Story 53: Is'ra-el's Thirty-Eight Years Of Wandering In The Wilderness ll

   Another incident mentioned in the record of these thirty-eight years in the wilderness was the rebellion which Ko'rah led against Mo'ses and Aa'ron.
   Ko'rah was a member of the tribe of Le'vi, a distant relative of Mo'ses and Aa'ron, and a Le-vit'i-cal officer who took part in the services at the Tabernacle. He stirred up a rebellion against Mo'ses as the leader of the people, and against Aa'ron as the High Priest. Ko'rah was joined by Da'than and A-bi'ram, two prominent members of the tribe of Reu'ben, and another man from this tribe, whose name was On, seems to have dropped out after a short time.
   The three leaders of the revolt were presently joint by two hundred and fifty princes of other tribes. The rebels declared that Mo'ses and Aa'ron had forced their way into the positions which they held, that they were harsh and overbearing toward the people, and that they were practicing deceit and fraud in the name of the LORD. It was further declared by the plotters that there should be no civil head over Is'ra-el, and that the order of the priesthood should be overthrown.
   At heart, however, Ko'rah wished to be a priest, and his rebellion grew out of jealousy and selfish ambitions; though claiming to represent the people, he had no real interest in their welfare. His crime was all the more grievous because of the position which he held. As a Le'vite, he was set apart from the general congregation of Is'ra-el; his office was one of honor and responsibility. He performed certain holy duties in the Tabernacle services, stood before the congregation to minister unto them, and was given a place of distinction by the LORD. For all these reasons his rebellion was inexcusable.
   When the news of Ko'rah's rebellion was brought to Mo'ses he went at once to God in prayer, seeking to compose his own spirit, and to secure Divine help in meeting this trying hour. Then he made a bold, but fair, proposal for settling the demands made by Ko'rah and his followers. He directed that Ko'rah and all his company take censers in hand and march before the Tabernacle on the following day. The censers were to be filled with the coals of fire and incense which under the laws of Is'ra-el could be carried only by the priests. If Ko'rah and his companions were justified in their demands, then their services would be accepted by the LORD; if they were in the wrong, then a proper punishment would be inflicted by God.
   On the next day Ko'rah and his company gathered before the Tabernacle for the test appointed by Mo'ses, But Da'than and A-bi'ram were not present. They had left the day before, while Mo'ses was speaking to Ko'rah. In so doing, they defied the authority of Mo'ses as the Divinely appointed leader of Is'ra-el, and reviled him in a most insulting manner. Then Mo'ses was moved by righteous indignation, and prayed that the LORD would justify him by bringing a just penalty upon the evil-doers. Suddenly the ground gave way under the plotters as they stood in the door of their tent, and they were instantly buried alive.
   Then Mo'ses prayed for the judgment of God concerning Ko'rah and the two hundred and fifty princes who followed him. As they marched before the Tabernacle with burning incense in the sacred vessels, a miraculous fire from the LORD suddenly consumed them all. In order that Aa'ron might be found innocent before the people, Mo'ses had ordered him to march with Ko'rah and his company. But the consuming fire which destroyed the rebels did not harm the anointed High Priest of God.
   By this stern judgment upon the rebels, the LORD made clear the upright character of Mo'ses and Aa'ron. He then directed Mo'ses to have the priest E-le-a'zar take the censers from the burning hands of the men who had been consumed, and to beat them into broad plates for a covering of the altar. This was a perpetual sign to Is'ra-el that no one outside the family of Aa'ron should ever assume the office of the priesthood.
  

Story 53: Is'ra-el's Thirty-Eight Years Of Wandering In The Wilderness l

   After Mo'ses told the Is'ra-el-ites that they were doomed to forty years of wandering in the wilderness, and that nearly all of them would die before the chosen race would finally occupy the Promised Land, they rebelled against the decree, and proposed to go at once into Ca'naan. They uttered words of confession for their sin, but with no evidence of genuine repentance; even while confessing their sins they persisted in them. They were determined to do exactly what God had told them not to do. When He said, "Go up into Ca'naan," they replied, "We will return to E'gypt." When He said, "Return to the wilderness," they said, "We will now go into Ca'naan."
   In reply to their proposal to enter Ca'naan, Mo'ses told them that the LORD would not go with them; that if they persisted in this fool-hardy course, the Am'a-lek-ites and Ca'naan-ites would defeat them with great slaughter. But they stubbornly insisted on making war against the heathen tribes of Ca'naan, even though Mo'ses would not go with them, and the Ark of the Covenant remained in camp. They were disgracefully beaten; many were slain, and the others returnt to weep before the LORD.
   After this unhappy event, the Is'ra-el-ites remained in Ka'desh for many days. Then they journeyed, as the LORD had commanded, into the wilderness toward the Red Sea. For nearly thirty-eight years they wandered over the deserts of the A-ra'bi-an Peninsula. Little worthy of record took place during this dark period in Is'ra-el's history. Some new regulations were given by Mo'ses, and the laws already given were enforced. It was no doubt for the benefit of the younger generation that these special messages from God were revealed by Mo'ses, and it also served as a proof of the continuance of the LORD'S Covenant with those who would later occupy the Promised Land.
   Among the happenings recorded during these thirty-eight years is the violation of the Sab'bath by a man who gathered wood on that day, and who was punished by stoning. We are not told just when this took place, but we know that the Sab'bath had been set apart by the LORD after the six days of Creation, and that it had been consecrated in the religion of Is'ra-el.
   The Sab'bath was consecrated to God, dedicated to His honor, and its violation was a direct reproach upon Him. It was also a memorial of Is'ra-el's deliverance from E'gypt, so those who violated the Sab'bath were guilty of sin in the eyes of both God and man. In setting apart the Sab'bath days, the LORD intended to serve the well-being of His people by providing a season for rest and spiritual culture.
   The punishment of the man who violated the Sab'bath took place in an orderly and legal manner. He was arrested in the very act of doing wrong, was brought before the elders for trial, was held in custody until the manner of his execution was determined by Divine instructions, and was then slain as directed by the LORD.
   It is evident that the entire procedure was intended as a solemn warning to Is'ra-el against violating the LORD'S day by doing anything which was forbidden in the Law. The Sab'bath was made for man, and man cannot do without it. Worship for the soul and rest for the body are two of the deepest needs of humanity. The Sab'bath was made Holy for the Glory of God, and the violation of it dishonors Him.
  

Story 52: Is'ra-el At Ka'desh-Bar'ne-a; Spies Are Sent Into Ca'naan lll

   The results of the timid report made by the unbelieving explorers of Ca'naan were most distressing. The people of Is'ra-el were made fearful and angry, and expressed their dismay in a great tumult of shouting and lament. Rioting broke out in the camps of Is'ra-el, and the people were further distracted from peace and quiet by rumors and plots of every nature. In a fit of unjust murmuring against Mo'ses and Aa'ron, they cried that it would have been better to perish in E'gypt or in the wilderness than to die with their wives and children at the hands of the Ca'naan-ites.
   The wild, unreasoning crowds even went so far as to blaspheme the name of God, and to accuse Him of deceit in bringing them out of the land of E'gypt. With daring impudence and base ingratitude they turnt against their great Benefactor and His servants.
   Mo'ses and Aa'ron were much grieved by the disgraceful conduct of the Is'ra-el-ites, but remained calm and patient. They tried to urge the people to refrain from such foolish actions, and to obey the command of God; they finally threw themselves prostrate before the people in prayer to God.
   Josh'u-a and Ca'leb sought again to calm the fears of the people, and for their faithfulness were threatened with death by stoning. These devoted leaders tried to convince the Is'ra-el-ites that in the following the directions of God they would be assured of His presence and power, and of certain victory over the inhabitants of the land of Ca'naan. All their efforts, however, were in vain.
   In His righteous indignation over the blasphemy and lack of faith of Is'ra-el, and because they continued to be rebellious, the LORD declared to Mo'ses that He would destroy the whole nation by a plague, and would raise up another people for the occupation of Ca'naan from the family of Mo'ses alone. But Mo'ses thought more of Is'ra-el than of his own honor and glory, and pleaded with God to spare the people. He declared that the heathens back in E'gypt and those in Ca'naan would say in scorn that God was not able to establish His people in the land which He had promised to give them.
   The earnest request of Mo'ses was granted by the LORD, but with certain conditions. The children of Is'ra-el were to wander in the wilderness for forty years before occupying the Promised Land, the 600,000 men over the age of twenty who had refused to enter Ca'naan when the LORD commanded should die without ever entering it, and the land would finally be given to the new generation to be born in the wilderness. Only Josh'u-a and Ca'leb were to be spared from this Divine Decree.
   The people's sins of rebellion and blasphemy were pardoned in answer to the prayers of Mo'ses, but the privilege of occupying the Promised Land was denied for all time to those who had refused it after hearing the report of the spies. God's Covenant with Is'ra-el was preserved, but its blessings in respect to Ca'naan were reserved for a new generation. Is'ra-el was turnt away from the very doors of the Promised Land, and for forty years lived wandering life in the wilderness of the A-ra'bi-an Peninsula. We shall learn more about this in our next story.

Story 52: Is'ra-el At Ka'desh-Bar'ne-a; Spies Are Sent Into Ca'naan ll

   In the valley of Esh'col, which was about two miles north of He'bron, and was noted for its grapes of superior size and quality, they gathered some fruit to take back to their people at Ka'desh. Here they found great clusters of grapes, some weighing from twenty to forty-five pounds. They carried some of these back home with them, and the largest were so heavy that they had to be hung on poles and carried over the shoulders of two men.
   And so the twelve spies had two different reports to make when they returnt to Ka'desh. Ten of them said, "It is a good land, a land of plentiful grass, of superb fruits, of glorious valleys and plains and hills and mountains, a land greatly to be desired; but it is held by fierce enemies which we cannot overcome." To them, the strong cities could not be taken, nor the giant warriors defeated in battle. They said, "The land is so fertile and fruitful that it is filled with warlike tribes which constantly destroy one another, and we shall be destroyed along with the weakest of them."
   This report was filled with the spirit of cowardice and unbelief. The ten spies who made it forgot the strength of the 600,000 soldiers of Is'ra-el, and the Supreme Power of God. There was no place in their faltering hearts for the memory of how Pha'raoh's army had been destroyed in the Red Sea, of Josh'u-a's victory over the Am'a-lek-ites, or of the continued presence of God with them in all their difficulties.
   Ca'leb and Josh'u-a made a different report than the other spies. They said, "All that these men have said about the excellence of the land is true, and it is also true that there are strong cities and fierce warriors to be overcome, but we are well able to take the land." They admitted that there were giants in the land, but chided the ten faint-hearted spies for regarding the Is'ra-el-ites as mere "grasshoppers" before them. "Why," they said, "anointed with the Power of God, and with the unseen hosts of Heaven to fight on our side, we shall be the "giants," and the people of Ca'naan will be the "grasshoppers."
   In a stirring appeal to the Is'ra-el-ites, Ca'lab said, "Let us go up at once and possess the land." He urged quick, bold action, insisting that all Is'ra-el act together with the assurance of faith in their hearts. His hope of victory was based upon certainty of God's promises, and the knowledge of His all-conquering power.
   What a striking contrast between moral courage and moral cowardice is presented in the reports and conducts of these two groups! Overcome by moral cowardice, the ten spies trembled with fear before facing the enemy, exaggerated the strength of their foes, minimized their own abilities, and were willing to give up without striking a blow. Ca'leb and Josh'u-a, on the other hand, had the courage to face self-denial and hardship boldly, and to declare their faith in the power of right.
  

Story 52: Is'ra-el At Ka'desh-Bar'ne-a; Spies Are Sent Into Ca'naan l

   The children of Is'ra-el had now arrived at the border of the Promised Land, and there seemed to be no reason why they should not enter it and take possession at once. God Himself had declared that it was a good land, He had promised to guide them to it, and this promise had now been fulfilled. He was present with them in the majestic pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, He had miraculously provided for all their needs thus far on the journey, He had assured them that He would drive out the heathen nations of Ca'naan and give the Is'ra-el-ites possession of the land, and His order when they arrived at Ka'desh-Bar'ne-a was, "Go up and possess the land."
   But the hearts of the people were filled with fear and unbelief. They felt it necessary to take certain precautions which the Lord had not included in His plan for the immediate occupation of Ca'naan. Their answer to God's command that they "go up at once" was "Let us send men before us, that they may search out the land for us." Mo'ses was deceived as to the real purpose of this request; thinking that it was a wise precaution which would be followed by whole-hearted obedience to the command of God, he yielded to the advice of the people. Without suspecting the mixture of unbelief and cowardice which prompted this request, he conferred with God about it. Although such a course seems not to have been in the plan of God for Is'ra-el, He permitted it in order to teach the people a lesson. God will sometimes let man have his own way and lean upon his own understanding so that he will  find out the utter folly of his fancied wisdom.
   It would have been better for Is'ra-el if the sending of spies had never been suggested, if they had walked by faith instead of seeking to go by sight.
   After securing permission from God to send men into Ca'naan to explore the land, Mo'ses proceeded to appoint and instruct those who were to go on this mission. He chose twelve men, one from each tribe of Is'ra-el; all of these men had proved their courage and wisdom by noble deeds in the past. They were sent out to make a careful study of the entire land of Ca'naan, paying attention to its fertility, the measures which were taken to protect its towns, and the number and strength of the people. The report which they were to bring back was to be proved by samples of the fruit which they had found in the land.
   For forty days the spies traveled through the land of Ca'naan, from the southern border where they entered the country, over the fruitful hills of the interior, along the coast facing the Med'i-ter-ra'ne-an Sea, and into the most distant towns of the northern border.
   They visited many villages and towns of the country, finding some of them walled and strongly fortified. Special attention was given by the spies to He'bron, a town which was older than Zo'an, the most ancient city of E'gypt. Three generations of Is'ra-el ancestors had been buried near He'bron-Ab'ra-ham and Sa'rah, I'saac and Re-bek'ah, and Ja'cob and Le'ah. Here lived at the time of this visit three tribes of people who were giants in stature, and who were fierce and warlike by nature.
   As the twelve men surveyed the land of Ca'naan, they found that much of it was fertile, yielding the finest grains, fruits, and grass. Among the things they found were: grapes, olives, figs, pomegranates, apricots, dates, apples, quinces, various kinds of berries, almonds, walnuts, oranges, lemons, bananas, pears, and other fruits. Some of these were in great abundance.
   The vast forests of the country were filled with wild animals, many of which could be used for food. the whole country was alive with bees, so quantities of the finest honey could be found everywhere. It was, indeed, a "land flowing with rich foods and honey."
  

Story 51: The Journey Of Is'ra-el From Si'nai To Ka'desh-Bar'ne-a lll

   As a result of his humiliation in the punishment of Mir'i-am, Aa'ron humbly confessed to Mo'ses his sin and that of their sister, admitted that they had acted foolishly, and begged his brother to pray for the healing of Mir'i-am. He cried, "Let her not be as one dead," for leprosy is nothing short of a living death in its torturing pain and corrupting power over the body. No persons who were afflicted with this terrible disease were allowed to go near the House of God.
   The gracious, forgiving spirit of Mo'ses was then revealed in his earnest prayer to God for the healing of his sister. Instead of resentment in his heart, there was forgiveness and mercy. His prayer was earnest and persistent, and was answered immediately, but seven days passed before Mir'i-am was completely healed. This was done to give her sufficient time to meditate upon her sin, and for the instruction of Aa'ron and all Is'ra-el. What wonders are wrought through fervent prayer!
   Having been unduly delayed at Ha-ze'roth by the plot of Mir'i-am and Aa'ron, and the punishment inflicted upon them by the LORD, the Is'ra-el-ites then journeyed to Ka'desh-Bar'ne-a, on the southwest borders of the land of Ca'naan. They were now within sight of the Promised Land, and the reasons for their failure to enter the Divinely promised heritage at once will be related in our next story.

Story 51: The Journey Of Is'ra-el From Si'nai To Ka'desh-Bar'ne-a ll

   The Is'ra-el-ites then journeyed a short distance further east, encamping at Ha-ze'roth for a brief period. During the encampment in this place Mir'i-am and Aa'ron were guilty of a great offense. They united in speaking against Mo'ses, the Divinely chosen and anointed leader of the nation. Envious of his position and power, jealous of the authority with which he ruled Is'ra-el, and hoping to gain equal rank with him, they formed a plot against Mo'ses. Aa'ron had been made the head of the nation in religious matters, and Mir'i-am was distinguished as a prophetess, but both were lower in rank than Mo'ses, and did not enjoy the same close communion with God. For these reasons they were envious of the superior office and ability of their brother.
   This deadly poison of unholy ambition spoiled all the sweetness and beauty of virtues possessed by two honored servants of God. Their envy was like a fountain from which there flowed a stream of hatred and evil. They tried to injure Mo'ses by saying wicked, untrue things about him, but this brought harm only to themselves.
   The excuse which they used for slandering their brother was that after the death of his wife Zip-po'rah, he had married a Cush'ite woman. She was probably one of those who had been converted to the He'brew religion, and had come out of E'gypt with Is'ra-el at the time of the Exodus.
   Mo'ses was very much hurt by the unfriendly action of his own brother and sister, but suffered the attack in meekness and silence, making no effort to defend himself. but the LORD took notice of what Aa'ron and Mir'i-am had said.
   The LORD spoke to Mir'i-am, Aa'ron, and Mo'ses, telling them to come at once to the Tabernacle for trial before Him. He then upheld Mo'ses, and told the others that their brother had been chosen to receive the great messages from God because of his perfect faith and honesty. Mir'i-am and Aa'ron were sternly rebuked for daring to tell false tales about their brother.
   So wicked did the LORD regard this deed that He caused the pillar of cloud, which was the symbol of His presence, to vanish for a moment. Mir'i-am was suddenly smitten with leprosy, a terrible disease which was regarded as a stroke from the Hand of God. Her foul tongue was justly punished with a foul face; while Mo'ses was forced to hide his face with a veil because of the Glory of God, she was forced to hide hers in shame. she had been the leader in the plot against Mo'ses, and was, therefore, punished more severely. Aa'ron's punishment consisted in performing his priestly duty of examining Mir'i-am's leprosy, and keeping her away from the House of God.