NUMBERS

Numbers Chapter 14

• Numbers 14:1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 
• 2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! 
• 3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? 
• 4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. 

We see here the reason for what the old Pentecostal believers used to call, "Being prayed up" or "Praying through". We need the word and constant prayer to avoid the kind of circumstances that is happening here. Before we criticize the Israeli people here we need to remind ourselves that we too can fall into unbelief and fear if we don't do as Jesus instructed and "Watch and pray" that we do not enter into temptation. 

We need to pray and be watchful in the things of the spirit to keep our faith strong. 

It is like Peter at the time he got out of the boat to go to Jesus. At first Peter was full of faith when He saw the Lord walking on the water and not sinking. He wanted permission to do the same thing. As long as His eyes were on the Lord, he was fine but the minute he started looking at the wind and waves about him, fear and unbelief crept in. He began to sink. 

One bad report from the 10 spies had the whole congregation plunged into unbelief and despair. They were ready to go back to Egypt. They forgot the miracles, the manna, the Red Sea and the hard bondage. They actually wanted to go back into bondage. 

This is unbelief and this can happen to every one of us if we get our eyes off the coming of the Lord, the foundation of Jesus Christ and do not watch and pray. We need the study of the written word the our God provided us with. Praying constantly without stopping for long periods of time helps keep us full of faith. Without this there is nothing ahead but defeat. There is a lot of talk of walking by faith but faith is built up by our constant prayer life, study of the word and worshipping with fellow believers in a believer's meeting whether we call it church, congregation or prayer meeting. If a bride and groom get married and then go back to their jobs, get involved in a lot of things and rarely see each other, chances are that marriage will not last. We need to walk in the presence of God to remind ourselves that He is there in good times as well as bad.

• Numbers 14:5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 
• 6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: 

When those that have faith and love God see the unbelief of their brethren, it causes a reaction like this. It's like they felt like screaming. "Have you forgotten what a mighty God we serve?"

Notice how few in number are those that stand for the truth in comparison to those that fall away. We get so worked up over numbers sometimes and think a large crowd shows success with God or doing the will of God. Not so. 

Out of possibly millions or maybe even billions of people, only 8 were saved at the flood in Noah's day. To our modern way of thinking Noah would have been counted as a complete failure. Yet Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Wouldn't that be a wonder to have God say that about us. "He" or "She" found grace in the eyes of the Lord?

Remember the story of the harlot Rahab. Her family were spared when a whole city perished because she dared to fear God. 

Remember the time when Jesus spoke to many followers and the majority began to leave and he was left with few. Was Jesus a failure? He was the only one with the words of eternal life. 

• Numbers 14:7 And they spoke unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 
• 8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 

The words, "If the Lord delight in us," is important here. To delight the Lord is to believe in Him and take heed to His word. Unbelief is about to rob these people of the promised land. 

• Numbers 14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 

Truly by the power of almighty God the defense would depart from those that come against His people unless His people went back into unbelief. 

• Numbers 14:10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. 

Little did they realize the Lord heard every murmur and saw all their anger and unbelief. 

• Numbers 14:11 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them? 
• 12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they. 

The Lord probably knew that Moses would not take Him up on the offer to start another nation with just him and his family. But here we are going to see a true leader of all leaders when we see Moses intercede for these rebellious people. Here we see Moses as a type of Christ. 

• Numbers 14:13 And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) 
• 14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. 
• 15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, 
• 16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore unto them therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. 
• 17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, 
• 18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. 
• 19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. 

Moses knew the mercy of the Lord and counted on that to save these people from perishing. Also we see that Moses was very concerned that God's reputation also was on the line. For Israel to fail, it would bring a reproach upon the name of God. God said He would have used Moses alone to start up a new nation but Moses had mercy on the people. I think God knew Moses would do just that. This is good leadership. Moses cared about the people.

• Numbers 14:20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word: 

God heeded the cry of Moses just like the sacrifice of Jesus Christ brings forgiveness of sin and mercy to those that have sinned and turned to Christ. We never know what the effectual fervent prayer of an intercessor who seeks God on behalf of a soul may accomplish. 

Never stop praying until we receive the answer. 

• Numbers 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. 
• 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 
• 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 

All those over the age God considered accountable would not see the promised land except the two who stood up and believed God. 

• Numbers 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. 
• 25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea. 
• 26 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron saying, 
• 27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. 
• 28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: 
• 29 Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, 
• 30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. 
• 31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. 
• 32 But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness. 
• 33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. 
• 34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. 
• 35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. 

We see God's mercy but we see also God's judgment for unfortunately without His judgment men will not fear God and sin gets worse. They lost out because of unbelief and rebellion against the goodness and mercy of God. 

Those now that reject God's only way of salvation through trusting in Jesus Christ will one day face the judgment of God. God makes a way for man to have eternal life and not spend eternity in hell but so many would rather keep their sins rather than take that way out. 

• Numbers 14:36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, 
• 37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD. 

The ten unbelieving spies died by a plague as an example upon those that listened to them. 

Words of Paul:

• Romans 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 

We do not realize the joy that awaits those that trust and believe in the Lord and looking for His return.

• Numbers 14:38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still. 
• 39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly. 
• 40 And they rose up early in the morning, and got them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned. 

Now they rebel again and think they can just go in their own strength and take that land but they will see that without the Lord's presence they are helpless before the enemy. 

• Numbers 14:41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper. 
• 42 Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies. 
• 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you. 
• 44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp. 
• 45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah. 

The saying, "With God all things are possible," is so true here. Without God we can do nothing that is of any value but with God all things can be accomplished. 

To build up our faith in God we need to stay in His presence and learn to pray until we have prayed through. We need to apply His word to our lives so that we have it hidden in our hearts. We don't have to abide in unbelief and we don't have to do anything in our own strength. 

God gave us first the hope of eternal life, forgiveness of sin and salvation through faith in Jesus. Second He gives us victory over the world and baptizes us with the Holy Spirit to abide with us. He gives us the hope of the return of Christ to set up an everlasting righteous kingdom. He gives us the written word to keep us from being deceived and falling back into sin. 

There is much more we receive from God to help us to not only spread the gospel but to keep us safe until He returns again. Then one day He will say to us, "Well done they good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord." Just as unbelief robbed so many of the final prize, we too can be robbed if we allow unbelief to enter our souls and keep us from walking in the spirit and the love of God. -DC