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and Joshua had urged upon the people a confident faith in the Lord with respect to the
entry into possession of the land of promise.
"But all the congregation bade stone them with stones . . . . . And the Lord said unto
Moses, How long will this people PROVOKE ME?" (Numb. 14: 10, 11).
Their provoking was largely due to their unbelief, for the passage continues, "How
long will it be ere they believe Me?" The Lord threatened to disinherit and smite the
people, but upon the prayer of Moses He said, "I have pardoned according to thy word".
The people therefore were a pardoned people. But does this mean that they did go up
and possess the land? No, for after pronouncing the gracious pardon the Lord added:
"But as truly as I live . . . . . surely they shall not see the land . . . . . neither shall
any of them that provoked Me see it" (Numb. 14: 21-23; see also II Sam. 12: 10-12;
Psa. 99: 8).
Here we see the difference between "Hope" and "Prize".
In Numb. 14: 22 the Lord declares that already this people had tempted Him ten
times. The Companion Bible gives the `ten times' as follows:
(1)
At Red Sea (Exod. 14: 11, 12).
(2)
At Marah (Exod. 15: 23, 24).
(3)
Wilderness of Sin (Exod. 16: 2).
(4)
About manna (Exod. 16: 20).
(5)
About manna (Exod. 16: 27).
(6)
At Rephidim (Exod. 17: 1-3).
(7)
At Horeb (golden calf) (Exod. 32:).
(8)
At Taberah (Numb. 11: 1).
(9)
At Kibroth Hataavah (Numb. 11: 4).
(10)
At Kadesh (Numb. 14: 2).
Each occurrence should be carefully studied, as each brings to light some ground of
provocation and forfeiture. One of the most frequent expressions in this series is that the
children of Israel "murmured". It will be remembered that in Philippians, the Epistle of
the PRIZE, the exhortation is:
"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be . . . . . the sons of
God, without rebuke" (2: 14, 15).
In I Cor. 10: also, this feature is brought forward:
"Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the
destroyer" (verse 10).
Murmuring may seem a small thing, but it is the seed of unbelief that departs from the
living God. On one of the occasions, that of Numb. 11: 4, it was the mixed multitude
that led Israel astray--the type of those "whose God is their belly, who glory in their
shame, who mind earthly things" (Phil. 3: 19). Israel murmured at the heavenly
provision of manna, saying "Our soul loatheth this light bread" (Num. 21: 5).