Numbers 14:3, commentary and pictures

On the night the twelve spies returned, ten of them brought an evil report magnifying walled cities and giants until the whole congregation broke into lamentation and murmuring against Moses and Aaron on the border of the promised land. The question accuses the Lord of bringing Israel to Canaan only to fall by the sword and leave wives and children as a prey, and judges it better and safer to return to Egypt into slavery. It expresses unbelief and distrust of God's wisdom and power to give the land, forgetting how He had delivered from four hundred years of bondage, judged Egypt, destroyed Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea, and conducted them thus far. That complaint was apostasy and high rebellion stirred by faithless spies under Satan's control, treating God's promise as deception, rejecting His leading and discarding Moses, and wishing to make a new captain to take them back. God took the people at their word about dying, so those over twenty would die in the wilderness during forty years of wandering while the children they feared would become a prey were instead brought into the land.

Setting and Complaint

The question was asked on the night the twelve spies returned from viewing Canaan, when ten of them, working under the wily foe, brought back an evil report that magnified the difficulties. That report emphasized strong people, walled and fortified cities, the sons of Anak and giant inhabitants, though the description of the land itself was correct. On hearing it the hopes of the people gave way to fear, discouragement and near-panic stirred by exaggerated, disappointing tidings.

The whole congregation broke into lamentation, mourning, bitter reproaches, wailing and faultfinding, murmuring against Moses and Aaron. This took place at the Jordan on the border of the promised land, where Israel dishonored the Lord by giving way to unbelief after He had fulfilled His word to Abraham to deliver after four hundred years of bondage, visited Egypt with fearful judgments, brought His people forth, and destroyed Pharaoh and his pursuing army in the Red Sea. Instead of waiting and reasoning that God who had brought them out thus far and helped under every difficulty would certainly give them the land, they yielded at once to discouragement and trusted not in Him who had hitherto led them.

The verse accuses the Lord of bringing Israel unto that land only to fall by the sword and to leave wives and children as a prey to be killed or taken captive. It questions His wisdom and judges that it would be better and safer to return to Egypt than to enter and face death and capture. With that question the people wished they had died in Egypt or in the wilderness.

The complaint joined murmuring against Moses and Aaron with rejection of God's leading and deliverance, discarding Moses their patient leader. The people said to one another to make a new captain, commander and leader to take them back to Egypt into slavery, hardship and bondage rather than seek His direction. In that rebellious spirit they forgot God's past deliverance, promise and miracles, so that Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation.

Unbelief, Rebellion, Judgment

The question expresses weak confidence, despair, unbelief and distrust of God's wisdom, power and ability to bring Israel safely in and give the land, notwithstanding the miracles He had wrought in their behalf. Overwhelmed by the discouraging report, the people imagined He had brought them there only to be killed by the sword and to leave their wives and children as a prey to be killed or taken captive, and they judged that returning to Egypt would be better and safer. The report of the spies about fortified cities and giant inhabitants was correct, but the fatal mistake was distrusting God's power, and that distrust alone kept Israel from entering then, for they acted as though possession depended on their own strength rather than on His gift.

That unbelief forgot how the Lord had helped under every difficulty and conducted them thus far, and it limited the power of the Holy One. It forgot His word to Abraham to deliver after four hundred years of bondage, His visiting Egypt with fearful judgments, His bringing the people forth, His destroying Pharaoh and his pursuing army in the Red Sea, and His leading by a strong arm and a series of miracles. Instead of waiting and reasoning that the God who had brought them out so far would certainly give them the land, they yielded at once to discouragement and blamed Moses and Aaron for bringing them into trouble.

The complaint was apostasy, perversity and high rebellion that rejected God's leading and deliverance. It treated His promise of the land as deception and accused God Himself of dealing deceitfully in promising a land they could not possess, while discarding Moses their patient, suffering leader. The rebellion was stirred by faithless spies under the control of Satan doing his intended work, who by a lying report broke down the courage of all Israel and predicted defeat. God had planned easy access into Canaan and was holding back the armies that inhabited it, but Israel walked and worked at cross-purposes with Him, and the rebellion became so serious that it called for the presence of God Himself to adjust matters and He purposed to destroy Israel.

God took the people at their word about dying in Egypt or in the wilderness: those over twenty would die in the wilderness before reaching the promised land, and Israel must wander forty years for refusing to advance. The children they feared would become a prey were instead brought into the land. Their later claim that they could have taken the land earlier and their complaint that the delay was unnecessary showed bitter resentment over that delay and failure to trust God. After God declared the forty years of wandering, Israel tried to enter Canaan after the favorable time had passed and the opportunity was lost. Though Moses warned that the Lord was not with them and their enemies were prepared, their presumptuous advance on their own impulses ended in defeat, and they were not to try to avert God's pronounced judgment by following human impulse.

Warning for Later Times

The verse warns against the same cowardly complaining and withdrawal from action when risks arise in later service for God. After the spies' report Israel treated entering the promised land as a threat that would leave wives and children killed or captive, and judged return to Egypt better than trusting God and going forward. That fear and distrust expressed the unfaithful spies' spirit of predicting defeat instead of trusting God, and murmuring in hardship repeats that failure. Looking back toward Egypt instead of moving forward with God is the backward course to be rejected as His people serve and seek to save souls.

It illustrates turning back and resisting God's purpose just at the threshold of entering the promised land, even while preparing to enter Canaan and returning to a former course. It is a steady retreat from following Christ the Leader toward Egypt, a want of spiritual power at which few are alarmed or astonished. That backward turn from the journey toward Canaan is a pattern of influence that leads away from heavenly things and back toward the world.

Remembering Numbers 14:1-10 warns against repeating the spies' work by spreading exaggerated, discouraging reports. Israel believed entering the land would bring death and expose wives and children to capture, and questioned why God had brought them there instead of leaving them in Egypt. Such reports stirred the people to disappointment and near-panic, discouraged confidence, and turned them from a faithful, forward path.

The murmuring against Moses in adverse circumstances shows the temptation of men and women to complain against him who stands in the most responsible position in the cause and work of God, especially when he is under constant pressure of care and labor. It belongs to Israel's rebellious fear and distrust after reaching the promised land, complaining that God had brought them there to die and wanting to return to Egypt. It illustrates how those who resist correction answer opposition with murmuring, self-justification, and separation from God's work.

Leading God's people backward into Egypt instead of forward in the way He leads means refusing the light on health reform and turning back to self-indulgent habits in eating and drinking. Leaders commit this sin by both precept and example when they stand aloof from instructing the people and set a wrong example before the churches.

The verse teaches not to let desire to get out of an appointed place lead to the same defeat, but to wait and not rush one movement upon another. Israel's complaint came through believing the testimony of the unfaithful spies, even though the Lord was holding back the armies that inhabited Canaan. Because of unbelief Israel did not make the right move at the right time and its opportunity was lost. God's devised plan is to be given every advantage and not cut across, and His pronounced judgment is not to be averted by following human impulse.