More than a year of waiting had passed for the Israelites in the desert near Mount Sinai before the cloud of Yahweh’s presence lifted from the camp and the Israelites knew it was time to set out again. Yahweh instructed Moses to appoint scouts to explore the land of Canaan, one from each tribe. Moses selected Joshua, Caleb, and 10 others, and told them, “go into the land and see what it’s like. Give a report on the people there. How many are there? Are they strong or weak? How well defended are their towns? Is the land good for farming and raising animals? What kind of trees do they have? Also, try and bring back some of the fruits that grow there.” For forty days the scouts explored a wide area, bringing back with them a large cluster of grapes as well as pomegranates and figs.
With their return, they brought this report, saying, “We explored the land as instructed. It would be excellent for our people, but the inhabitants there are powerful and live in fortified cities.”
But Caleb said, “We should go and receive the land that was promised to us. I have faith Yahweh will bring us success.”
Joshua agreed, but the other scouts argued, “We cannot defeat such people, their strength is much greater than ours.”
After they had concluded the report and returned to their homes, all of the scouts except for Caleb and Joshua, spread a negative report among the people, telling them, “Those who dwell in the land we explored will kill us all. We were like insects beneath their giant feet.”
The outcry among the people was so immediate that many gathered before the tents of Moses and Aaron and said, “If only we had died in Egypt, or here in the desert. Why is Yahweh leading us into the hands of our enemies like lambs to the slaughter? The time has come for us to choose a new leader and return to Egypt.”
But Caleb and Joshua rebuked their neighbors and said, “The land we scouted is beyond compare. With Yahweh on our side, this land is already ours. Do not rebel against Yahweh or Moses and do not be afraid of the Canaanites. There is no defense against the power of Yahweh.” But they would not be swayed, even threatening death to any who advocated entering Canaan.
At that moment, when their rebellion had reached its zenith, The glory of Yahweh appeared over the tabernacle in the sight of the entire nation and spoke to Moses, saying, “How long will my people provoke me? How long will it be before they trust me? I will disinherit them and make you, Moses, an even greater nation.”
But Moses replied, “If this came to pass, and word of it came to the Egyptians and Canaanites, then they would mock your name, saying that you were powerless to rescue your people. I know that you are loving and patient. Please, forgive these people again, like you have done so many times before.”
Yahweh replied, “How long will I bear with these stubborn people who grumble against me? I have pardoned them as you have requested, but to everyone who has seen my glory and my miracles, which I did both in Egypt and in the desert, but has still rebelled against me so many times, I say that your bodies will fall in this desert. Every adult among you will not come into the promised land, except Caleb and Joshua. They will lead your children into the land that you rejected. You will all wander the desert for forty years, one year for each day the scouts were in the land of Canaan.’”
Moses spoke these words to the nation and they wept bitterly when confronted with the evil they had done. That night, with these events weighing heavily on him, Moses struggled to sleep and found himself gathering his thoughts into a psalm:
Yahweh, in every age our place is with you.
Before the mountains were raised before you formed the earth,
From eternity past to eternity future, you are God.
You can return a human to the dust they were first formed from.
Our lives are like blades of grass:
In the morning they grow; In the evening they are cut down.
The shadow of your anger is upon us.
You have shown us our wrongdoing.
Our secrets are made known by the light of your face.
Our lives are counted in mere decades;
Yet they are filled with labor and sorrow;
Teach us to live deliberately, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
Who can comprehend the holy depths of your anger?
Forgive your people, oh God, and save us by your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Let your power be known among your people
Let your works be taught to all of our children.
Let Yahweh be with us and bring us success in our every endeavor.
The next morning, though, the people had convinced themselves that their contrition would undo the consequences spoken by Yahweh. So they assembled on the highest hill overlooking Canaan and proclaimed, “We see now that we were wrong to doubt Yahweh. We are ready to enter the land that was promised to us.”
But Moses replied, “Why do you continue to disobey? This will not end well for you. Don’t enter Canaan when God is not with you. You will surely be defeated by those who dwell there.” But they would not heed his warning and entered Canaan without Moses, or the Ark of the Covenant, causing them to be quickly routed by the Canaanites.
Convinced that it was Moses who had brought this defeat upon them, 250 well-known community leaders led by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram angrily descended upon Moses and Aaron and said, “You have gone too far. You are no better than us. Yahweh is with each of us equally. What gives you two the right to set yourselves above us like this?”
Moses bowed low to the ground in humility before the mob and said to Korah, “tomorrow morning we will make incense offerings and whichever offering Yahweh chooses, that person will lead this nation. Korah, you and your followers are Levites. Isn’t it enough that Yahweh has set you apart from the rest of the Israelites to serve them as caretakers of the tabernacle? Why are you also trying to take the priesthood away from Aaron’s family? What has he done to deserve this? It is not only against Aaron but Yahweh, that you are rebelling.”
Moses also wished to speak with Dathan and Abiram but they sent back this message: “We will not lend credence to your claim to authority by answering your summons. Isn’t it enough that you took us away from the bountiful land of Egypt just for us to die in the desert? Now you want to be lord over us and treat us as your slaves?”
This infuriated Moses who said to Yahweh, “Tomorrow I ask that you will not accept their offering. I have never taken a single thing from them or wronged them in any way.”
The next morning Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and all 250 of their followers gathered in front of the tabernacle with their incense offerings burning, along with Aaron and Moses. Then the glory of Yahweh appeared to them all and said to Moses and Aaron, “Separate yourselves from the people so that I may destroy them for their rebellion.”
Moses and Aaron begged, “Yahweh. Creator of all life. Will you destroy an entire nation when it is only a few people who are rebelling?”
Yahweh replied, “Say to Israel, move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
So Moses spoke to the nation, saying, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men. This is how you will know that I am sent by Yahweh and am not just doing as I please: if these men die of natural causes, I am nothing but a charlatan, but if Yahweh does something you have never seen before and opens the mouth of the earth to swallow these men alive, along with all of their possessions, then you will know that Yahweh has felt the contempt that they have shown.” As soon as he finished speaking, it happened just as he said.
But the next day, more people came before Moses and said, “You have killed our own people.”
Again, as they spoke, the glory of Yahweh appeared to them all and said to Moses and Aaron, “Separate yourselves from among these people so that I may destroy them for their rebellion.”
This time Moses said to Aaron, “Quickly! Burn some incense and ask for forgiveness for these people. God is sending a plague to kill them. As he ran to do as Moses said, the rebels were already beginning to drop down dead around him. But as Aaron stood between the living and the dead, atoning for the sins of the people, the plague stopped. So Aaron rescued the very people who had risen up against him.
Soon after, Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Speak to the children of Israel and have each tribe select a leader. From each tribe’s leader, take a staff. On each staff write each person’s name. Aaron's staff will represent the tribe of Levi. Then lay them in the tabernacle in front of the ark of the covenant. By tomorrow, the staff of the man I have chosen will blossom as though it were part of a living tree once more. I do this to put an end to the grumbling of the children of Israel against you and Aaron.”
Moses did everything Yahweh asked of him, and the next day, when he returned to tabernacle, he found that not only had Aaron’s staff budded, it had also blossomed and produced almonds. Moses took all 12 staves out to the people so they could see for themselves. Each person took his own staff back.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant as a sign to anyone who might rebel, that they might turn from their wickedness and save themselves from their own destruction.”
But the Israelites took no comfort in this and instead cried out, “We are all doomed! If we even approach the tabernacle we will die!”
Their terror drew their hearts further away from God and soon they began to grumble again. Fearing once more that they would run out of water they said to Moses and Aaron, “If only we had been killed along with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die of thirst in this terrible place? Nothing grows here and there is no water to drink.”
Once more the glory of Yahweh appeared and said to Moses and Aaron, “Gather everyone together and then speak to the nearby rock and it will pour out water to drink.”
The stubbornness of the Israelites was greatly vexing to the two leaders who said to them “Must we literally draw water out of a stone for you to stop rebelling?” Then, Moses took his staff, struck the rock twice, and water poured out for all the people.”
Though Yahweh allowed the people to drink, he did not ignore Moses and Aaron’s disobedience, who had sought to credit themselves for Yahweh’s miracle in an attempt to regain the respect of the ever-grumbling nation. So Yahweh said to them, “Because you sought to steal honor for yourself in the eyes of the people, you cannot be the ones to lead the people into the land which I have given them.”
Seeing the truth of what he had done, the heart of another might have sunk into despondency. But Moses, whose face had once glowed with a holy light, knew Yahweh with an intimacy never before equaled on the earth. Though the complexity of his emotions stretched across the landscape of his heart, at its center, he knew Yahweh was right and that Yahweh’s love remained unbreakable.
Moses bravely, but solemnly, continued to lead the people in the decades of wandering that followed, all the while knowing in his heart that he would never enter the promised land. As their time in the wilderness drew close to its conclusion, the Israelites had been led to the north-eastern edge of the Sinai peninsula, near the land of the Edomites, descendants of Esau. Moses sent a message to their king which said, “You have heard of the difficulties we, your long-sundered kinsmen, have had. Your ancestor’s brother took his family to Egypt as free men but we, their descendants, were enslaved there for hundreds of years. We have now left Egypt, freed by the hand of Yahweh. Our camp is now on the edge of your country. We would like your permission to briefly travel through it. We will not eat any of your crops or even drink any of your water. We will stay on the king’s highway until we have completely passed through your lands.”
But the king of Edom replied, “You may not pass through our country and if you attempt it we will meet you with lethal force.”
Moses again wrote, “Please. We will stay on the main road and if even our livestock accidentally take a drink on our journey we will pay you for it. We only wish to pass through your land.” The king of Edom again refused and sent his army to deter them from crossing.
So they instead went around Edom to nearby Mount Hor. Here Yahweh said to Moses, “Aaron’s time has come. This mountain is where he will join his ancestors. Take him and Eleazar his son, and bring them unto mount Hor: Remove from Aaron the garments of the high priest, and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron shall die there. Moses did as Yahweh commanded in view of all the people. As Yahweh had foretold, Aaron died on the mountain and all of Israel mourned the loss of him for a month.
When their time of grief had ended, they moved north to the outskirts of the lands of the Amorites. As he had done with the Edomites, Moses wrote to the kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, asking to pass through their lands and promising not to eat their food or drink their water. But Sihon and Og also would not grant them safe passage, instead sending their armies out to attack the Israelites.
Yahweh came to Moses and said, “Do not be afraid of these kings, though they mean you harm. They know that they are fighting against the people of Yahweh and so I have delivered them into your hands, along with their armies and land.” So the Israelites completely annihilated the Amorites and took possession of their land as far as the borders of the Ammonites and Moabites.
When Balak, the king of Moab, learned the Israelites had destroyed the Amorites and were now living on the border of his country, he was afraid they would invade his lands. He sent word to the leaders of the Midianites in the south, “This horde is going to consume everything around us like a cow eats grass. They came out of Egypt, they covered the desert, and now they destroyed the Amorites and pitched their tents right next to my land. They can’t be stopped unless we take drastic action. I propose we seek out the Aramean sorcerer, Balaam, to curse their entire encampment with his magic.”
The Midianites agreed and so Balak quickly sent out messengers to Balaam. When they made their request to him, Balaam replied, “Spend the night here and I will get you your answer.”
That night, Yahweh appeared to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
“They came here requesting that I put a curse on the Israelites so that they might be defeated by the Moabites,” Balaam replied.
But Yahweh said, “Do not go with them and do not curse the Israelites whom I have blessed.”
The next morning Balaam told the messengers, “Go back to your king. Yahweh has refused to let me go with you.” After hearing the news, the king wouldn’t give up. Instead, he sent more messengers with great promises of wealth to Balaam.
Balaam replied, “Even if I was given all the silver and gold in your palace I cannot go anywhere except where Yahweh allows. But, spend the night and I will ask Yahweh again.”
That night, Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go with them tomorrow, but only do as I instruct you.”
The next morning, Balaam set out towards Moab. Eventually, when the king heard he had arrived on the border, he went out to meet him. Balaam said, “Know that I can only speak the words that Yahweh puts in my mouth.”
Balaam then went about building a series of altars and making sacrifices upon them while waiting for the word of Yahweh. When the Spirit of God came upon Balaam he said to Balak:
“You brought me from Aram, from the eastern mountains.
‘Come,’ you said, ‘curse the Israelites for me.’
How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?
From the rocky peaks, I see them, from the heights I view them.
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.
Who can count the children of Israel, or number even a fourth of them?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
and may my final end be like theirs!”
Upon hearing this, Balak said, “What have you done? I brought you here to curse these people and you bless them?”
But Balaam replied, “I can only speak the words that Yahweh puts in my mouth.”
Balak, irritated at Balaam’s refusal to do what he was hired to do, insisted, “Balaam, come with me to another place where you will be able to better see these people.”
Again, Balaam then went about building a series of altars and making sacrifices upon them while waiting for the word of Yahweh. And again the Spirit of God came to Balaam who said to Balak:
“God is not human.
God does not lie.
God’s mind cannot be changed.
God speaks and then acts.
God promises and then fulfills.
I have been commanded to bless and I cannot change that.
There will be no misfortune or misery in Israel today.
Yahweh, their God, is with them;
The shout of their King is among them.
God brought them out of Egypt;
They have the strength of a wild ox.
There is no magic to be used against Israel,
It will be said of them
‘See what God has done!’
The people rise like a lion that does not rest until it devours its prey.
Then Balak became even angrier at Balaam but again he insisted that he come to a third location to curse Israel, though Balaam once again replied, “I told you I can only speak the words that Yahweh puts in my mouth.”
And after Balaam once again built altars and made sacrifices, the Spirit of God came to him for the third time and he said to Balak:
“I am Balaam, son of Beor,
A prophet whose eyes and ears have been opened,
And falls prostrate upon hearing the words of God.
The tents of Israel are beautiful
They spread out like the valleys
They are like a forest of cedars beside the waters.
They have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour nations that are hostile to them.
Their kingdom will be exalted.
Like a lion, they crouch and lie down, Who dares to rouse them?
“May those who bless them be blessed
and those who curse them be cursed!”
Balak yelled at Balaam, “I brought you here to curse my enemies and you have blessed them now three times. Begone from my sight! I would have made you a wealthy man, but Yahweh has taken that away from you.”
Balaam replied, “I told those that you sent to me that even if I was given all of your wealth I could do nothing except what Yahweh told me to do. I will return to my home, but first, let me warn you of what is to come. A ruler will rise up out of Israel who will crush Moab, Edom, Amalek, and all those who oppose him.” Then Balaam returned to his home.
With Balaam unwilling to curse their enemy, the Moabites and Midianites adopted a new strategy: they sent some of their women to the Israelite encampment. Some of the men of Israel became infatuated with these women and were led to betray Yahweh by offering sacrifices to Baal, a demon worshipped by the people of that land as a god.
With the holiness of Israel once again imperiled, Yahweh said to Moses, “The time has come to carry out my justice against the Midianites. Though your wife is counted among them, THESE Midianites have conspired with Moab to have you cursed and now, having failed at that, they have intentionally led you away from me though they themselves are also descendants of Abraham.” So Moses gathered 1000 soldiers from each of the 12 tribes and utterly destroyed the Midianites in battle, and they were no more.
After this battle, leaders from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, who had very large flocks, looked out over the good grazing land of the Amorites they had conquered and said to Moses, “If you are willing, let this land become our inheritance. We do not wish to cross the Jordan River into Canaan.”
“Moses replied, “Should the rest of Israel go to war while you settle here? Why do you discourage the others from entering the land that was promised to us? This is exactly what your parents did when they grumbled against Yahweh after hearing the negative report from the scouts. Yahweh’s anger prevented any of them from entering this land. For nearly forty years we have been wandering the desert because of this. And yet you are going to make the same mistake. Are we to be abandoned in the wilderness for another generation because of you?”
They replied, “No! We do not seek to rebel against Yahweh. We only wish to raise our livestock here and have a place to protect our women and children. We vow to remain in the army and fight Yahweh’s battles, not to return to our homes until all the land that has been promised is finally ours.”
Moses replied, “If you keep this vow you will have fulfilled your duty to Yahweh and the rest of Israel and you may have this land as your inheritance.” So the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh settled east of the Jordan River while the rest of Israel prepared to enter Canaan.
Sometime after this, with the generation that had rebelled having died off, Moses gathered their wilderness raised children to Mount Nebo, east of the Jordan River, on the outskirts of Moab. There he reminded them of their history and of their relationship with God. He spoke to them about the importance of the laws given to them as well as Yahweh’s love, demonstrated with great signs and wonders.
He then said, “Yahweh is giving you the land promised to your ancestors: to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Go now and enter it. With Yahweh’s help, the nations of this land will not stop you. Do not fear them. Remember the power that Yahweh visited upon the Egyptians in the time of your parents. Do not make treaties with them and do not search among them for your spouses lest they tempt you to worship other gods as the Moabites and Midianites have done.
“Yahweh did not choose you because of your size or strength, but to keep the promises made to your ancestors out of love. If you follow the law of Yahweh, then Yahweh will keep the promises made to you. You will be blessed, grow, and be prosperous. If you turn away from Yahweh, then surely it will lead to your own destruction. Remember how Yahweh cared for you these last forty years. You were fed, your clothes never wore out, and your feet never failed you. These forty years of discipline were also an act of love just as you lovingly discipline your own children.
“When you enter this land filled with cities, homes, walls, and farmland that you did not make for yourselves, be careful you do not forget that it was Yahweh who led you here. Give thanks to Yahweh for all that you have, and do not become proud as though it was done by your own effort.
“I know you, so I can say with confidence that the day will come when the presence of Yahweh will no longer satisfy you as a nation and you will desire a king from among the people to rule over you as other nations have. At that time remember this warning. Ensure your king is the one chosen by Yahweh. He should not be focused on increasing his own wealth and status by acquiring horses, gold, or wives lest his heart be led astray. When he takes the throne his days should be filled with the study of the law so that his focus will always be on Yahweh and so he never believes himself greater than his fellow Israelites.
“In every age, Yahweh will continue to raise up prophets from among you. Listen to them, for they are the mouthpieces of Yahweh. In truth, the word of God is meant to be heard by each of you, but your parents cowered in fear upon seeing the presence of Yahweh on Mount Sinai.
“What Yahweh asks of you is not impossible. It does not require that you ascend to heaven or cross the ocean. The choice to seek God and be blessed or turn away and be cursed is yours to make in each generation.
“Dwell in the shelter of Yahweh.
Rest in Yahweh’s mighty shadow.
Trust in Yahweh as your fortress.
You will be delivered from the hunter’s trap.
You will be protected under mighty wings.
You will be shielded by the truth.
You will not fear any terror of the night;
You will not fear any arrow that flies by day;
You will not fear any disease or destruction.
Angels will watch over you.
They shall bear you up in their hands and keep you safe from the rocks.
You shall safely walk over the lion and serpent
Because you are loved, set Yahweh above all others,
Yahweh, who knows your name, shall call upon you, and you will answer.
Throughout your lives, honor Yahweh.”
Then, before the assembly, Moses said to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous because you have been chosen by Yahweh to lead these people into the promised land.”
To the Levite priests, he said, “take the law and place it next to the ark of the covenant so it will always remind you of the commitment you have made to God. Your parents rebelled under my leadership. Will your generation rebel when I am gone?”
Yahweh then spoke only to Moses, “This nation will one day turn from me and worship the false gods of the land they are about to enter. They will abandon me and turn from the laws I have given to them. In that day disaster will strike. You are to record this prophecy so that when these things come to pass, even then they will be reminded that I am their God.”
Shortly after this Moses died in his old age and was buried there on the outskirts of Moab, though the place has been forgotten in the expanse of time. He was 120 years old, but he never lost his strength or senses. The nation grieved his loss. No prophet had ever had such an intimate relationship with Yahweh. No prophet had ever performed such miracles as Moses had. And by his leadership and the grace of Yahweh, they now stood on the threshold ready to claim the promised land.
With their return, they brought this report, saying, “We explored the land as instructed. It would be excellent for our people, but the inhabitants there are powerful and live in fortified cities.”
But Caleb said, “We should go and receive the land that was promised to us. I have faith Yahweh will bring us success.”
Joshua agreed, but the other scouts argued, “We cannot defeat such people, their strength is much greater than ours.”
After they had concluded the report and returned to their homes, all of the scouts except for Caleb and Joshua, spread a negative report among the people, telling them, “Those who dwell in the land we explored will kill us all. We were like insects beneath their giant feet.”
The outcry among the people was so immediate that many gathered before the tents of Moses and Aaron and said, “If only we had died in Egypt, or here in the desert. Why is Yahweh leading us into the hands of our enemies like lambs to the slaughter? The time has come for us to choose a new leader and return to Egypt.”
But Caleb and Joshua rebuked their neighbors and said, “The land we scouted is beyond compare. With Yahweh on our side, this land is already ours. Do not rebel against Yahweh or Moses and do not be afraid of the Canaanites. There is no defense against the power of Yahweh.” But they would not be swayed, even threatening death to any who advocated entering Canaan.
At that moment, when their rebellion had reached its zenith, The glory of Yahweh appeared over the tabernacle in the sight of the entire nation and spoke to Moses, saying, “How long will my people provoke me? How long will it be before they trust me? I will disinherit them and make you, Moses, an even greater nation.”
But Moses replied, “If this came to pass, and word of it came to the Egyptians and Canaanites, then they would mock your name, saying that you were powerless to rescue your people. I know that you are loving and patient. Please, forgive these people again, like you have done so many times before.”
Yahweh replied, “How long will I bear with these stubborn people who grumble against me? I have pardoned them as you have requested, but to everyone who has seen my glory and my miracles, which I did both in Egypt and in the desert, but has still rebelled against me so many times, I say that your bodies will fall in this desert. Every adult among you will not come into the promised land, except Caleb and Joshua. They will lead your children into the land that you rejected. You will all wander the desert for forty years, one year for each day the scouts were in the land of Canaan.’”
Moses spoke these words to the nation and they wept bitterly when confronted with the evil they had done. That night, with these events weighing heavily on him, Moses struggled to sleep and found himself gathering his thoughts into a psalm:
Yahweh, in every age our place is with you.
Before the mountains were raised before you formed the earth,
From eternity past to eternity future, you are God.
You can return a human to the dust they were first formed from.
Our lives are like blades of grass:
In the morning they grow; In the evening they are cut down.
The shadow of your anger is upon us.
You have shown us our wrongdoing.
Our secrets are made known by the light of your face.
Our lives are counted in mere decades;
Yet they are filled with labor and sorrow;
Teach us to live deliberately, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
Who can comprehend the holy depths of your anger?
Forgive your people, oh God, and save us by your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Let your power be known among your people
Let your works be taught to all of our children.
Let Yahweh be with us and bring us success in our every endeavor.
The next morning, though, the people had convinced themselves that their contrition would undo the consequences spoken by Yahweh. So they assembled on the highest hill overlooking Canaan and proclaimed, “We see now that we were wrong to doubt Yahweh. We are ready to enter the land that was promised to us.”
But Moses replied, “Why do you continue to disobey? This will not end well for you. Don’t enter Canaan when God is not with you. You will surely be defeated by those who dwell there.” But they would not heed his warning and entered Canaan without Moses, or the Ark of the Covenant, causing them to be quickly routed by the Canaanites.
Convinced that it was Moses who had brought this defeat upon them, 250 well-known community leaders led by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram angrily descended upon Moses and Aaron and said, “You have gone too far. You are no better than us. Yahweh is with each of us equally. What gives you two the right to set yourselves above us like this?”
Moses bowed low to the ground in humility before the mob and said to Korah, “tomorrow morning we will make incense offerings and whichever offering Yahweh chooses, that person will lead this nation. Korah, you and your followers are Levites. Isn’t it enough that Yahweh has set you apart from the rest of the Israelites to serve them as caretakers of the tabernacle? Why are you also trying to take the priesthood away from Aaron’s family? What has he done to deserve this? It is not only against Aaron but Yahweh, that you are rebelling.”
Moses also wished to speak with Dathan and Abiram but they sent back this message: “We will not lend credence to your claim to authority by answering your summons. Isn’t it enough that you took us away from the bountiful land of Egypt just for us to die in the desert? Now you want to be lord over us and treat us as your slaves?”
This infuriated Moses who said to Yahweh, “Tomorrow I ask that you will not accept their offering. I have never taken a single thing from them or wronged them in any way.”
The next morning Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and all 250 of their followers gathered in front of the tabernacle with their incense offerings burning, along with Aaron and Moses. Then the glory of Yahweh appeared to them all and said to Moses and Aaron, “Separate yourselves from the people so that I may destroy them for their rebellion.”
Moses and Aaron begged, “Yahweh. Creator of all life. Will you destroy an entire nation when it is only a few people who are rebelling?”
Yahweh replied, “Say to Israel, move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
So Moses spoke to the nation, saying, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men. This is how you will know that I am sent by Yahweh and am not just doing as I please: if these men die of natural causes, I am nothing but a charlatan, but if Yahweh does something you have never seen before and opens the mouth of the earth to swallow these men alive, along with all of their possessions, then you will know that Yahweh has felt the contempt that they have shown.” As soon as he finished speaking, it happened just as he said.
But the next day, more people came before Moses and said, “You have killed our own people.”
Again, as they spoke, the glory of Yahweh appeared to them all and said to Moses and Aaron, “Separate yourselves from among these people so that I may destroy them for their rebellion.”
This time Moses said to Aaron, “Quickly! Burn some incense and ask for forgiveness for these people. God is sending a plague to kill them. As he ran to do as Moses said, the rebels were already beginning to drop down dead around him. But as Aaron stood between the living and the dead, atoning for the sins of the people, the plague stopped. So Aaron rescued the very people who had risen up against him.
Soon after, Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Speak to the children of Israel and have each tribe select a leader. From each tribe’s leader, take a staff. On each staff write each person’s name. Aaron's staff will represent the tribe of Levi. Then lay them in the tabernacle in front of the ark of the covenant. By tomorrow, the staff of the man I have chosen will blossom as though it were part of a living tree once more. I do this to put an end to the grumbling of the children of Israel against you and Aaron.”
Moses did everything Yahweh asked of him, and the next day, when he returned to tabernacle, he found that not only had Aaron’s staff budded, it had also blossomed and produced almonds. Moses took all 12 staves out to the people so they could see for themselves. Each person took his own staff back.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant as a sign to anyone who might rebel, that they might turn from their wickedness and save themselves from their own destruction.”
But the Israelites took no comfort in this and instead cried out, “We are all doomed! If we even approach the tabernacle we will die!”
Their terror drew their hearts further away from God and soon they began to grumble again. Fearing once more that they would run out of water they said to Moses and Aaron, “If only we had been killed along with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die of thirst in this terrible place? Nothing grows here and there is no water to drink.”
Once more the glory of Yahweh appeared and said to Moses and Aaron, “Gather everyone together and then speak to the nearby rock and it will pour out water to drink.”
The stubbornness of the Israelites was greatly vexing to the two leaders who said to them “Must we literally draw water out of a stone for you to stop rebelling?” Then, Moses took his staff, struck the rock twice, and water poured out for all the people.”
Though Yahweh allowed the people to drink, he did not ignore Moses and Aaron’s disobedience, who had sought to credit themselves for Yahweh’s miracle in an attempt to regain the respect of the ever-grumbling nation. So Yahweh said to them, “Because you sought to steal honor for yourself in the eyes of the people, you cannot be the ones to lead the people into the land which I have given them.”
Seeing the truth of what he had done, the heart of another might have sunk into despondency. But Moses, whose face had once glowed with a holy light, knew Yahweh with an intimacy never before equaled on the earth. Though the complexity of his emotions stretched across the landscape of his heart, at its center, he knew Yahweh was right and that Yahweh’s love remained unbreakable.
Moses bravely, but solemnly, continued to lead the people in the decades of wandering that followed, all the while knowing in his heart that he would never enter the promised land. As their time in the wilderness drew close to its conclusion, the Israelites had been led to the north-eastern edge of the Sinai peninsula, near the land of the Edomites, descendants of Esau. Moses sent a message to their king which said, “You have heard of the difficulties we, your long-sundered kinsmen, have had. Your ancestor’s brother took his family to Egypt as free men but we, their descendants, were enslaved there for hundreds of years. We have now left Egypt, freed by the hand of Yahweh. Our camp is now on the edge of your country. We would like your permission to briefly travel through it. We will not eat any of your crops or even drink any of your water. We will stay on the king’s highway until we have completely passed through your lands.”
But the king of Edom replied, “You may not pass through our country and if you attempt it we will meet you with lethal force.”
Moses again wrote, “Please. We will stay on the main road and if even our livestock accidentally take a drink on our journey we will pay you for it. We only wish to pass through your land.” The king of Edom again refused and sent his army to deter them from crossing.
So they instead went around Edom to nearby Mount Hor. Here Yahweh said to Moses, “Aaron’s time has come. This mountain is where he will join his ancestors. Take him and Eleazar his son, and bring them unto mount Hor: Remove from Aaron the garments of the high priest, and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron shall die there. Moses did as Yahweh commanded in view of all the people. As Yahweh had foretold, Aaron died on the mountain and all of Israel mourned the loss of him for a month.
When their time of grief had ended, they moved north to the outskirts of the lands of the Amorites. As he had done with the Edomites, Moses wrote to the kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, asking to pass through their lands and promising not to eat their food or drink their water. But Sihon and Og also would not grant them safe passage, instead sending their armies out to attack the Israelites.
Yahweh came to Moses and said, “Do not be afraid of these kings, though they mean you harm. They know that they are fighting against the people of Yahweh and so I have delivered them into your hands, along with their armies and land.” So the Israelites completely annihilated the Amorites and took possession of their land as far as the borders of the Ammonites and Moabites.
When Balak, the king of Moab, learned the Israelites had destroyed the Amorites and were now living on the border of his country, he was afraid they would invade his lands. He sent word to the leaders of the Midianites in the south, “This horde is going to consume everything around us like a cow eats grass. They came out of Egypt, they covered the desert, and now they destroyed the Amorites and pitched their tents right next to my land. They can’t be stopped unless we take drastic action. I propose we seek out the Aramean sorcerer, Balaam, to curse their entire encampment with his magic.”
The Midianites agreed and so Balak quickly sent out messengers to Balaam. When they made their request to him, Balaam replied, “Spend the night here and I will get you your answer.”
That night, Yahweh appeared to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
“They came here requesting that I put a curse on the Israelites so that they might be defeated by the Moabites,” Balaam replied.
But Yahweh said, “Do not go with them and do not curse the Israelites whom I have blessed.”
The next morning Balaam told the messengers, “Go back to your king. Yahweh has refused to let me go with you.” After hearing the news, the king wouldn’t give up. Instead, he sent more messengers with great promises of wealth to Balaam.
Balaam replied, “Even if I was given all the silver and gold in your palace I cannot go anywhere except where Yahweh allows. But, spend the night and I will ask Yahweh again.”
That night, Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go with them tomorrow, but only do as I instruct you.”
The next morning, Balaam set out towards Moab. Eventually, when the king heard he had arrived on the border, he went out to meet him. Balaam said, “Know that I can only speak the words that Yahweh puts in my mouth.”
Balaam then went about building a series of altars and making sacrifices upon them while waiting for the word of Yahweh. When the Spirit of God came upon Balaam he said to Balak:
“You brought me from Aram, from the eastern mountains.
‘Come,’ you said, ‘curse the Israelites for me.’
How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?
From the rocky peaks, I see them, from the heights I view them.
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.
Who can count the children of Israel, or number even a fourth of them?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
and may my final end be like theirs!”
Upon hearing this, Balak said, “What have you done? I brought you here to curse these people and you bless them?”
But Balaam replied, “I can only speak the words that Yahweh puts in my mouth.”
Balak, irritated at Balaam’s refusal to do what he was hired to do, insisted, “Balaam, come with me to another place where you will be able to better see these people.”
Again, Balaam then went about building a series of altars and making sacrifices upon them while waiting for the word of Yahweh. And again the Spirit of God came to Balaam who said to Balak:
“God is not human.
God does not lie.
God’s mind cannot be changed.
God speaks and then acts.
God promises and then fulfills.
I have been commanded to bless and I cannot change that.
There will be no misfortune or misery in Israel today.
Yahweh, their God, is with them;
The shout of their King is among them.
God brought them out of Egypt;
They have the strength of a wild ox.
There is no magic to be used against Israel,
It will be said of them
‘See what God has done!’
The people rise like a lion that does not rest until it devours its prey.
Then Balak became even angrier at Balaam but again he insisted that he come to a third location to curse Israel, though Balaam once again replied, “I told you I can only speak the words that Yahweh puts in my mouth.”
And after Balaam once again built altars and made sacrifices, the Spirit of God came to him for the third time and he said to Balak:
“I am Balaam, son of Beor,
A prophet whose eyes and ears have been opened,
And falls prostrate upon hearing the words of God.
The tents of Israel are beautiful
They spread out like the valleys
They are like a forest of cedars beside the waters.
They have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour nations that are hostile to them.
Their kingdom will be exalted.
Like a lion, they crouch and lie down, Who dares to rouse them?
“May those who bless them be blessed
and those who curse them be cursed!”
Balak yelled at Balaam, “I brought you here to curse my enemies and you have blessed them now three times. Begone from my sight! I would have made you a wealthy man, but Yahweh has taken that away from you.”
Balaam replied, “I told those that you sent to me that even if I was given all of your wealth I could do nothing except what Yahweh told me to do. I will return to my home, but first, let me warn you of what is to come. A ruler will rise up out of Israel who will crush Moab, Edom, Amalek, and all those who oppose him.” Then Balaam returned to his home.
With Balaam unwilling to curse their enemy, the Moabites and Midianites adopted a new strategy: they sent some of their women to the Israelite encampment. Some of the men of Israel became infatuated with these women and were led to betray Yahweh by offering sacrifices to Baal, a demon worshipped by the people of that land as a god.
With the holiness of Israel once again imperiled, Yahweh said to Moses, “The time has come to carry out my justice against the Midianites. Though your wife is counted among them, THESE Midianites have conspired with Moab to have you cursed and now, having failed at that, they have intentionally led you away from me though they themselves are also descendants of Abraham.” So Moses gathered 1000 soldiers from each of the 12 tribes and utterly destroyed the Midianites in battle, and they were no more.
After this battle, leaders from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, who had very large flocks, looked out over the good grazing land of the Amorites they had conquered and said to Moses, “If you are willing, let this land become our inheritance. We do not wish to cross the Jordan River into Canaan.”
“Moses replied, “Should the rest of Israel go to war while you settle here? Why do you discourage the others from entering the land that was promised to us? This is exactly what your parents did when they grumbled against Yahweh after hearing the negative report from the scouts. Yahweh’s anger prevented any of them from entering this land. For nearly forty years we have been wandering the desert because of this. And yet you are going to make the same mistake. Are we to be abandoned in the wilderness for another generation because of you?”
They replied, “No! We do not seek to rebel against Yahweh. We only wish to raise our livestock here and have a place to protect our women and children. We vow to remain in the army and fight Yahweh’s battles, not to return to our homes until all the land that has been promised is finally ours.”
Moses replied, “If you keep this vow you will have fulfilled your duty to Yahweh and the rest of Israel and you may have this land as your inheritance.” So the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh settled east of the Jordan River while the rest of Israel prepared to enter Canaan.
Sometime after this, with the generation that had rebelled having died off, Moses gathered their wilderness raised children to Mount Nebo, east of the Jordan River, on the outskirts of Moab. There he reminded them of their history and of their relationship with God. He spoke to them about the importance of the laws given to them as well as Yahweh’s love, demonstrated with great signs and wonders.
He then said, “Yahweh is giving you the land promised to your ancestors: to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Go now and enter it. With Yahweh’s help, the nations of this land will not stop you. Do not fear them. Remember the power that Yahweh visited upon the Egyptians in the time of your parents. Do not make treaties with them and do not search among them for your spouses lest they tempt you to worship other gods as the Moabites and Midianites have done.
“Yahweh did not choose you because of your size or strength, but to keep the promises made to your ancestors out of love. If you follow the law of Yahweh, then Yahweh will keep the promises made to you. You will be blessed, grow, and be prosperous. If you turn away from Yahweh, then surely it will lead to your own destruction. Remember how Yahweh cared for you these last forty years. You were fed, your clothes never wore out, and your feet never failed you. These forty years of discipline were also an act of love just as you lovingly discipline your own children.
“When you enter this land filled with cities, homes, walls, and farmland that you did not make for yourselves, be careful you do not forget that it was Yahweh who led you here. Give thanks to Yahweh for all that you have, and do not become proud as though it was done by your own effort.
“I know you, so I can say with confidence that the day will come when the presence of Yahweh will no longer satisfy you as a nation and you will desire a king from among the people to rule over you as other nations have. At that time remember this warning. Ensure your king is the one chosen by Yahweh. He should not be focused on increasing his own wealth and status by acquiring horses, gold, or wives lest his heart be led astray. When he takes the throne his days should be filled with the study of the law so that his focus will always be on Yahweh and so he never believes himself greater than his fellow Israelites.
“In every age, Yahweh will continue to raise up prophets from among you. Listen to them, for they are the mouthpieces of Yahweh. In truth, the word of God is meant to be heard by each of you, but your parents cowered in fear upon seeing the presence of Yahweh on Mount Sinai.
“What Yahweh asks of you is not impossible. It does not require that you ascend to heaven or cross the ocean. The choice to seek God and be blessed or turn away and be cursed is yours to make in each generation.
“Dwell in the shelter of Yahweh.
Rest in Yahweh’s mighty shadow.
Trust in Yahweh as your fortress.
You will be delivered from the hunter’s trap.
You will be protected under mighty wings.
You will be shielded by the truth.
You will not fear any terror of the night;
You will not fear any arrow that flies by day;
You will not fear any disease or destruction.
Angels will watch over you.
They shall bear you up in their hands and keep you safe from the rocks.
You shall safely walk over the lion and serpent
Because you are loved, set Yahweh above all others,
Yahweh, who knows your name, shall call upon you, and you will answer.
Throughout your lives, honor Yahweh.”
Then, before the assembly, Moses said to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous because you have been chosen by Yahweh to lead these people into the promised land.”
To the Levite priests, he said, “take the law and place it next to the ark of the covenant so it will always remind you of the commitment you have made to God. Your parents rebelled under my leadership. Will your generation rebel when I am gone?”
Yahweh then spoke only to Moses, “This nation will one day turn from me and worship the false gods of the land they are about to enter. They will abandon me and turn from the laws I have given to them. In that day disaster will strike. You are to record this prophecy so that when these things come to pass, even then they will be reminded that I am their God.”
Shortly after this Moses died in his old age and was buried there on the outskirts of Moab, though the place has been forgotten in the expanse of time. He was 120 years old, but he never lost his strength or senses. The nation grieved his loss. No prophet had ever had such an intimate relationship with Yahweh. No prophet had ever performed such miracles as Moses had. And by his leadership and the grace of Yahweh, they now stood on the threshold ready to claim the promised land.
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