DVP064 Numbers 14:40-42 (March 5)

40 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."
41 But Moses said, "Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will not succeed?
42 Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies.

The tragedy of Israel continues to unfold. Here we see them desperate to reclaim their lost blessing by saying that they will go into the promised land and defeat the nations there. However, it is too late. The same unbelief which led to them not going into the promised land originally, failing to trust that God will do what he says he will do, will now be the cause of their defeat at the hands of their enemies. Instead of believing God's pronounced judgement, they try to claim the blessing which he has already removed from their reach.

The lesson to everyone is to do what God says immediately. It is no good trying to do things in your own strength and in your own time because they will be doomed to failure. The commonly known verse says "repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" but there will be many for whom it is too late to turn from their wicked ways to follow God. They will seek repentance even from the midst of the flames of hell and it will be too late.

If Israel had acted earlier, to change their attitude towards God, they would have seen victory as they went forth to defeat the nations who were residing in the promised land. Instead, they were soundly beaten and driven back to the wilderness until the rise of a new generation who believed.


The English Standard Version (ESV)

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