Commentary

Numbers 14

What do you say to a people whose discontentment leads to factions in the ranks? 

Num 14:1-4

This time it seems that Aaron is on the side of Moses in this scene. In verse two it says that all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. Often times it is Aaron who leads the revolt. Now it’s the revolt of the People and that against both of the highest ranking of them.  

It is here in verse 4 that the people have suggested a split. There is division in the camp. In cruel mockery, they even suggested a return to their land of slavery! It begins to appear that the Peoples' bondage was not in Egypt. Their bondage was from within them, individually and as a whole. Oh, how often we are ensnared by the words of our own mouth? (Job 9:20) 

Num 14:4-14

Again the People have kindled the wrath of God. The Lord established His name with these People, to set them apart from the heathen, to exalt His name, so that the Name of the Lord shall be known in all the earth. God is the One True God and He sets Himself apart from the heathen gods and their wretched rites. He speaks face to face with His People. 

Num 14:15

Moses petitions the mercy of God and reasons that if God should repent of these people, to smite them from upon the face of the earth, the heathen will accuse that God was unable to keep His covenant, that the people, after all that they had experienced with God could still not come to their Promised Land of dwelling. They further accuse that God slain the People in the wilderness as evidence that He had failed! 

Num 14:18

Moses continues his appeal to God by expressing His awesome attributes of longsuffering, great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgressions, just and consequential. At no point in this scripture does it appear that Moses would effort to be excused of the consequence, only not insomuch as to utterly cast them to the dust.

Num 14:22

God charges the People with ten separate counts of revolt and iniquity. He passes down the verdict and poses the sentencing upon the People in accord with His infinate mercy. None of the ten tribes shall see the Promise Land. When this generation passes on to the next, then the People may go forward into it.

Num 14:27

Generally after God does bestow an act of mercy and forgiveness to the People, He would express glad tidings toward them and that they may go forward on their path. This time He vents further with unto Moses and Aaron. He expresses His tolerance; He singles out Caleb and commends him for remaining faithful and of God's Spirit. He further rewards Caleb and his descendents the privilege to see the Land and to posses it. 

God is not slack concerning His promises. (2 Peter 3:9) I just wouldn't want the promises He declares, beginning in the next verse, 28. 

Num 14:33

God labels the sin of the People as "whoredoms". It is an interesting concept in contrast to the use we make of that word in today’s time. We do have a price to pay before we can indulge in lustful fulfillment. It always has a cost before it can be obtained, and it always has a digressive and regressive consequence resulting from it. This develops into a modified outcome from that which God has intended for us. We can be encouraged to know that upon repentance, God is faithful to cleanse us from this “storm trail” of consequence (1 John 1:9} in that He will make our “crooked to be made straight” (Isaiah 40:4). What do you think it means, if not that what is said is not clear? 

Num 14:34

God spoke sharply here, in verse 34. The People do constantly accuse God of being slack concerning His promises, in that they inquire, "Shall we die here in the wilderness. Should we rather instead to die at the hand of the slave masters." God's response is this, "and ye shall know my breach of promise...you ain't seen breach yet!" (Paraphrased)

Num 14:37

The People must now die out and fall to the land of the wilderness, just as they have swore that the Land of Promise would be perilous. This wilderness land will be their grave, but the immediate violators shall be swallowed up by the plague and this sentence was carried out promptly.

Num 14:38

Joshua and Caleb are the only two remaining of the 12 that have lived and only they and their little ones may see the Land "of milk and honey".

Num 14:40

In open rebellion, the People woke up early in the morning and climbed the mountain to behold a land that they presume to claim regardless of God's declaration and sentencing.  Moses said that the transgression would not prosper. Every effort will be in vain. God is not among them to engage the enemy; for they shall be smitten and fall before their enemies.

Num 14:45

A sad story, not unlike us in our individual lives today. We see and experience our "once in a lifetime" supernatural phenomina and so soon we forget. So soon do we begin to complain about that which we do not have or do not appreciate that which we do have. Soon, this gives way to "short term memory loss" and results in a sort of "blindness" because we cannot see so clearly the power of the Lord, and rightly so in that we never believed when we did see. 

Now that we can't see clearly because the light did depart from before us, we revert to doubt for lack of "seeing is believing". With God it is just the opposite, "believing is seeing". Once we begin to believe it, we will in equal measure begin to see it.

I thank You Father for Your seemingly endless mercies for me, such a rebellious and ungrateful abhorrence am I. How long will I suffer by my own lusts for that which pertains unto death? It wasn’t enough that I simply did long for that which I do not or that I should not have…I have gone on to beyond that, Oh God. I have lusted for the accursed thing. I have sought with diligence to indulge in that which clouds my mood, my keenness to Your guidance. I have continued to wallow in this mire in merriment and contentment.

Lead me away from my rebellious desires. Lead me to a clean and contrite heart, O God. This thing is too much for me. It is more that I can bear. It’s like nothing else I know, that I should thirst both for the goodness of Jesus and also that of “dirty water” in all of its filthy admixtures of iniquity.

For You alone can lift me out and beyond my wretched nature and to a longing from the very depths of my being, for Your presence I daily live. This is my hope of hope, that I can be closer to you than a brother or even a friend. I want to be as close as “speaking mouth to mouth” of Your will. I want to be so much more like you in every way. I just feel so far from it. Draw me close, Lord. I pray in Jesus’ Name.

Introduction

Numbers 13     Journey Through the Bible     Numbers 15