Numbersx 14:36

Numbers 14:36 says, And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,  The ten spies who gave a negative report against the land, causing the people to murmur against God are singled out once more.  They had first been singled out to go and serve God by checking out the land, a very honorable thing.  Verse thirty-seven adds, Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.  These men did not enter the Promised Land nor wander in the wilderness, but died of the plague before the LORD.  The rest of the people were guilty of murmuring against God, but these ten were  responsible for leading them to do so.  It is terrible to not put ones faith in God, but it is even worse to lead others not to.  Verse thirty-eight continues, But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.  Joshua and Caleb were the faithful spies, putting their faith in God, so they lived.  If we want to have everlasting life, we must put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and we certainly should never be guilty of leading others away from Him.  Verse thirty-nine states, And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.  When Moses told the people what God said, they mourned greatly.   Their murmuring turned to mourning, because they were being punished for their lack of faith in God.  When God's judgment comes, all those who have failed to put their faith in Him and murmured against Him instead will find themselves mourning forever.  Verse forty adds, And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.  The people of Israel then got up early in the morning and went up into the mountain and declared that they would go into the Promised Land, but it wasn't up to them.  They still were not really putting their faith in God, but were simply trying to avoid the punishment of their sin.  Some people today would put their faith in Jesus Christ to avoid the everlasting punishment of sin if they didn't also have to follow Him by faith.  We cannot accept Jesus Christ as our Savior if we are unwilling to allow Him to be the Lord of our life.  Verse forty-one says, And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.  Moses asked how they thought transgressing the commandment of the LORD would help them.  Moses then told them that this would not profit them.  We must respond to Jesus when He calls us and cannot simply decide that we will come to Him on our own terms and in our own time.  Verse forty-two adds, Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.  Moses told them to not go into the Promised Land, because God wasn't with them.  We cannot get into Heaven, God's Promised Land to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ, by our own power or plan.  Faith in Jesus Christ as ones Savior and Lord is the only way to Heaven.  Verse forty-three continues, For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.  Moses said since the people were now attempting to go by their own power instead of by the power of God that they would fail.  Even as followers of Christ, if we attempt to overcome this sinful world on our own and not under the power of the Holy Spirit, we will fail.  There should never be a time when we as Christians look at the world and feel that it is more than we can overcome by faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse forty-four states, But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.  The people still presumed that they could dictate to God and went up the hill, but the ark of the covenant did not move.  We cannot force God to go where we want to go, but must instead go where He leads us.  Verse forty-five adds, Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.  Without God empowering them, the people who were going ahead in defiance of God's word were killed by the Amalekites and Canaanites.  Without God's power in our life, especially if we are going against His word, we are going to fail ultimately.