Numbers 14:40

_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._ They rose up early in the morning. Notwithstanding the tidings that Moses communicated, and which diffused a general feeling of melancholy and grief throughout the camp, the impression was of very brief continuance. They rushed from one extreme of rashness and perversity to another, and the obstinacy of their rebellious spirit was evinced by their active preparations to ascend the hill, notwithstanding the divine warning they had received not to undertake that enterprise. FOR WE HAVE SINNED - i:e., sensible of our sin, we now repent of it, and are eager to do as Caleb and Joshua exhorted us; or, as some render it, though we have sinned, we trust God will yet give us the land of promise....

40-45 Some of the Israelites were now earnest to go forward toward Canaan. But it came too late. If men would but be as earnest for heaven while their day of grace lasts, as they will be when it is over, how well would it be for them! That which has been duty in its season, when mistimed, may be turned into sin. Those who are out of the way of their duty, are not under God's protection, and go at their peril. God bade them go, and they would not; he forbade them, and they would go. Thus is the carnal mind enmity against God. They had distrusted God's strength; they now presume upon their own without his. And the expedition fails accordingly; now the sentence began to be executed, that their carcases should fall in the wilderness. That affair can never end well, which begins with sin. The way to obtain peace with our friends, and success against our enemies, is, to have God, as our Frien...

Verse Numbers 14:40. _WE - WILL GO UP UNTO THE PLACE, C._] They found themselves on the very borders of the land, and they heard God say they should not enter it, but should be consumed by a forty years' wandering in the wilderness notwithstanding, they are determined to render vain this purpose of God, probably supposing that the temporary sorrow they felt for their late rebellion would be accepted as a sufficient atonement for their crimes. They accordingly went up, and were cut down by their enemies; and why? God went not with them. How vain is the counsel of man against the wisdom of God! Nature, poor, fallen human nature, is ever running into extremes. This miserable people, a short time ago, thought that though they had Omnipotence with them they could not conquer and possess the land! Now they imagine that though God himself go not with them, yet they shall be sufficient...

EXPOSITION THE REBELLION AT KADESH (continued) (Numbers 13:1, Numbers 14:1). NUMBERS 14:1 AND THE PEOPLE WEPT THAT NIGHT. As the spies repeated their dismal tidings, each to the leading men of his own tribe, and as the report was spread swiftly through the tents (cf. Deuteronomy 1:27) with ever-increasing exaggerations, the lamentation became universal. NUMBERS 14:2 Murmured against Moses

AND THEY ROSE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING,.... The next morning after they had heard the bad news of their consumption in the wilderness; not being able, perhaps, to sleep that night with the thoughts of it, and being now in a great haste to go up and possess the land of Canaan, as they were before to return to Egypt: AND GAT THEM UP INTO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN; which was the way the spies went into the land of Canaan, Numbers 13:17; this they did not actually ascend, as appears from Numbers 14:44; but they determined upon it, and got themselves ready for it: SAYING, LO, WE [BE HERE]; this they said either to one another, animating each other to engage in the enterprise; or to Moses and Joshua, signifying that they were ready to go up and possess the land, if they woul

CHAPTER 14 The Rebellion of the People, Moses' Intercession and the Divine Sentence _ 1. The rebellion (Numbers 14:1)_ 2. The intercession of Moses (Numbers 14:11) 3. The divine sentence (Numbers 14:26) 4. The presumption of the people and the defeat (Numbers 14:40) The words of unbelief of the ten spies yielded an awful harvest among the people. The camp was transformed into a camp of despair, weeping and crying during the night. Outspoken rebellion against Moses and Aaron was heard on all sides. Worse than that took place; they accused Jehovah of deception. Such is unbelief. They

LO. Figure of speech _Asterismos._ App-6. SINNED. Hebrew. _chat'a._ App-44....

_the top of the mountain_ Perhaps a particular hill in the south of the Negeb, close to Kadesh: but it may denote more generally -the high ground of the hill country....

THEY ROSE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING— The people, struck with a temporary concern, a transient fit of slavish fear, as the sequel too clearly proves; were now as forward to advance as they had been backward before; and, though dissuaded by Moses from their rash attempt, still prone to disobey, they ventured forth; the consequence was such as might well be expected; for _the Lord was not amongst them,_ Numbers 14:42. By the Canaanites, mentioned in the 45th verse, are meant one of the nations only, the Amorites, Deuteronomy 1:44. Concerning Hormath, (Numbers 14:45.) see chap. Numbers 21:3....

G. DEFEATS BY AMALEKITES AND KENITES vv. 39-45 TEXT Numbers 14:39. And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly. 40. 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. 41. And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper. 42. Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies. 43. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are 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. 44. But they presumed to go up unto the hilltop: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses, departed not out of the camp. 45. Then the Amalekites c