Moshe Remembered the Events at Kadesh-barnea
1: 19-46
Continuing with the historical prologue (to see link click Aj – The Historical Prologue), Moshe remembered that the journey from Horeb (Mount Sinai) to the oasis of Kadesh-barnea took about eleven days for the generation of the Exodus. But when the newly freed Israelites got there, they lacked the faith to possess the Promised Land. After arriving in Kadesh-barnea (1:19), Moses commissioned twelve spies to survey the Promised Land, but ten of them brought back a discouraging report, which caused the children of Isra’el to reject the LORD’s promise of a victorious conquest. Consequently, God’s punishment of those rebels was that no adult from that generation (except Joshua and Caleb) would enter the land of milk and honey. The people’s rebellious attempt to enter Canaan on their own strength was thwarted by the Amorites.38 That faithless generation had to wander in the wilderness for about forty years until they had all died without seeing the Promised Land. The events of Numbers 13 and 14 are recalled here in order to challenge the new generation not to fail once again. One wasted generation was enough. It is an interesting feature of Deuteronomy, however, that the succeeding generations of Isra’el are treated as if that history were their very own. This is consistent with the view expressed elsewhere in the book that the Israelites were prone to unfaithfulness (Deuteronomy 9:4-6).39
Leave A Comment