Question answered
Week 8 Day 1: Numbers 13-18 - 40 years
I am happy to share my ignorance and say that in today’s reading, I had an answer to a question that’s been in the back of my mind for a while.
Q: At what point did the Lord decide (and declare) that the Israelites who came out of Egypt would not enter the promised land?
Here we are, today, after more grumbling and rebellion.
26 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.”
Numbers 14:26-35
This week I am away from home and unable to write in the usual way so I am posting the readings with a very basic commentary, or none - and you are welcome please to leave your reflections in the comments where I may also come back and add further.
Today has put the 40 years in context with me and I suppose I am a little surprised that God waited this long before declaring the consequences on His people - His people he brought out of slavery.
There is so much here, such a rich section of Scripture for further consideration. Definitely bookmarking.