Starting in chapter 15 of the book of Numbers, the Israelites had refused to enter the land of promise and were condemned to wander in the wilderness for forty years. All but Caleb and Joshua from that generation would die in the wilderness. We find several stories of what took place during that forty years of wandering. When Korah incited a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, God opened the ground and swallowed them up. Another time when Aaron’s leadership was challenged, God caused Aaron’s staff to bud and produce fruit while the other eleven leaders’ staffs did not. When the people of Israel complain again about water, God commanded Moses to talk to a rock; instead, Moses struck the rock out of anger against the people. Both Moses and Aaron were condemned to die outside of the Promised Land. As Aaron dies, God makes his son Eleazar the new leader of the priests. Yet another time the people rebel against Moses, so God sends poisonous snakes among them and many people die. God has Moses make a snake on a staff. Anyone that had been bitten could look upon the snake staff and be healed. The Moabite king Balak tried to hire Balaam the prophet to curse the people of God, but instead Balaam blesses Israel. Even still, the men of Israel became seduced by the Moabite women and were led to worship Baal. They were killed because of their sin. When a man tried to take a Midianite woman as his wife, Eleazar killed both the man and the Midianite woman and was praised by God because of it. Israel takes a second census as they prepare to enter Canaan again. God gives direction for the inheritance, including taking care of the family of a man with no sons. Israel wars with Midian and God gives them victory. They take the plunder and divide it among the camp. God sets up cities of refuge and provision for the Levites. The book closes with instructions to marry within one’s tribe to maintain the inheritance in the tribe.

The people of Israel had rebelled against God and were not allowed to enter the Promised Land. As they wandered in the wilderness for forty years, they complained against the leadership. Each time, God demonstrated that He had chosen those leaders. When the Moabite king tried to get a prophet of God to curse Israel, he said that he could not and blessed them instead. When the people tried to follow other gods, God commanded they be killed. God also would not allow the other nations to remain, so the Israelites attacked them, and God gave them victory. God also made rules to make sure that all His people were cared for once they enter the Promised Land. God gave them new leaders, for Moses and Aaron were not going to be able to enter because of their sin.

We are not told what specific sin Moses and Aaron committed that demonstrated their lack of trust in God. All we know is that they did not believe what God had told them. Due to their failure, neither would be able to enter into the Promised Land. Abraham believed God and it was credited him as righteousness, but Moses did not believe God, which caused him to be cut off from the blessings of God. I find myself trying to place my faith and trust in myself rather than God. I want to be part of the blessing of God, but often I am a Moses. God, help me be more like Abraham. Let my actions show that I believe what You have said.