Numbers chapter 14

After reading chapter 14:

*So, after the 12 explorers got back, the Israelites began to complain again because they were afraid of the people whose land they were supposed to take over. It was suggested that they elect someone to take them back to Egypt. Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb begged and pleaded with the Israelites, telling them not to be afraid, because Yahweh would protect them. The Israelites seriously considered stoning Moses and his cronies.

* Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, not the people, for some reason, and told him that he was sick and tired of the Israelites not respecting him. He just might destroy them with a plague and make Moses into a nation bigger and better than they are. Moses was worried that the Egyptians would hear about it and ruin Yahweh's reputation. Plus, people in the promised land had already heard great and wonderful things about Yahweh and the Israelites. How would it look if he gave up on them now?

*We again read those fundamentally contradictory statements about god's abounding love and forgiveness, plus his punishing of those who sin against him to the third and fourth generations. So, Yahweh relents and forgives them, BUT none of the people who disobeyed him in the desert would get to see the promised land, except Caleb. He's different. The wierd thing about this passage is that God never actually tells the Israelites to do anything so what command are they disobeying?

*Next they are told to turn back towards the desert. Since the Israelites are such a complaining bunch, every complainer twenty years and older will die in the desert. Their children will get to see the promised land after 40 years of a nomadic shepherding life. That's one year for each of the forty days  that the land was explored. Then God says the whole community is wicked and banded together against him. Now who is complaining? As if mere mortals could stop the plans of an all powerful God!

*The ten explorers who started this trouble were struck down by a plague. Only Joshua and Caleb survived. After the Israelites were informed of all this, they said they would go into the land after all. Moses said, if they did, it would be disobedient again and God would not protect them. They went anyway, and the inhabitants of the land beat them back.