Numbers 14:29, commentary and pictures

After Israel accepted the spies' evil report and rebelled at Kadesh, God sentenced that numbered generation from twenty years old and upward to fall and waste in the wilderness during the wandering rather than enter Canaan. He answered them out of their own mouths and took them at their word, doing to them as they had spoken in His ears when they wished they had died in Egypt or in the wilderness. Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun were excepted because they followed Him fully, and their little ones whom they said would be a prey would be brought in to know the land their parents despised, while their children wandered forty years bearing their iniquity until the murmurers died. The sentence came for unbelief and rejection of the land, continual rebellion, murmuring and complaining, with idolatry and backsliding added, proving His promises to bring them in were conditional on obedience. That history of cowardly complaining, drawing back from risk, and unwillingness to heed faithful counsel is re-enacted by professed people now, and the unbelief that kept old Israel out will keep believers now from rest unless they avoid their fathers' course.

Context and Wording

The sentence was pronounced after Israel accepted the evil report of the spies and rebelled at Kadesh, condemning that murmuring adult generation to die in the wilderness during the wandering rather than enter Canaan. Those counted from twenty years old and upward who murmured against Him were sentenced to fall there through forty years of wandering for their unbelief and rebellion. The judgment followed rejection of the faithful spies in fear and unbelief, and before Israel reached Canaan again it was fulfilled with the bodies of that generation buried in the wilderness. When the people afterward tried to go up, the favorable time had passed, and going contrary to warning they were defeated by their enemies. Later they regarded that long sojourn as unnecessary, wrongly claiming they could have taken Canaan sooner, and continued murmuring against God.

God answered the people out of their own mouths and took them at their word, doing to them as they had spoken in His ears when they wished they had died in Egypt or in the wilderness. All that were numbered from twenty years old and upward who had murmured would have their carcasses fall and waste in the wilderness and would doubtless not come into the land He swore to make them dwell in and give them. Their punishment answered their own wish and formed part of forty years of wandering reckoned from leaving Egypt and the exodus, during which children bore the whoredoms and iniquity of parents forty years, a year for each day the land was searched, until the murmuring generation all died. So they would know His breach of promise and altering of purpose, proving His promises are upon condition of obedience, for by rebellion, murmuring and idolatry they forfeited claim to favor and protection and obliged Him to change His purpose that they should enter. Their little ones, whom they said would be a prey, would be brought in to know the land their parents despised, while only Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, who followed Him fully, were exempted and promised reward above the host by going into Canaan. The men who brought the evil report and provoked the rebellion were themselves consumed by fire from the sanctuary and struck down before their eyes.

All who were numbered and ready to find fault with Moses, ordained to lead to Canaan, and to murmur even against God Himself fell in the wilderness for transgression, rebellion and unbelief after refusal to trust and obey following the spies’ report. Only two of that adult generation remained faithful enough to see the land, only two adults of the army that left Egypt entered Canaan, Caleb and Joshua being excepted from the judgment while their children would possess it. The surrounding declaration names Caleb and Joshua as the exceptions to the exclusion of the numbered generation from the promised land. Their fate warns against forgetting Him, idolatry, disobedience, leaving God and imitating rebellious Israel, for those who do so will fall as surely, and it teaches those upon whom the ends of the world are come to seek conversion and the mind of Christ instead of easily rebelling and giving battle without calmly considering whether there is cause against those chosen to act an important part in the last great work.

The oath of judgment was spoken to Moses for Israel after the evil report, because the men had seen His glory and miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness and had tempted Him ten times and had not hearkened to His voice. In revolt and mutiny they cursed Moses and Aaron, wished they had died in Egypt or in the wilderness, reproached Him for bringing them to fall by the sword, and proposed making a captain to return to Egypt, so He declared as they had spoken in His ears so He would do to them. Though He pardoned according to intercession because He is long-suffering and of great mercy and for the sake of His name among the nations, those numbered from twenty years old and upward who murmured would still have their carcasses fall in the wilderness and would doubtless not come into the land sworn to their fathers. Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, the murmurers were still excluded, while their little ones, which they said should be a prey, would be brought in to know the land they had despised.

Those Spared and Included

Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun were excepted from the sentence that all numbered from twenty years old and upward who murmured would fall and die in the wilderness, because they followed Him fully. They alone of that numbered generation were spared to go into Canaan, and were promised reward above all the host of Israel by entering the land. Only two of those who left Egypt as adults and as an army saw the promised land, while all the rest of that adult generation died in the wilderness during the forty years of wandering. Of the multitude who left Egypt, only two entered it, the disobedient and rebellious journeying forty years until the rest were buried.

Their little ones, whom they said would be a prey, would be brought in to know the land their parents despised. The children would possess Canaan after the parents who refused to trust and obey following the spies' report were sentenced to die for rebellion and unbelief. Their children would wander forty years, reckoned from leaving Egypt, bearing their whoredoms and the iniquity of their parents forty years, a year for each day the land was searched. They would continue wandering until that murmuring generation all died, so they would know His breach of promise and altering of purpose as punishment that obliged Him to change His purpose toward them, proving His promises are upon condition of obedience.

Causes of Judgment

The sentence fell for unbelief and rejection of the land, for continual rebellion and murmuring and complaining, with idolatry added, and with jealousy, obstinacy and backsliding joining the account. By rebellion and murmurings the numbered people forfeited all claim to favor and protection, and obliged Him to change His purpose that they should enter. Their obstinate refusal of sent warnings and persistent course of backsliding drew out wrath for obstinacy, unbelief and idolatry. The same unbelief that condemned the first generation later reappeared among their children, and indulgence of appetite is named as part of the turning aside that cost them entrance.

He in mercy turned them backward and shut them in where for forty years they would see neither city nor town until all who continually murmured from twenty years old and upward died. He could not work for them while their hearts were filled with bitter murmuring, for they were in no fit state to appreciate what He would do for them. They would not sanctify Him in their hearts and give Him glory, and a manifestation of power against enemies would only have filled them with pride and self-importance.

Indulgence that let appetite and passion control reason led them into grievous sin, brought wrath upon them, and kept nearly all who left Egypt from entering. Their overthrow came through gratification of appetite, by which the adversary controlled them, and the fall of those twenty years old and upward who murmured is set forth as his success in turning them from the divine purpose. He boasted from it that power was not able to resist him and bring Israel to Canaan, and that when Christ should come in man's nature He would be weaker and would be overcome. The same pattern is seen in Adam and Eve yielding to forbidden appetite, warning professed Christians who let appetite and passion rule that they are not walking in favor. Their failure is presented as part of a standing method of overcoming through appetite and indulgence.

Doubting, fearful thought produced its own fulfillment, for as a man thinks in his heart so is he. On the borders of Canaan the spies feared walled cities, giant warriors and iron chariots and left God out, and the multitude echoed that they were not able to go up, and their words proved true in that all numbered from twenty years old and upward who murmured wore out their lives in the desert and perished. By contrast Caleb and Joshua reasoned that promise was superior to giants, walled cities and chariots of iron and that they were well able to overcome, and their word proved true. Though they shared the forty years' wandering they entered the land, each receiving according to faith, with Caleb as courageous in age as when he left Egypt, asking and receiving the giants' stronghold as his portion, driving out the Canaanites in divine strength and possessing vineyards and olive groves where his feet had trodden, so that while cowards and rebels perished the men of faith ate of the grapes of Eschol.

No long wandering was needed or desired, for He called Israel out of slavery to lead them into Canaan and make them reveal His character to idolatrous nations, and had they submitted, depended on Him and obeyed they would soon have entered. Christ Himself was their divine Leader under His direct leadership and personal interest in each person, guiding them through Moses by a much more direct route with pledge to bring them safely through. Heaven's army of angels under His generalship in the camp would have taken them in long before by the same divine power without human help that leveled the walls of Jericho. Not one who started from Egypt needed to fall a prey to disease or death in the wilderness, but unbelief entering their hearts with murmuring against Moses and Aaron for bringing them out brought punishment, so only two of the adults who left Egypt entered and the rest died during the forty years. Their unbelief and backsliding and refusal to do appointed work thus kept them out though He wanted to lead directly in, illustrating how such separation delays the work while others are raised up to carry it forward.

Fulfillment in Wilderness

The wanderings were extended until the rest were buried, keeping Israel wandering forty years until all or nearly all of the sentenced generation died there. Only two of those who left Egypt as adults saw the promised land, while rebellion was again and again punished with death. Had they been obedient they would soon have entered by a much more direct route under direct divine leadership, without falling prey to disease or death, to reveal His character to idolatrous nations, but disobedience and murmuring against Moses and Aaron brought the punishment. Their wish to die there was fulfilled during the forty years of wandering. The same satanic working then is at work today to introduce the same evils with the same result of laying many in their graves.

It was a merciful decision to turn them backward and enclose them where they would see neither city nor town, for with hearts filled with bitter murmuring they were in no fit state to appreciate what would be done for them. A manifestation of power against enemies would only have filled them with pride and self-importance, since they would not sanctify Him in their hearts and give Him glory. When the decision was made known, madness and rage turned to bitter regret and lamentation because the punishment was known to be merited, yet unbelief and rebellion cost them everything.

The ten unfaithful spies who provoked the rebellion were themselves struck down before their eyes, consumed by fire from the sanctuary. Their death signified the destruction of all in their ranks above twenty years of age who had murmured, because of rebellion, murmuring, jealousy and idolatry. The children would wander forty years reckoned from leaving Egypt until that murmuring generation all died, bearing iniquity forty years, a year for each day the land was searched, so they would know breach of promise as punishment obliging a change of purpose toward them. Only Caleb and Joshua were spared, while the little ones said to be a prey would be brought in to know the land their parents despised.

Refusal to go up and take the land when commanded brought the judgment, and when Israel then determined to go up contrary to direction the favorable time had passed. Moses warned distinctly that God would not be with them, and going out to battle without the Lord brought defeat by their enemies.

The judgment was fulfilled before Israel reached Canaan again, with the bodies of the rebellious generation buried in the wilderness. By the time Israel reached Mount Hor nearly all the adults who had left Egypt had perished, remembered with sorrow and self-reproach. Their broken ranks and missing numbers were visible signs of that judgment, but the people failed to learn and again rebelled.

The spoken word was verified by the outcome, for disobedience to law brought death of all but two, proving the Lord vindicates His word when His people depart from His commandments and will vindicate it today if leaders depart. God had led Israel out of bondage to give them Canaan including Jericho and to magnify His name among the nations, but wicked murmurings provoked wrath and forfeited it. The later capture of Jericho proved their fathers might have possessed the city forty years before had they trusted as their children did, for heaven's army of angels under Christ's generalship would have taken them in long before by the same divine power without human help that leveled the walls. The forty years of travel did not need to happen but came because they received the evil report of the faithless spies and rebelled.

Grieving over consequences after disobedience was not repentance and could not reverse the decree. Had they mourned their sin when it was exposed, the sentence would not have been pronounced.

Denial of Verdict

The rebellious congregation at first refused to receive the sentence that all numbered from twenty years old and upward who had murmured should fall and die in the wilderness and not enter the land as the word of the Lord. They blamed Moses and Aaron for it, saying Moses had spoken it on his own and the Lord had not said it. They tried to believe it was an imposture and a deception practiced upon them rather than God's judgment. Receiving Moses as righteous and Korah and his company as wicked would have compelled them to receive that death in the wilderness as certainly God's word, and they were unwilling to believe and submit to it.

Dathan and Abiram denied that God had spoken the decree and claimed Moses had arranged from the first never to bring them to Canaan. They accused him of causing their exclusion, of bringing them out to kill them in the wilderness to enrich himself with their possessions and to make himself altogether a prince over them. Korah, Dathan and Abiram together turned the required wandering until all or nearly all should die against him as selfish design to keep the congregation wandering until they perished so he could come into possession of their property. In denying the decree they called Egypt a land flowing with milk and honey, forgetting their sufferings there and the desolating plagues brought upon the land. They used the charge to refuse any longer the authority of Moses and Aaron.

The people decided instead that the men who had perished were good men who loved them and that Moses had caused their destruction. They feared that admitting Korah and his company were wrong and Moses was right would require accepting the sentence to die in the wilderness, so they rejected the evidence and continued resisting God's appointed leaders instead of repenting. Their exclusion from Canaan followed their own rebellion and disobedience, not mismanagement by Moses and Aaron.

At length they were compelled to believe the unwelcome truth that dying in the wilderness was indeed what the Lord had said. Seeing past rebellion in its true light left them terrified at their fate. Believing the sentence led them to acknowledge that Moses and Aaron were right, to confess they had sinned against the Lord by rebelling against their authority, and to confess that Korah and those who perished with him were sinners against the Lord who had justly suffered His wrath.

Warning for Today

The cowardly complaining and drawing back from action when risks must be met, and the unwillingness to heed faithful reports and true counsel as given by Caleb and Joshua, are re-enacted by professed people now in the same scenes of complaining, unbelief, and disregard for self-denying servants of God. Ancient Israel was repeatedly tested and found wanting, with few receiving the faithful warnings given them, though brought out of slavery in Egypt and guided toward Canaan under Moses as visible leader receiving instruction directly from God, and though given wonderful evidences that God was working for them and rules in heaven, yet they continually murmured and rebelled. Darkness and unbelief increase as the time of the second advent nears, truth becomes less palatable to the carnally minded, and hearts are slow to believe and tardy to repent. False ideas, jealousy, and distrust crowd Christ out despite long forbearance and forgiveness of wanderings, few enlightened by divine wisdom dare to stand firmly for God and the right as Caleb did, and those leading with integrity become targets of hatred and falsehood amid wary satanic working in the last days. The same satanic working that produced murmuring then is at work today to introduce the same evils, rebellion was punished with death so that only two of those who left Egypt as adults saw the promised land and the wanderings were extended until the rest were buried in the wilderness, and the same result will lay many in their graves.

The fate of the adults counted from twenty years old and upward, who rebelled and died in the wilderness for transgression with only two of the army that left Egypt entering Canaan, warns against forgetting God, idolatry, and disobedience, for those who leave Him and imitate rebellious Israel will fall as surely as they did. All but two died because they obstinately refused the warnings sent them and persistently kept to a course of backsliding, and their death was wrath poured out for obstinacy, unbelief, and idolatry. Their children who entered Canaan were warned not to follow the course their fathers had taken, and the same history warns believers now to avoid the same mistakes and failing to enter into rest because of unbelief. The old spirit of unbelief that kept Israel from the promised land will be imbibed by children unless they are kept close and away from worldly and evil influences and placed where they learn the truths of the Word line upon line and precept upon precept in preparation for the future immortal life, and the history stands as warning and evidence that transgressors are punished.

Readiness to find fault with Moses, ordained to lead to Canaan, and to murmur even against God Himself, with falling in the wilderness as the result, exemplifies those who feel at liberty to find fault with and censure those chosen to act an important part in this last great work. Instead of easily rebelling and giving battle without rationally, calmly considering whether there is anything to war against, they should seek to be converted and to obtain the mind of Christ, for the children of Israel are an example to those upon whom the ends of the world are come. Unbelief and backsliding kept the people from entering Canaan so that those who rebelled perished in the wilderness though God had wanted to lead them directly in, illustrating how unbelief and refusal to do appointed work can separate His people from Him and bring delay while others are raised up to carry the work forward.

The Hebrews who rebelled in the wilderness came under judgment and perished there, as Adam and Eve fell after yielding to forbidden appetite, warning that professed Christians who let appetite and passion rule are not walking in favor. Those who murmured and followed their own appetites and wishes died in the wilderness rather than entering, with only two of the multitude entering, and their choices also prevented the healthy posterity obedience and submission to requirements could have given.