Text: Numbers 14

Context: The setting is 15^th B.C. in the ancient Near East. Israel is again demonstrating weak, anemic faith in God, and they largely turn upon their human leader Moses who–yet again–intercedes before God on their behalf.

Numbers 14 is the historical account of yet another dramatic unfolding of the gospel in the Old Testament. It’s the story of God’s unchanging word; of sinful humanity; of God’s prophetic mediator and leader; of sacrifice; and judgment. All of this is in Numbers 14. 

The chapter opens with the people of Israel whining about having it better in captivity in Egypt. Why all this struggle, Moses? Why not let us be like the rest of the nations—relatively comfortable slaves to pagan rulers: “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt” (Num 14:1-4 ESV). 

And what does God do? Does He immediately judge the people for their hardheartedness? Does He vanquish them? No. He has a mediator, Moses, who intercedes on behalf of a sinful people. Why? Because the “LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression” (Num 14:18a ESV). 

Connection to Our Day: God’s people are to live by God’s words, by His covenant promises, but we are just like unbelieving Israel. We demand the comforts of this world. We don’t want to walk by faith in God but by sight upon the lures of today.

And yet God has His one and only ultimate prophet, priest, and king, and His name is not Moses or David or Caleb or any military or political leader, but rather Jesus. He’s the only fully faithful One. Will we look to Him, or will we perish in the wildernesses of this world? 

Encouragement: “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort disobedience” (Heb 4:11 ESV). That rest, that land of promise, that milk and honey imagery that Scripture uses throughout to teach, points to Christ. He’s the One to whom the wandering soul is to look, because He alone has conquered and is the installed King of kings and Lord of lords.