We have arrived at the story of the spies sent into Canaan to scope out the situation. The ten spies “brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, ‘The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height’” (13:32). And the people, lacking faith in God, would not go up. Really? I mean, really? But then, we also so often fail to trust God as we ought.
Moses interceded for the people but men “assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron” (16:3) who had done nothing wrong. The people were in the wrong! Furthermore, if Moses and Aaron were gone, who would lead the people? Really, the people were so eager to rid themselves of faithful leaders? But wait . . . well, when you look at all, it turns out that, often, we are very much like Israel. And, like Israel, if our God was not so patient and long-suffering toward us, we would have no hope. But Israel’s God, our God, is patient and he is faithful. And so, we rejoice and hope.
Come, Lord, and help us to rejoice,
In hope that I shall hear thy voice,
Shall one day see my God;
Shall cease from all our painful strife,
Handle and taste the word of life,
And feel the sprinkled blood.
Let us not always make our moan,
Nor worship thee a God unknown;
But let us live to prove
Thy people’s rest, and saint’s delight,
The length and breadth, the depth and height
Of thy redeeming love. –Charles Wesley (1742)