We had encamped by Mount Horeb (Sinai), the mountain of the LORD, in present-day Saudi Arabia for several (11) months until the mysterious cloud that hovered over our heads moved up towards the North. Signaling that it was time for us to move, we left Mount Horeb with our tents, the new Sanctuary we had built for the LORD, and the Ark of the Covenant, and moved by our tribes in order. For eleven days we marched through the wilderness, crossing the northern borders of modern-day Saudi Arabia into modern-day southern Israel. Eleven days after leaving Horeb, we camped at Kadesh (Barnea), in the wilderness of Paran, near the borders of the promised land in modern-day southern Israel (in the Negev desert).
By the time we reached Paran (Kadesh Barnea), we had spent more than a year traveling through the wilderness after we left Egypt, where we were held as slaves for decades to the Pharaohs. While at Egypt, we labored to make bricks for building monumental architecture and edifices for the Pharaohs, who were the most powerful kings in the whole world at that time. Egypt was the greatest and mightiest of kingdoms in the known world at that time. It was far advanced in civilization, architecture, writing and language, and wealth.
Hence, our deliverance from Egypt was a miracle the other nations could not believe. How could a people bound by slavery rise up against their powerful masters and totally destroy them to secure their freedom? Our crossing of the Red Sea even made us more feared by the surrounding nations who heard of the fire that hovered above us by night and the cloud that led us by day.
It was therefore a great relief for us when we set our eyes on the borders and land of Canaan. To us, our long journey through the wilderness and our hope of a land to found a nation was almost realized: a promised land that flowed with milk and honey.
While at Kadesh, 12 spies who were rulers of each of the 12 tribes were chosen and tasked with searching the land of Canaan to investigate its people, their populations and cities, houses, soil, climate, trees, and food (Numbers 13 & 14). For 40 days these spies searched the land and finally returned to the cheers and excitement of all. Word quickly spread around from tent to tent and from tribe to tribe that the spies had returned.
We all rushed towards the tent of Moses to hear what stories the spies had brought regarding our new home. They started with the beauty of the land, showing examples of its huge weighty grapes, figs, olives etc., and their large, fortified cities, huge populations and giants. As they described the land and its people, fear and hopelessness began to rise in our hearts until two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, encouraged us to not be afraid of the people for God had given them to us.
However, ten of the spies countered their testimony and totally discouraged us, saying that we are unable to defeat them for they were like grasshoppers before the people who were of the giants. They spoke of their huge stone-built cities and strong walls. Indeed, they even said that the land eats up the people! That was strange to me—how can a land bearing such huge grapes, fruits, and giants, eat up its people?
Yet, the 10 spies were so vehement in their opposition and denial of our ability to possess the land that the masses easily sided with them and failed to reason through their conflicting reports. The whole population then began to murmur and wail openly: our hopes and excitement quickly turned into lamentations and bitter disappointment! Had we walked through this wilderness all these years to only perish in the wilderness? Are the spies intimating that our journey from Egypt has been in vain, useless?
Had God forsaken us after parting the Red Sea for us to walk on dry land and plaguing mighty Egypt with plagues that laid their lands waste? If God who had led us this far—even killing the firstborns of Egypt—was with us, why should we be afraid of these Canaanites? Yet, reason was dethroned by anger and the people took stones to murder the two spies who tried to encourage us.
The people quickly made themselves leaders, just as they did while Moses was away on Sinai for 40 days and determined to return to Egypt. They denounced Moses and cursed God for bringing them to the wilderness to perish by the sword! How quickly we forgot that for more than a year we had been miraculously fed by manna and kept from disease and death on the wilderness! Alas, all hell broke loose, and the people determined to murder Moses, Aaron, the two spies, and anyone who dared oppose their return to Egypt.
While they rushed with their stones to carry out their evil designs, a flaming and flashing light appeared above the Sanctuary and Moses and Aaron fell down before their faces. The 10 spies started crawling back into their tents but were quickly killed before our eyes! Anger quickly gave way to fear as the stones fell off the hands of the people. Everyone now realized what they had done. God was among us, and yet we knew it not nor regarded it! We knew that our judgment was near and was swiftly coming.
Oh Israel!! So soon had we forgotten all the goodness and mercy shown us by Jehovah, who gave us victory over the Amalekites at Jehovah Nissi, who gave us water from rocks, fed us with quails and manna… how quickly we forgot Him and turned against Him!! Moses rose up, and told us that our prayers have been heard, we shan’t see the promised land but shall wander in the wilderness for 40 years! A day for a year for each of the 40 days the spies searched the land.
With great grief and sorrow, the congregation wept like women in labor. In a twinkle of an eye, all our blessings were swept away from our hands because of our blindness and emotions. Had we exercised a little restraint, we would have received rest from our travels. God would have fought for us, but we assumed that we were to fight with our own strength!! Thousands who went the next morning to fight the Canaanites against the commandment of God were soundly defeated and many perished.
Sadly, we turned our eyes away from our most cherished price and headed towards the wilderness. To wander until doom and death: a just punishment for our unbelief, murmuring, and ungratefulness!! We wished to die in the wilderness than perish from conquering Canaan, and so did we! Oh Israel!! What a shocking tale of unreasonable and rushed behavior!! No words can describe our grief and sorrow—for it is too great to describe. Oh, that we shall learn from this and stay true to God and His words at all times!!
