Israel – Page 7 – Praying Pint

47.r. “Wilderness” – 11.x. “Edom’s rejection of passage”

Num 20:14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. And when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King’s Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.” And the people of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.” But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.

20:14-21 The nearest way to Canaan from the place where Israel encamped, was through the country of Edom. The ambassadors who were sent returned with a denial. The Edomites feared to receive damage by the Israelites. And had this numerous army been under any other discipline than that of the righteous God himself, there might have been cause for this jealousy. But Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing; and now the hatred revived, when the blessing was about to be inherited. We must not think it strange, if reasonable requests be denied by unreasonable men, and if those whom God favours be affronted by men. (Henry)

The Edomites refused the visit of the Israelites in a most unbrotherly manner, and threatened to come out against them with the sword, without paying the least attention to the repeated assurance of the Israelitish messengers, that they would only march upon the high road, and would pay for water for themselves and their cattle. (Keil)

I don’t think it is hard to believe that the Edomites said no. They have heard of Israels release from Egypt by the mighty hand of God, how they have been able to survive close to 40 years in the wilderness, and now this relative is seeking to pass through their country. Up to now there had been no communication between the two. Can you imagine a county coming to your border and asking to pass through it. I don’t care how much assurance they give that they will not do any harm to your land or take from it, there is little chance of agreeing to it.

We do know that this was not the time or how God was going to move them into the promised land. It would have been man’s first thought that God would soften the hearts of the Edomites, their relatives, and allow them passage. Man’s ways are not God’s ways. Our thoughts are not His thoughts. His plans and purposes far exceed our understanding. He already knows the what is going to happen before it happens. We do well to stay close to Him in reverent fear and seek to follow, obey, trust, and rely upon Him in all things. His timing. His way. His purpose. His plans. For His honor and glory.

47.q. “Wilderness” – 11.w. “Because you did not believe in me”

Num 20:12  And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them he showed himself holy.

2 Chronicles 20:20     And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”

Isaiah 7:9    And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.’”

Matthew 17:17    And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.”

Luke 1:20  And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

Luke 1:45   And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Romans 4:20    No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

Deuteronomy 1:37    Even with me the LORD was angry on your account and said, ‘You also shall not go in there.

Deuteronomy 32:51    because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel.

Deuteronomy 3:23-26    “And I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying,  ‘O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours?  Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’  But the LORD was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the LORD said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again.

Moses and Aaron distrusted the word and power of God, and that they yielded to the impulse of impatience and anger, as betrayed both by the language which they used and by the double smiting of the rock, to which Moses had been commanded only to speak. To what degree Aaron was concerned in these sins can be inferred only from the facts that he, as well as Moses, was charged with the sin of unbelief, and that the punishment of exclusion from the land of Canaan was inflicted upon both. (Ellicott)

God is as able as ever to supply his people with what is needful for them. But Moses and Aaron acted wrong. They took much of the glory of this work of wonder to themselves; Must we fetch water? As if it were done by some power or worthiness of their own. They were to speak to the rock, but they smote it. Therefore it is charged upon them, that they did not sanctify God, that is, they did not give to him alone that glory of this miracle which was due unto his name. And being provoked by the people, Moses spake unadvisedly with his lips. The same pride of man would still usurp the office of the appointed Mediator; and become to ourselves wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. Such a state of sinful independence, such a rebellion of the soul against its Saviour, the voice of God condemns in every page of the gospel. (Henry)

And yet they did not doubt of the power of God, but of his will, whether he would gratify these rebels with this further miracle, after so many of the like kind. And besides the words themselves, it is considerable, both with what mind they were spoken, which God saw to be distrustful, and in what manner they were delivered, which the people might discern to come from misbelief or doubt. (Poole)

it is certain from the text that unbelief was their sin; they were diffident about the will of God to bring water out of the rock for such a rebellious people, and they did not put them in mind of the miracles God had wrought in former time, to encourage their faith; and so the Lord was not sanctified by them before the people, as he ought to have been. (Gill)

There are many thoughts about the sin that Moses and Aaron committed here that led to their banishment from entering the promised land. I think it is hard to understand their sin in the few words given in this scripture. Let us not go deeper than what is given, suffice it for us to know that we must guard our hearts and minds against taking glory away from God in times when it is clearly God who has done great things. He may have used us but the glory is all His, not ours. When we desire to spend time in God’s Word and think about the things of God – this is good and right. When we seek and desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all that we think, say, and do – this is right and good. When we seek to know our sinfulness so that we might know sinfulness and repent of it – this is right and good. When we seek and desire to grow in our understanding and knowledge of God’s grace, mercy, and love – this is right and good.

The problem is that we become complacent, neglectful, and lukewarm to God’s Word and things of God. We speak more of current events, politics, sports, and what’s in the news or social media outlets than things of God. Check your thoughts and speech today and see if there is more content of the worldly or Godly coming from both.

47.o. “Wilderness” – 11.u. “I am your portion and your inheritance”

Num 18:20-24  And the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel. “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting, so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance. For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel.”

Deuteronomy 10:9    Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God said to him.

Deuteronomy 14:29    And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your

Joshua 14:3    but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them.

Joshua 13:14     To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the LORD God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him.

Psalms 73:26   My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

You shall not have a distinct and separate portion of land, as the other tribes shall. The reason of this law was, partly, because God would have them wholly devoted to and employed in his service, and therefore; free from worldly encumbrances and businesses; partly, because God had abundantly provided for them otherwise by tithes and first-fruits and oblations of all sorts; partly, because God would have their worldly comfort and happiness depend singly upon him and his service, and so would; oblige them to use more zeal and diligence in the advancement of piety, even for their own interest, which was either better or worse as true religion flourished or decayed; see Judges 17:9,10 19:18 2 Chronicles 13:9 30:22 31:4; partly, that this might be a firm bond of hearty love and affection between the people and their teachers, the Levites, who, as they performed religious services for the people, so they received their subsistence from them; and partly, that by this means being dispersed among the several tribes, they might have the better opportunity for teaching and watching over the people, which was their duty, Deu 33:10 2 Chronicles 30:22 Malachi 2:4-7. (Poole)

God was necessarily to be regarded as the greatest possession of all, beyond which nothing greater is conceivable, and in comparison with which every other possession is to be regarded as nothing. Hence it was evidently the greatest privilege and highest honour to have Him for a portion and possession, “he who possesses God possesses all things; and the worship (cultus) of Him is infinitely fuller of delight, and far more productive. (Keil)

47.n. “Wilderness” – 11.t. “Grumblings of the people”

Num 17:1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers’ house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. Write each man’s name on his staff, and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers’ house. Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. And Moses deposited the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony. On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the LORD to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. And the LORD said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” Thus did Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so he did. And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to perish?”

The rod is also a picture of God’s authority over man (Psalm 2:9, 23:4, 89:32; Isaiah 10:24, 11:4, Ezekiel 20:37). Jesus, in His divine authority, was given the title the Rod (Isaiah 11:1 and Micah 6:9). The rod was also an emblem of an apostle’s authority in the church (1 Corinthians 4:21).

Murmurers (complainers) are rarely satisfied by evidence or the resolution of one issue. Complainers are usually not issue-motivated, though they may claim to be and appear to be. More often they are heart-motivated. They sometimes murmur because they have complaining, discontented hearts. The complaining heart is demonstrated when people murmur about one issue after another, never being satisfied. So, God would give them an unmistakable answer to this matter of contention – then rid Himself of the complaints.

When Moses checked on the rods the next day, Aaron’s rod – and only the rod of Aaron – had sprouted. But God gave, as in the words of Acts 1:3, many infallible proofs, to demonstrate His approval of Aaron’s leadership. God gives us more than enough evidence; our problem is a lack of willingness to see what He has made clear. The clear choice of Aaron meant that he was God’s chosen priest and the nation was required to recognize it.

Each murmurer from the different tribes took his rod, and clearly saw that his had not budded or borne fruit, and that Aaron’s had. We can imagine Moses carefully inspecting the other rods, noting that there was nothing on them resembling a sprout, bud, or blossom. This confirmed God’s choice of Aaron, Aaron’s authority as assigned by God, and that the authority of God’s appointed high priest is fruitful. The difference between Aaron’s rod and the others could be attributed to God alone. It was a miracle that only God could do. This should have made Aaron humbler; what God did to affirm the choice of Aaron was something that had nothing to do with Aaron himself. The unfruitful rods were given back to their owners. The fruitful rod was kept before the LORD.

Aaron’s rod was to be kept in the ark of the covenant, as another example of Israel’s failure and rebellion. When God looked down from heaven into the ark, He saw emblems of Israel’s sin: The tablets of the law that they broke, the manna that they complained about, and Aaron’s rod which was the answer to their rebellion. The covering blood of sacrifice was applied to the lid covering over these reminders of Israel’s sin, so God “saw” the blood “covering” their sin, and atonement was made.

God noted that their murmuring and complaining against Aaron was actually murmuring and complaining against Himself. At the same time, there was not another direct rebellion against Aaron’s authority as the high priest in Israel after this. “The sign was efficacious; for while the spirit of rebellion manifested itself subsequently in other ways, it may safely be said that any complaint against the rights of the God-appointed priesthood ceased from this time.”

Considering the miraculous confirmation of Aaron’s priesthood, the people feared they were next to be judged and destroyed, and this was not an unreasonable fear. This kind of feverish fear doesn’t necessarily mean their hearts were changed. (Guzik)

Hearts are only changed by God in the willing hearts and minds of those who’s hearts are soft to things of God.

47.m. “Wilderness” – 11.s. “He stood between the dead and the living”

Num 16:41 But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the LORD.” And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. And behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun.” So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah. And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped.

The gaping earth was scarcely closed, before the same sins are again committed, and all these warnings slighted. They called the rebels the people of the Lord; and find fault with Divine justice. The obstinacy of Israel notwithstanding the terrors of God’s law, as given on mount Sinai, and the terrors of his judgments, shows how necessary the grace of God is to change men’s hearts and lives. Observe especially, that Aaron was a type of Christ. There is an infection of sin in the world, which only the cross and intercession of Jesus Christ can stay and remove. He enters the defiled and dying camp. He stands between the dead and the living; between the eternal Judge and the souls under condemnation. (Henry)

True is God’s Word that says; “The hearts of men are bent on continually doing evil”, “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God”, “There is none that do good, no not one”, They have all turned aside”.

Judgment in light of God’s Holiness condemns us all. And yet, God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish. Why do we take this lightly and live as though His grace, mercy, and love are granted to us because we are worthy, we are not. The eyes to our hearts and minds should be open to His holiness and our sinfulness and there by know it is only by His great love, mercy, and grace are we saved from deserved judgment. In light of this great love our hearts and minds should be set on living in such a way that all we think, say, and do honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

There is fast approaching, a time when the grace, mercy, and love of God will be removed and replaced with His wrath and anger. The day is coming fast and is very near. Today is the day of salvation, redemption, and forgiveness of sins through belief, trust, and reliance in Jesus Christ. Just as the flood in Noah’s time, Korah’s rebellion, or a host of other examples of God’s judgment this will surely come and come quickly. Waiting for another day or until you have more time is telling God, “I reject your offer of salvation, redemption, and forgiveness”. I want to live in my sinfulness right up to the moment just before Your judgment. How many people walk out of their houses without a thought of this being their last day, and they die in their sin and enter eternity straight to Hell? Thousands each day. Our understanding of God’s wrath, anger, eternity, and torment is veiled. If we see it clearly and understand it fully our lives would be set on living in honor and glory for Jesus Christ our redeemer.

47.j. “Wilderness” – 11.p. “Korah’s rebellion”

Num 16:1-5 Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” When Moses heard it, he fell on his face, and he said to Korah and all his company, “In the morning the LORD will show who is his, and who is holy, and will bring him near to him. The one whom he chooses he will bring near to him.

Jud 1:8-11 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.

Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi,…. A great grandson of Levi’s, and own cousin to Moses and Aaron, being brothers children; for Amram the father of Moses and Aaron, and Izhar the father of Korah, were own brothers, both of them the sons of Kohath, and Amram the eldest, and Izhar the next. (Gill)

The many ample testimonies, nay, the astonishing miracles, whereby God had established the authority of Moses as chief governor, and of Aaron and his family as priests, were not sufficient to restrain the ambition of mutinous and designing men. Korah, a man of some note among the Levites, thinking himself undervalued, it seems, by the post he was in as a mere Levite, and being left without hopes of arriving at the priesthood, as things now stood, resolves upon a mutiny against them, and attempts to raise himself to the priesthood, by forcing them to change their measures, or else putting them down from their authority. Sons of Reuben — These are drawn into confederacy with Korah, partly because they were his next neighbours, both being encamped on the south side, partly in hopes to recover their rights of primogeniture, in which the priesthood was comprehended, which was given away from their father. Rose up — That is, conspired together, and put their design in execution; before Moses — Not obscurely, but openly and boldly, not fearing nor regarding the presence of Moses. (Ellicott)

Pride and ambition occasion a great deal of mischief both in churches and states. The rebels quarrel with the settlement of the priesthood upon Aaron and his family. Small reason they had to boast of the people’s purity, or of God’s favour, as the people had been so often and so lately polluted with sin, and were now under the marks of God’s displeasure. They unjustly charge Moses and Aaron with taking honour to themselves; whereas they were called of God to it. (Henry)

Korah perhaps said, “I’m also from the tribe of Levi, and Aaron is my cousin. Why does he get to be the priest and I don’t?” Dathan and Abiram perhaps said, “Reuben was the firstborn of Israel, so our tribe should lead. Why does Moses get to lead, and we don’t?” It is likely that Korah wanted some of the power and position that God had appointed to Moses. It was significant that this accusation was made publicly, in front of two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation…men of renown. Korah played to an audience, hoping to draw a following after himself. Korah accused Moses (and Aaron) of pride and self-seeking. The truth was that Moses didn’t become leader of Israel by ambition or desire, but by the direct calling of God. Moses had a clear, God-appointed position of leadership, but he was not a proud man. On a human level, Korah was successful because these two hundred and fifty leaders followed him. These men did not lead the rebellion, but they did not have the discernment to oppose Korah, and instead followed him. It is a big problem when 250 prominent leaders support a man like Korah. When Moses heard of the dangerous unbelief of Israel, he and Aaron fell on their faces before God (Numbers 14:5). Now, at the dangerous rebellion of Korah, Moses once again fell on his face, in a humble posture of prayer. issued a challenge where Korah and his followers would come before the LORD, and Moses and Aaron would also come, so that the LORD would make His choice of leaders clear. (Guzik)

Pride has a way of separating us from God. It can slip in and destroy communion with God. It can cause division. I can cause unwise decisions to be made. It can blind us to things of God. And, it can set us on a path of thinking, saying, and doing things that do not honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Pride will tell you that you can do things not in line with God’s Word, plans, or purposes. Pride will allow you to neglect God’s Word. Pride will allow you to become complacent in things of God. Pride will exalt self. There is no wisdom in pride. Oh, that we would have hearts and minds so tuned into the Word of God and things of God that we could discern prideful thoughts, words, and actions before they consume us.

47.i. “Wilderness” – 11.o. “And be holy to your God”

Num 15:37 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 11:44 For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy

Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Ephesians 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him

1 Thessalonians 4:7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.

1 Peter 1:15-16 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

We should use every means of refreshing our memories with the truths and precepts of God’s word, to strengthen and quicken our obedience, and arm our minds against temptation. Be holy unto your God; cleansed from sin, and sincerely devoted to his service; and that great reason for all the commandments is again and again repeated, I am the Lord your God. (Henry)

But be found in the observance of every moral precept, and of every religious ordinance and duty: and be holy unto your God: as in his presence, according to his will, and for his honour and glory, by keeping his holy commands, and living an holy life and conversation, well pleasing in his sight. (Gill)

For I am the Lord your God.—As the Lord who is their God is Himself holy, His people, in order to enjoy perfect communion with Him, must also be holy. Hence they must abstain from all these objects of defilement which mar that holy communion. (Ellicott)

Ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy, for I am holy; that is, separate themselves from all other people, and be distinct from them. By observing his commands, and living according to his will, and to his glory, they would be holy in a moral sense, as they ought to be, who were under the peculiar care and notice of a holy God, and so highly favoured by him. (Gill)

They were to sanctify themselves, that is, to avoid uncleanness, because God is holy, and they were God’s. (Unknown)

Do we give proper thought to the holiness of God? Do we even register a thought on being holy? Do we grow in our understanding of God’s Holiness by neglecting His Word? Are we ever growing in our knowledge of His holiness? Unless we grow in this knowledge we will never understand the depth of His grace, mercy, and love.

47.h. “Wilderness” – 11.n. “The man shall be put to death”

Num 15:32-36 While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. And the LORD said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.

For the deed was done with unblushing boldness in broad daylight, in open defiance of the divine authority—in flagrant inconsistency with His religious connection with Israel, as the covenant-people of God. (Brown)

Those are to be reckoned presumptuous sinners, who sin designedly against God’s will and glory. Sins thus committed are exceedingly sinful. He that thus breaks the commandment reproaches the Lord. He also despises the word of the Lord. Presumptuous sinners despise it, thinking themselves too great, too good, and too wise, to be ruled by it. A particular instance of presumption in the sin of sabbath-breaking is related. This was done as an affront both to the law and to the Lawgiver. God is jealous for the honour of his sabbaths, and will not hold him guiltless who profanes them, whatever men may do. God intended this punishment for a warning to all, to make conscience of keeping holy the sabbath. And we may be assured that no command was ever given for the punishment of sin, which, at the judgment day, shall not prove to have come from perfect love and justice. The right of God to a day of devotion to himself, will be disputed and denied only by such as listen to the pride and unbelief of their hearts, rather than to the teaching of the Spirit of truth and life. (Henry)

I wonder how many times we just go about our days and give no thought to how some of our thoughts, words, or actions may be sinning against God. Neglect of God’s Word will certainly lead to giving no thought to the things of God, and in this state of living, there is little hope of knowing that which pleases God or is pleasing to God, yet alone, that which honors and glorifies Jesus Christ.

47.f. “Wilderness” – 11.l. “Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will not succeed?”

Num 14:39-45 When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly. And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned.” But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will not succeed? Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.” But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.

And the people mourned greatly.—It appears from what follows that the sorrow which the Israelites felt was sorrow for the punishment which their sin had entailed, not godly sorrow for the sin itself. (Ellicott)

But it was now too late. There was now no place for repentance. Such mourning as this there is in hell; but the tears will not quench the flames. (Benson)

There is in hell such mourning as this; but tears will not quench the flames, nor cool the tongue. Some of the Israelites were now earnest to go forward toward Canaan. But it came too late. If men would but be as earnest for heaven while their day of grace lasts, as they will be when it is over, how well would it be for them! That which has been duty in its season, when mistimed, may be turned into sin. Those who are out of the way of their duty, are not under God’s protection, and go at their peril. (Henry)

The people mourned greatly; because of their unhappy case, that they should be cut off by death in the wilderness, and be deprived of the enjoyment of the good land; their sorrow seems to have been not a godly sorrow, or true repentance for sin committed, but a worldly sorrow that works death; it was not on account of the evil of sin, the pardon of which they did not seem to seek after, but on account of the evil that was likely to come to them by it. (Gill)

They rushed from one extreme of rashness and perversity to another, and the obstinacy of their rebellious spirit was evinced by their active preparations to ascend the hill, notwithstanding the divine warning they had received not to undertake that enterprise. for we have sinned—that is, realizing our sin, we now repent of it, and are eager to do as Caleb and Joshua exhorted us—or, as some render it, though we have sinned, we trust God will yet give us the land of promise. The entreaties of their prudent and pious leader, who represented to them that their enemies, scaling the other side of the valley, would post themselves on the top of the hill before them, were disregarded. How strangely perverse the conduct of the Israelites, who, shortly before, were afraid that, though their Almighty King was with them, they could not get possession of the land; and yet now they act still more foolishly in supposing that, though God were not with them, they could expel the inhabitants by their unaided efforts. The consequences were such as might have been anticipated. The Amalekites and Canaanites, who had been lying in ambuscade expecting their movement, rushed down upon them from the heights and became the instruments of punishing their guilty rebellion. (Brown)

We might wonder how to get right with God so we can follow, trust, and rely upon Him. When sin is exposed and our hearts and minds are made known of it, there must be repentance. I am not talking about repentance of being found out. I am talking about repentance of sinning against God. There is a big difference. One will proclaim how sorry they are and the other will confess and fall at the feet of God with a heart of knowing there is nothing that they can do but repent, confess, and rely upon the grace, mercy, and love of God.

Too many times I fear we confuse being sorry with repentance. It is one thing to be made aware of your sin compared to being aware of it in the light of the holiness of God. When sin is seen in the holiness of God and not in obedience to His Word then the sinfulness of sin surely will fall upon the heart with such heaviness that only faith in the grace and mercy of God can dispel. This is totally different than to tell God you’re sorry and go about your day.

How does one who has had their sin exposed in the light go God’s holiness and in all of its sinful ugliness ever be right with God? How???? If it were left up to us and our abilities we would never be able to remove it, make up for it, or cancel it. It would hang onto us like the skin on our bodies. There is nothing we can do or say that would remove the ugliness of our sinfulness. Nothing. But God can! God does! God will!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life!”

It is never about what we do but what He has done. Trust in self-sorry, self-repentance, self-works, and any other thing self and do falls short of true confession, repentance, faith, obedience, reliance, and trust.

47.e. “Wilderness” – 11.k. “And your children shall suffer for your faithlessness”

Num 14:26-38 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me. Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected. But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.’ I, the LORD, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die.” And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land— the men who brought up a bad report of the land—died by plague before the LORD. Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.

How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me?…. Bear with their murmurings, spare them, and not cut them off? how long must sparing mercy be extended to them? the Lord speaks as one weary of forbearing, so frequent and aggravated were their murmurings. As ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you; what they had wished for, and expressed in the hearing of the Lord, he threatens them should be their case. They had wished they had died in it, Numbers 14:2, and the Lord here declares they should. I the Lord have said,…. Determined, resolved on doing what I have declared, and again repeat it; the decree is absolute and peremptory, and will never be revoked: I will surely do it to all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me; against his ministers, Moses the chief magistrate, and Aaron the high priest; and this is interpreted gathering, conspiring, and rebelling against the Lord himself. Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land,…. They, and they only at this time: died by the plague before the Lord; either by the pestilence immediately sent upon them by the Lord, or by a flash of lightning from him, or in some other way; however, by the immediate hand of God, and in his presence, being in the tabernacle of the congregation. (Gill)

How many times has the unfaithful spoken and pulled along with them those whose hearts and minds are lukewarm? How many times has the neglect of God’s Word in a person’s life resulted in their lack of:

Faith in God
Being able to recognize that which is false
Joining that which is causing disunity
Repeating that which is false or misleading
Trust and Reliance in and on God
Seeing the need to repent

Out of the heart, the mouth speaks and I can tell you that there is much coming out of the mouths of many Christians that is void of God’s Word and honor and glory for Jesus Christ. I am reminded many times when my wife says; “Thank you Jesus”, and my thoughts were; “boy were we lucky”. How many times do we need to be reminded of the purposes, plans, mercy, grace, love, and promises of God? How many times do I walk out the door and have thoughts about my day without thanking God for the day, for His love, for His grace, for His mercy, for His promises of protection, peace, joy, rest, refuge, hope,…… etc? Far too many.