Numbers 14:1

Numbers 14:1 says, And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.  The whole congregation lifted up their voice and cried out, and they literally cried all night after the report of ten of the spies.  Verse two adds, And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!  The reason for their crying out and weeping was because they believed the spies more than they believed God, even as they were on the edge of the Promised Land.  They murmured against Moses and Aaron and questioned God.  As followers of Christ, we are always on the edge of the Promised Land, Heaven, but we still often murmur and question God's power to get us there.  Verse three continues, And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?  They continued to question why God had led them there, even though He had already told them why.  They also said it would be better to return to Egypt than to die by the sword claiming the Promised Land.  If confronted with death because of our belief in Christ, would we be tempted to turn back to the world because we believe it would be safer?  Verse four concludes, And they said over one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.  The people of Israel, in spite of all God had done for them and having seen the power of God decided to select their own captain and return to Egypt.  Even if the overwhelming majority of those who claim to be God's people decide to follow the ways of the world instead of following God, we must remain faithful to God and His word.  Verse five states, Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.  Moses and Aaron fell on there faces before the congregation.  They didn't go to war with them.  Verse six adds, And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:  Joshua and Caleb, the two faithful spies, tore their clothes at the action of the people.  These four humbled themselves before the congregation, and more importantly before God.  I don't believe it does any good to go to war with those who profess to be Christians but follow after the world instead of God.  We are simply to humble ourselves before God in prayer for them.  Verse seven continues, And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.  Joshua and Caleb told the whole congregation that the land that they passed through was an exceedingly good land.  We as followers of Christ have been promised an exceedingly good home, Heaven, if we truly put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse eight declares, If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.  Joshua and Caleb said if the LORD was with them, He would take them into the promised land, which was a land flowing with milk and honey as He had promised.  We need to claim the promises of God today without wavering, and He will give us success over this evil world.  Verse nine adds, Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.  They then told the congregation that since God was with them that the victory was assured.  As long as we are following God's direction in life as Christians, our everlasting victory is assured.  Verse ten states, But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.  The people were ready to stone them, then the glory of God appeared in the tabernacle.  The congregation was not just fighting against Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, but against God.  God was now reminding them of this.  If we are tempted to turn away from God and chase after the things of this world, we need to simply look once again to the power of God.