“AND WHEN we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness.” Here Moses makes Israel realize the power of the hand that led them all along the way those forty long years. “And we came to Kadeshbarnea,” to the mountain of the Amorites.
Moses told them that God had given them that mountain. “Bold,” he said, “The Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.”
But alas, unbelief worked in their hearts. In spite of all the proofs of God’s power and goodness which they had experienced since the day He had brought them out of Egypt, they had no faith to trust Him now. So we read of them wanting to send spies — to see if the land was as good as the Lord had said it was, and how strong were the people in it.
God had sanctioned their sending the spies; it was further proof of the goodness of the land, for the huge bunch of grapes and the fruit they brought back proved that. But they rebelled against the Lord and refused to go up because they said, “The people is greater and taller than we.” In their unbelief they exaggerate saying, “the cities are great and walled up to heaven.”
But more than that they murmured saying, “Because the Lord hated us, He hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.” How sad to see the love and care of the Lord counted as hatred. What is the human heart not capable of! “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Jer. 17:99The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9).
Moses had pleaded with the people, saying that the Lord had carried them as a man would carry his son all the way. But nothing could avail. They would not obey the voice of the Lord. So their unbelief shut them out of the land and brought upon them those long years of discipline. The Lord said, “Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land,... save Caleb,... because he hath wholly followed the Lord"... and “Joshua,... which standeth before thee.”
Then the people said, “We have sinned against the Lord, we will go up and fight,” and the men of war prepared to fight. But there was no real work of repentance in their hearts, for when the Lord told them to turn again into the wilderness they rebel again. They would go into the land without God and in their presumption they ascended the hill. But the Amorites came down and chased them as a swarm of bees might. It was a humbling defeat and they came and wept bore the Lord, who would not listen to them.
Unbelief, disobedience and wretchedness are found together. On the other hand where there is confidence in God and submission to His will there will surely be happiness and blessing.
ML-10/20/1974