Chapter Fourteen
Rebellion and Attempt to Murder
14:1 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 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! 3 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?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
Hearing the negative report from the ten spies, the people began to wallow in sorrow and despair, loudly crying throughout the night. The people grumbled against Moses and Aaron, convinced they are going to die in battle, so they decided to go back to Egypt. They begin by looking for a leader to take them back.
From worry to complaining to rebellion, it would not be difficult to imagine some of the people being concerned to the point of panicking. But note the words, “all the people,” and “the whole congregation,” this insurrection had the majority, if not all the people in a frenzy.
14:5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. 6 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 7 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. 8 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. 9 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.” 10 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.
Moses and Aaron fell prostrate before the crowd, not in acknowledgment or agreement with the people, but to humbly seek God’s guidance and influence. Meanwhile, both Joshua and Caleb tear their clothes[1] and try to reason with the crowd. They explained that the land was exceptional and that if God found favor with them, they could have the land, just don’t rebel against YHWH! The word translated here as ‘rebel’ is the Hebrew ‘tim·rō·ḏû’,[2] being only the second time this word appears in the Bible (see Genesis 14:4), usually describing the activity of resisting authority.
Understanding that with God’s help victory would be assured, Joshua and Caleb tell them not to fear these inhabitants, for “they are bread for us,” meaning they will be easily consumed. Their protection (Hebrew ‘ṣil·lā’,[3] referring to a shade or a shadow, often used as a metaphor for divine protection, see Psalm 17:8; 36:7-8; 57:1-2; 91:1; 121:5) has been removed, in other words, their gods and goddesses will be powerless against the God of Israel. Firm in their resolve and faith in God, the two men once again tell the people of Israel to not fear the people of Canaan, that YHWH is with them!
But that was not enough, the people had already made up their minds and did not want to hear anymore from Joshua and Caleb, and they called for everyone to stone them to death. Then the glory of YHWH appeared at the Tabernacle for all to see (Hebrew ‘ḵeḇôḏ’).[4]
14:11 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? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
God asks Moses, “How long will this people despise me?” The Hebrew word translated here as ‘despise’ is ‘yenǎ·’ǎṣǔ’,[5] appearing here for the first time in Scripture, refers to the rejection of wise counsel. Then He asks, “How long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?” Each one had a “front row seat” to witness incredible signs of God’s power and authority, but yet they still didn’t trust Him and they are now willing to kill those that do. This is another example of the extreme depravity of the human mindset[6] .
Not waiting for any response from Moses, God continues with a statement of what He is going to do. He was going to strike them with pestilence and disinherit them. Instead, he told Moses that He would make a great nation from him, one mightier than the Israelites.
Moses Intercedes, Again
14:13 But Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, 14 and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people. For you, O LORD, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, 16 ‘It is because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’ 17 And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, 18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.”
Similar to how Moses intervened for the people when they rebelled against God and erected a golden calf while Moses was away, Moses once again intercedes, using the same argument regarding “God’s reputation,”[7] Moses asks God to demonstrate His power by holding back His punishment, noting a promise given to him after the golden calf incident shortly before restoring the covenant (see Exodus 34:6-7). He asks that God forgive the people, according to His steadfast love, just as He has done for them from the time they left Egypt until now.
God's Judgment Coming
14:20 Then the LORD said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. 21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. 25 Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”
God told Moses that He had forgiven them. Just as Moses requested, the people will be allowed to live. Although pardoned from death, they were still going to be punished. To emphasize the truth regarding the outcome of this group’s lack of faith, God states that the punishment is as good as done, just as it is true that YHWH lives and that the earth will be filled with His glory, two irrefutable truths. Perhaps this was stated this way to help Moses realize that he won’t be able to change God’s mind regarding the following punishment. None of them that saw God’s glory and all of the signs and wonders He performed in Egypt, and in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, will see that land.
He mentions that they, “put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice.” This statement has been interpreted in varied ways. Most commentators believe it is a rhetorical expression to something that has been done ‘repeatedly’ (multiple offenses). The Arakin Tractate of the Talmud identifies them as:
It has been taught on Tannaite authority Said R. Judah, “Ten trials did our ancestors impose upon the Holy One, blessed be he: two at the shore of the sea, two in the water, two in regard to the manna, two in regard to the quail, one in regard to the [golden] calf, one in the wilderness of Paran.”[8]
In addition, none of the people who despised God would be allowed to see the Promised Land either, including the ten spies who instigated the negative report (see verse 37).
God then recognizes Caleb, calling him His servant. Since he had a different temperament than the others and that he desired to fully follow Him, He was going to allow him and his descendants to enter and live in the Promised Land.
Since none of the Israelites were going to be entering the land any time soon, God told them to turn around and leave the area, as the Amalekites and the Canaanites lived there in the valleys. They were to return to the wilderness towards the Red Sea (Gulf of Aqaba)[9]
14:26 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 27 “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me. 28 Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: 29 your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, 30 not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.’ 35 I, the LORD, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die.”
Apparently at a later time, God is now speaking to both Moses and Aaron, He asks them a rhetorical question, “How long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me.” (Numbers 14:27, NLT) He then gives them instructions on how they are to explain the punishment to the people, offering a more graphic but greater detail description of how they are going to spend the next forty years.
Once again, He leads off with a truthful proclamation, just as assured that He is alive, their dead bodies will fall in the wilderness (not in the Promised Land). Then to clarify, He says that no one counted in the census being twenty years old and older will be allowed in the land, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb who did not grumble against Him. Since the Levites were not counted in that census (see Numbers 1:47–54), it appears that they were, along with the priests and Moses, not participants in the insurrection.
God explains that their children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, having to suffer for the sins of their parents until the last person dies. A forty-year period was selected to represent one year for each day the spies were in the land, so they would know God’s displeasure for their actions. They would spend the rest of their lives in the wilderness.
14:36 And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land— 37 the men who brought up a bad report of the land—died by plague before the LORD. 38 Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.
The ten spies who came back with the bad report that sparked the rebellion, were killed with a plague. Of the twelve sent, only two survived, Joshua and Caleb.
Defeated in Battle
14:39 When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 40 And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned.” 41 But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will not succeed? 42 Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. 43 For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.” 44 But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.
Moses relayed to the people what God told him and Aaron, and just as one would expect, they “mourned greatly.” However, they must have been accustomed to being forgiven and fully absolved. They were pardoned from death but never absolved of their sin. This may be the reason why they never took obedience to God seriously, as they were always (or nearly always) completely forgiven and absolved (not held accountable for their sins and certainly not punished for them). This time it was different, but they still thought they would be forgiven and allowed to enter the Promise Land without any problem.
Instead of turning around, they continued towards the hill country and the Promised Land. Moses attempts to stop them by asking, why are they disobeying God? Especially since they knew that they would not succeed! Moses pleaded with them to stop, reminding them that God was no longer with them. He also warned them that they would fall and die from doing battle with the Canaanites and Amalekites who lived in the mountains where they were heading. They completely ignored Moses and left the camp, even though they were never to proceed without God and the Ark, which now stayed in camp with Moses and undoubtedly the other Levites. The Amalekites and the Canaanites defeated them and chased them to Hormah (name later given to a location where cities were destroyed, see Numbers 21:3).
Considerations
Earlier we asked, why would God tell Moses that those witnessing these demonstrations of God’s power would not believe him?[10] Here we can ask a similar question, why would people continuously grumble against God, disobey God and consider Him unable to protect them if they have seen firsthand many supernatural miracles, signs and wonders? Mankind’s ability to be self-absorbed has no equal in the universe!
Another question one might ask at this time would be, what motivated these people to once again disobey God and attempt to enter the Promised Land after He said no? Was it because they were unwilling to spend any more time in that forsaken wilderness? Were they presumptuous in thinking God would change His mind? Perhaps it was adolescent selfishness. Were they truly sorry? Were they acting out of guilt and shame?
This was not true repentance, it was recklessness. One commentator said it best, “Tears without repentance flow from the eyes but not from the heart.”[11] As mentioned before, God alone knows the truth, regardless of words or actions, He knows the human heart (remember Jeremiah 17:9).
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[1] See Considerations under Genesis 37:34-36.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 4775.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 6738.
[4] See commentary under Genesis 28:2-3.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 5006.
[6] See Considerations below Exodus 4:10-17.
[7] See commentary under Exodus 32:11-13).
[8] Neusner, J. (2011). The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary (Vol. 21b, pp. 91–92). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.
[9] See Considerations under Exodus 14:30-31.
[10] See Considerations under Exodus 4:10-17.
[11] Brown, P. E. (2008). Deuteronomy: An expositional commentary (p. 20). Leominster, UK: Day One Publications.