GOD'S ANSWER

Passage: Numbers 14:20-45

Key verse: 24

NIV

20 The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them,(A) as you asked. 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live(B) and as surely as the glory of the Lord(C) fills the whole earth,(D) 22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs(E) I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times(F)— 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath(G) to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt(H) will ever see it.(I) 24 But because my servant Caleb(J) has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly,(K) I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.(L) 25 Since the Amalekites(M) and the Canaanites(N) are living in the valleys, turn(O) back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.[a](P)”

26 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.(Q) 28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live,(R) declares the Lord, I will do to you(S) the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wilderness your bodies will fall(T)—every one of you twenty years old or more(U) who was counted in the census(V) and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land(W) I swore with uplifted hand(X) to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh(Y) and Joshua son of Nun.(Z) 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.(AA) 32 But as for you, your bodies will fall(AB) in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years,(AC) suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 For forty years(AD)—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land(AE)—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things(AF) to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.(AG)”

36 So the men Moses had sent(AH) to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble(AI) against him by spreading a bad report(AJ) about it— 37 these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report(AK) about the land were struck down and died of a plague(AL) before the Lord. 38 Of the men who went to explore the land,(AM) only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.(AN)

39 When Moses reported this(AO) to all the Israelites, they mourned(AP) bitterly. 40 Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country,(AQ) saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned!(AR)”

41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed!(AS) 42 Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,(AT) 43 for the Amalekites(AU) and the Canaanites(AV) will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you(AW) and you will fall by the sword.”

44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up(AX) toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp.(AY) 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites(AZ) who lived in that hill country(BA) came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.(BB)

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Footnotes
  1. Numbers 14:25 Or the Sea of Reeds
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ESV

God Promises Judgment

20 Then the Lord said, “I have pardoned, (A)according to your word. 21 But truly, as I live, and as all (B)the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, 22 (C)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 (D)ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 (E)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 (F)Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has (G)followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. 25 (H)Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys, (I)turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

26 And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 27 “How long shall (J)this wicked congregation grumble against me? (K)I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me. 28 Say to them, (L)‘As I live, declares the Lord, (M)what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: 29 (N)your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and (O)of all your number, listed in the census (P)from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, 30 not one shall come into the land where I (Q)swore that I would make you dwell, (R)except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 (S)But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that (T)you have rejected. 32 But as for you, (U)your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your children (V)shall be shepherds in the wilderness (W)forty years and shall (X)suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 (Y)According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, (Z)forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.’ 35 (AA)I, the Lord, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all (AB)this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die.”

36 (AC)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—(AD)died by plague before the Lord. 38 Of those men who went to spy out the land, (AE)only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.

Israel Defeated in Battle

39 When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people (AF)mourned greatly. 40 And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, (AG)“Here we are. We will go up to the place that the Lord has promised, for we have sinned.” 41 (AH)But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the Lord, when that will not succeed? 42 (AI)Do not go up, (AJ)for the Lord is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. 43 For there (AK)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 (AL)But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither (AM)the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed out of the camp. 45 Then (AN)the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to (AO)Hormah.

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1. Caleb has a different spirit (2

-35)

God relented. He would give them the land--but they must receive desert training for 4

years--until the men who disobeyed God's command in unbelief all died in the desert. There were two men with a different spirit--Caleb and Joshua. They were men of faith and obedience who followed God wholeheartedly. They would enter the land. God still blesses and uses people who trust and obey him.

2. Presumptuous people (36-45)

The explorers who had planted doubt and fear in the people all died. Moses delivered God's word to the people. They regretted their unbelief. They confessed their sin, but still they did not obey God's word. They decided to enter the land. Moses told them clearly that this was disobedience and that God would not be with them. But they disobeyed and went, and they were terribly defeated.

Prayer: Lord, keep me from presumptuous sins that arise from fear and unbelief. Help me to follow you wholeheartedly. Help me to plant faith in others.

One Word: Don't regret--repent