Numbers (Part 2)

So at the beginning of Numbers 11, the Israelites are finally leaving the area near Mt. Sinai and heading out for the Promised Land.

As soon as they leave, the Hebrews start to...guess what....complain. You will find this is a trend with them. They are upset because they have no meat (they had bread- made from manna- which was kind of like crumbs or large flakes that appeared on the ground every morning wherever the Israelites traveled). Moses is aggravated by the people's complaints and vents his feelings to God. These next verses almost made me laugh out loud.

Numbers 11:11-14
And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?
Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?
Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.
I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

Personally I like this little bit of sarcasm on Moses' part. It makes me really able to imagine him being frustrated and having all these emotions.

So God sends the people quails to eat, but He says there will be so many that they will be coming out of the people's nostrils, and they will eat meat until they are sick from it.

Chapter 13 talks about how one man from each tribe is selected to scout out the land of Canaan (The Promised Land) and report what it's like back to Moses. They come back from the scouting expedition with evidence of the richness of the land. Unfortunately, 10 out of the 12 scouts come back with negative reports regarding the power and number of the inhabitants of the land, which they would have to conquer. God had already told them that they would be victorious over their enemies and receive the land that He had promised them. However, these ten men became fearful, and spread their fears verbally throughout the camp, so that soon all the people thought that what God had promised could never really come to pass. This amazes me- these are the same people who saw the 10 plagues of Egypt, the Red Sea part, manna appear every morning, and other miracles too! And they still lost hope. Well, that is human nature I guess.

Because of the people's unbelief in this area, God said they would wander the wilderness for 40 years, until the current generation of adults was deceased.

So the Israelites roam the wilderness for 40 years, but during these 40 years there are different things that happen to Moses and the children of Israel. Moses and Aaron have to deal with a rebellion, the Israelites conquer some cities, the army is re-counted towards the end of the 40 years, and Joshua (one of the two scouts that did not fear the people of Canaan) is chosen to be Moses' successor.