Numbers 14:8

14:5-10 Moses and Aaron were astonished to see a people throw away their own mercies. Caleb and Joshua assured the people of the goodness of the land. They made nothing of the difficulties in the way of their gaining it. If men were convinced of the desirableness of the gains of religion, they would not stick at the services of it. Though the Canaanites dwell in walled cities, their defence was departed from them. The other spies took notice of their strength, but these of their wickedness. No people can be safe, when they have provoked God to leave them. Though Israel dwell in tents, they are fortified. While we have the presence of God with us, we need not fear the most powerful force against us. Sinners are ruined by their own rebellion. But those who, like Caleb and Joshua, faithfully expose themselves for God, are sure to be taken under his special protection, and shall be hid from the rage of men, either under heaven or in heaven.

If the Lord delight in us,.... Continue to delight in them as he had, and as appears by what he had done for, them in Egypt, at the Red sea, and in the wilderness; see Deuteronomy 10:15 , then he will bring us into this land, and give it us, as he has promised: a land which floweth with milk and honey; as the Lord himself hath described it, and as the unbelieving spies themselves had owned it; Numbers 13:27.

Numbers 14:8-9 . If the Lord delight in us — If by our rebellion and ingratitude we do not provoke God to leave and forsake us. They are bread for us — We shall destroy them as easily as we eat our bread. Their defence — Their conduct and courage, and especially God, who was pleased to afford them his protection, till their iniquities were full, is utterly departed from them, and hath given them up as a prey to us. The Lord is with us — By his special grace and almighty power, to save us from them and all our enemies. Only rebel not against the Lord — Nothing can ruin sinners but their own rebellion. If God leave them, it is because they drive him from them, and they die, because they will die.

Already Caleb had endeavored to still the people before Moses Numbers 13:30 ; already Moses himself ( Deuteronomy 1:29 ff) had endeavored to recall the people to obedience. After the failure of these efforts Moses and Aaron cast themselves down in solemn prayer before God (compare Numbers 16:22 ); and the appearance of the glory of the Lord in the "tabernacle of the congregation" Numbers 14:10 was the immediate answer.

At this murmuring, which was growing into open rebellion, Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces before the whole of the assembled congregation, namely, to pour out their distress before the Lord, and move Him to interpose; that is to say, after they had made an unsuccessful attempt, as we may supply from Deuteronomy 1:29-31 , to cheer up the people, by pointing them to the help they had thus far received from God. "In such distress, nothing remained but to pour out their desires before God; offering their prayer in public, however, and in the sight of all the people, in the hope of turning their minds" (Calvin). Joshua and Caleb, who had gone with the others to explore the land, also rent their clothes, as a sign of their deep distress at the rebellious attitude of the people (see at Leviticus 10:6 ), and tried to convince them of the goodness and glory of the land they had travelled through, and to incite them to trust in the Lord. "If Jehovah take pleasure in us,"; they said, "He will bring us into this land. Only rebel not ye against Jehovah, neither fear ye that people of the land; for they are our food;" i.e., we can and shall swallow them up, or easily destroy them (cf. Numbers 22:4 ; Numbers 24:8 ; Deuteronomy 7:16 ; Psalm 14:4 ). "Their shadow is departed from them, and Jehovah is with us: fear them not!" "Their shadow" is the shelter and protection of God (cf. Psalm 91 ; Psalm 121:5 ).

The shadow, which defends from the burning heat of the sun, was a very natural figure in the sultry East, to describe defence from injury, a refuge from danger and destruction ( Isaiah 30:2 ). The protection of God had departed from the Canaanites, because God had determined to destroy them when the measure of their iniquity was full ( Genesis 15:16 ; cf. Exodus 34:24 ; Leviticus 18:25 ; Leviticus 20:23 ). But the excited people resolved to stone them, when Jehovah interposed with His judgment, and His glory appeared in the tabernacle to all the Israelites; that is to say, the majesty of God flashed out before the eyes of the people in a light which suddenly burst forth from the tabernacle (see at Exodus 16:10 ).

[Reformed Biblical] for the people’s blasphemy against God and sedition against Moses, and that dreadful judgment which they easily foresaw this must bring upon the congregation and people of God. Numbers 14:7 Numbers 14:8 If by our rebellion and ingratitude we do not provoke God to loathe and forsake us. Numbers 14:9 ## They are bread for us; we shall destroy them as easily as we do our bread or common food. Compare Num_24:8 Psa_14:4. ## Their defence, i.e. their counsel, conduct, and courage, and especially God, who was pleased to afford them his protection till their iniquities were full, Gen_15:16, is utterly departed from them, and hath given them up as a prey to us. ## The Lord is with us, by his special grace and almighty power, to save us from them; and from all our enemies. Numbers 14:10 Now in the extremity of danger, to rescue his faithful servant s, and to stop the rage of the people. ## In the tabernacle, i.e. upon or above the tabernacle, where the cloud usually resided, in which the glory of God did appear upon occasion, and now in a more illustrious manner, as the s tate of things required. Numbers 14:11 Numbers 14:12 This was not an absolute determination, as the event showed, but only a condition, like that of Nineveh’s destruction within forty days, with a condition implied, except there be speedy repentance, or powerful intercession. Numbers 14:

26–33. The Disaffection of the People Israel defied the command to go up ( Deuteronomy 1:26 ), murmuring that in hate God had brought them from Egypt, to be destroyed by the Amorite ( Deuteronomy 1:27 ). quoting the spies that the people of the land were taller with fenced cities, and the ‘Anakim were there ( Deuteronomy 1:28 ). Moses exhorted them not to fear, Jehovah would fight for them ( Deuteronomy 1:29 ff.). But they persisted in unbelief ( Deuteronomy 1:32 ), though God had never failed to guide them ( Deuteronomy 1:33 ).—In the parallel account which is compiled from JE and P the few J E fragments, Numbers 13:30 f., Numbers 13:33 , Deuteronomy 14:1 b , Deuteronomy 14:3 f., Deuteronomy 14:8-9 b , imply the people’s disquietude at the spies’ report and state that Caleb quieted them, but the other spies contradicted, affirming that the giant ‘Anakim (J), the Nephîlim (E), were in the land. The people wept, Why doth Jehovah bring us to this land to fall by the sword? were it not better to return to Egypt under another captain? Someone (Caleb?) exhorted them not to fear, Jehovah is with us.—P, Numbers 13:32 ; Numbers 14:1 a , Numbers 14:2; Num 14:5; Num 14:9 a , Numbers 14:10 a , states that on the evil report of the spies, that the land was hungry and the men of great stature, the congregation murmured (a different term from that in the deuteronomic review) against Moses and Aaron. Would God we had died in the wilderness!