Numbers 14:31, commentary and pictures

God turns Israel's fear upside down by promising to bring the very little ones their parents said would be plundered by the sword into the land their parents despised, rejected and provoked Him over, to know, possess and experience it while the rebellious adults die in the wilderness. The saying belongs to the sending of twelve rulers as spies from Kadesh, whose evil report of giants, strong peoples and walled cities led Israel when commanded to go up to refuse, accuse God of deceit and give way to indulgence. Though the nation was spared utter destruction by pestilence and disinheritance, the murmuring men from twenty years old and upward who had seen His glory and tempted Him ten times were sentenced to fall in the wilderness without seeing the sworn land, except Caleb who followed fully and Joshua, while their children would wander forty years, a year for each day of searching, until the carcasses were wasted. That wandering need not have been, for had Israel obeyed Christ as general with heaven's angels ready as Jericho later proved, they would have entered long before, and their sorrow was not repentance to reverse the sentence, so their late attempt against warning without God ended in defeat. The promise was fulfilled when the next generation trusted and entered under a pledged divine Leader, yet it carries warning, for their unbelief was like their parents' and the history of the spies stands as a lesson for God's people near the second advent against complaining, drawing back from risk and rejecting faithful counsel.

Rebellion and Sentence

The verse belongs to the mission sent from Kadesh to survey the promised land, permitted and carried out by one ruler from each tribe. On return the spies reported its fertility yet the majority claimed its strong people, giants and fortified cities made conquest impossible for Israel.

After that evil report Israel when commanded refused to go up and take the land, fearing its strong inhabitants and accusing God of deceiving them. Appetite-led indulgence had brought grievous sin and judgment in the wilderness, while the little ones feared to become prey were spared to know the land their parents despised. That rebellion is why Israel did not enter Canaan at once but spent forty years in the wilderness, a delay later resented. When Israel then reversed course and determined to go up and fight, warning was distinctly given that God would not be with them, yet the warning was refused and going contrary to direction brought defeat by enemies. One account of that unbelief and rebellion, of wandering forty years with death in the wilderness for those twenty years old and upward from leaving Egypt, does not explain the distinct promise to bring the little ones in.

Though the nation was pardoned from utter destruction by pestilence and disinheritance after a plea appealing to longsuffering and great mercy, to honor before Egypt and the nations who heard of presence in cloud and fire, anger was awakened against rebels blessed with great light. As spoken, so it was done to them: the men who had seen glory and miracles in Egypt and the wilderness and tempted ten times without hearkening would not see the land sworn to the fathers, neither any that provoked, but all numbered from twenty years old and upward who murmured would not come in and their carcasses would fall in the wilderness. Only Caleb who had another spirit and followed fully, and Joshua, were excepted to enter Canaan. The ten spies whose report stirred the rebellion were struck down. In contrast the little ones said to be prey for the sword, claimed to be seized as spoil, would be brought in by God Himself to know, possess and experience the country their parents rejected, despised and provoked Him over. Their children would wander in the wilderness forty years and bear whoredoms until the parents' carcasses were wasted, after the number of days of searching the land, forty days, each day for a year, to know breach of promise.

The sentence to wander remained in force, and sorrow over losing the rejected land was grief over judgment, not repentance, and did not reverse it. The forty years need not have happened but came because the evil report of the faithless spies was received and rebelled against. Had Israel been obedient, heaven's army under the generalship of Christ would have taken them into Canaan long before, with angels in the camp ready as later proved by the leveling of Jericho's walls without human power. After the declaration to wander, the later attempt to enter came too late, for enemies were prepared and Israel was defeated. That defeat followed refusal to heed distinct warning that God would not be with them when they went out contrary to direction after refusing to go up when commanded.

The word that the rebellious generation would certainly all die in the wilderness proves the leader righteous and Korah and his company wicked, so to receive the leader is to receive that wilderness death. The people were unwilling to believe and submit to it, tried to call it imposture, invention and deception, held to the pleasant words and special interest shown by the men who perished, and blamed the leader for their destruction. Dathan and Abiram refused to believe God had spoken the sentence, claimed it was invented, accused the leader of causing failure to enter and receive fields and vineyards, and utterly refused any longer to acknowledge authority. Korah, Dathan and Abiram charged the long wandering unto death to selfish design, claiming apparent interest from the first aimed to keep the people wandering until they perished and to come into possession of their property, fields, vineyards and possessions. Contrary to that charge stood self-sacrificing patience and disinterested efforts in behalf of the people while in the bondage of slavery, the memory of which disturbed consciences so that some were not wholly with Korah and sought to speak in behalf. They falsely called Egypt a land flowing with milk and honey, claimed to have been led out to be killed in the wilderness that the leader might make himself prince and enrich himself, and refused the authority set over them. Once fully convinced of wrong in unjustly accusing, they saw past rebellion in its true light and were terrified at the fate to die in the wilderness, acknowledged the leaders were right, confessed rebellion against their authority was sin against the Lord, and confessed Korah and those who perished with him were sinners justly suffering wrath. Yet through refusal to accept that they must die there, with visible evidence in broken ranks and missing numbers, they still failed to learn from the earlier rebellion.

Children Inherit Land

In reversal of fearful complaint that wives, children and little ones would become prey and spoil for the sword in Canaan, God Himself would bring in those little ones to know, possess and experience the land their parents despised, rejected and provoked Him over, while the rebellious adults died in the wilderness. As they had spoken so it was done to them: the men numbered from twenty years old and upward who murmured, who had seen glory and miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness and tempted ten times and did not hearken to the voice, would not see or come into the land sworn to their fathers, neither any that provoked, their carcasses falling in the wilderness, save Caleb who had another spirit and followed fully and Joshua. Though pardon from utter destruction was granted upon a plea appealing to longsuffering and great mercy and to honor before Egypt and the nations who had heard of dwelling among Israel in cloud and fire, anger was awakened against rebels blessed with great light. Their children would wander in the wilderness forty years and bear whoredoms until the parents' carcasses were wasted, after the number of the days of searching the land, forty days, each day for a year, to know breach of promise.

The grown generation that came out of Egypt, except Caleb and Joshua, was barred from Canaan for wicked murmurings, jealousy and unbelief, and only their little ones would be brought in. Appetite-led indulgence had brought grievous sin and judgment, and the adults who rebelled and rejected Canaan would die in the wilderness while their children whom they feared would become prey would be brought into the land they had despised. They would first wander weary years bearing the consequences until nearly all the grown men who insulted God perished, yet the promise was fulfilled when the next generation entered Canaan under a safe divine Leader pledged to guide them if they followed His directions. What was purposed at the exodus from bondage to give, including Jericho, the fathers might have possessed forty years before had they trusted God as their children did, and the later capture of Jericho proved it. The forty years of travel need not have happened but came because the evil report of the faithless spies was received and rebelled against, for had Israel been obedient heaven's army under the generalship of Christ would have taken them into Canaan long before, and the leveling of the walls of Jericho without human power proved angels under Christ were in the camp ready to do this.

The promise to the children carried danger, since their spirit of unbelief resembled their parents' and they too might fail to receive what was promised. The history of the twelve spies applies to God's people today as the time of the second advent nears. Cowardly complaining and drawing back from action when risks are to be encountered, and unwillingness to heed faithful reports and true counsel, are re-enacted now as in the days of Caleb and Joshua, with ancient Israel repeatedly tested and found wanting and few receiving faithful warnings, and the same darkness and unbelief increasing as the end nears. Truth becomes less palatable to the carnally minded whose hearts are slow to believe and tardy to repent, while false ideas, jealousy and distrust crowd God out, though He bears long, forgives wanderings and waits for room in the heart. Servants who bear the burden of the cause in self-denial and privation are little appreciated, few dare come boldly forward and stand firmly for God and the right as Caleb did, those chosen to conduct the work who will not turn from integrity become the target for hatred and malicious falsehood, and Satan works warily in these last days calling for men of spiritual nerve and stamina to resist his artifices.