Num 14:1 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel. And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
The tribes of Israel were confronted with two reports regarding the Promised Land. Two of the twelve spies (Caleb and Joshua) said, Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it (Numbers 13:30). The message of the other ten spies was, “What God promised about the land is true; nevertheless, the natives of the land are too mighty, and we cannot overcome them, despite what God has promised” Those who refused to trust God and His promise were not a minority or even a slight majority. Unbelief spread among God’s people like an epidemic, infecting virtually all of Israel.
The unbelief of the ten spies accurately represented the unbelieving heart of the nation. Israel wept that night when they heard that the enemies in Canaan were strong. Their tearful grief had at least four distinct aspects.
i. They mourned because God would not make it all “easy.” We often expect this of God and therefore we often resent adversity. This is to forget the example of Jesus, who faced great difficulty in life and ministry. We may forget that we, as disciples, are not above Jesus our Master.
ii. They mourned with resentment against God, putting the blame on Him. In doing this, they denied that the LORD is a loving Father who cares for His children.
iii. They mourned and gave in to the feeling of unbelief and fear. This sorrow allowed their feelings to overwhelm their thinking and actions, instead of being directed by a thinking faith in the living God. This was a sinful and unbelieving trust in the feelings of fear and sorrow.
iv. They mourned over a loss. We often mourn because something has died. They felt the promise of Canaan had died, becoming impossible. Instead, God wanted them to “die” to their unbelief and their trust in self.
This shows the great tragedy of unbelief. Less than two years out of Egypt, Israel here stood on the threshold of the Promised Land. Over the first ten chapters of Numbers Israel was fully prepared to live and go forward as people suited for God’s Promised Land. They had been ordered and organized; cleansed and purified; set apart and blessed; taught how to give and how to function as priests. In that period, Israel was made to remember judgment spared and deliverance brought; they were given God’s presence as a guide, and the tools needed to lead the people. Yet, unbelief prevented this otherwise prepared people from receiving God’s promises. Tragically for this generation of Israelites, God would give them what their rebellious, unbelieving hearts wanted. They would die in the desert, never making it to the Promised Land. Israel rejected a life of faith. If God intended to lead them into a deeper trust than before, they wanted no part of it. When we distrust and doubt God, we should ask which attribute of His we think will fail. Do we think God has lost His power? His goodness? His honesty? His faithfulness? His love? Their fear and unbelief were willful rebellion. Therefore, Joshua and Caleb appealed to the will of the people, asking them to decide to give up their rebellion and return to the LORD. Israel did not have to give in to their feelings of fear, of anger against the LORD, of unbelief. By God’s grace they could choose to submit to Him and trust Him. Those who live in rebellion and unbelief often find those who live in faith and submission to God to be aggravating and disturbing. This is especially true if those who live in faith try to correct or guide the rebellious and unbelieving. (Guzik)
“Often in a state of rebellion against God, one loses the benefit of spiritual mooring, whereby wisdom and discernment become elusive and proper decision making is made extremely difficult. Worry and fear dominate one’s thought patterns.” (Cole)
“So, my brethren, let us strip our discouragements and murmurings of all their disguises, and see them in their true character, and they will appear in their own naked deformity as discrediting God. It is true the difficulty before us may appear great, but it cannot be great to the Lord, who has promised to make us more than conquerors.” (Spurgeon)