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Numbers 14:1-4 – Go Back To Egypt

The people listen to the report of the spies rather than to the Word of God, and imagining their situation to be desperate, lose their temper. Time enough to cry if the enemy had beaten them, and they had seen the sons of Anak at the gate of their camp; but to cry now, when nothing has hurt them, is foolish. Unbelief, or distrust of God, is a sin that is its own punishment. Those that do not trust God are continually upsetting themselves.

Despite all that God has done for them, all the care they have received, the people wish they had died in Egypt. They would even rather die as criminals under God’s justice than be conquerors in this land. They look forward with a groundless despair, taking it for granted that if they go on they will fall by the sword. They are, in effect, charging God, who is love itself, with the worst of malice and hypocrisy, suggesting that all the kind things He has said to them, and done for them, up till now, are intended only to decoy them into a trap and destroy them. The devil is always trying to get us to think bad of God, as if He desires the death of sinners, and delights in the hardships and sufferings of his own servants.

It is incredibly foolish of the people to even think of returning to Egypt. How quickly (not even a year and a half) have they forgotten all their misery! Can they expect that God’s cloud will lead them or His manna feed them? Even if the difficulties of conquering Canaan are as great as they imagine, those of returning to Egypt are much greater. Instead of always expecting things to be better somewhere else, we need to learn to be content in the place God has put us. Heaven is the Canaan set before us, a land flowing with milk and honey. It is promised to us, and our response is to be obedient and not turn back to the Egypts of our past.

Question

  1. What do the people wish had happened to them?
  2. What do the people decide to do?

Prayer Points

  1. Pray that you would be content.
  2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
  3. Pray for family matters.