Slideshow image

In today’s reading (Numbers 13–14; Psalm 90), we encounter a familiar scene: the people of Israel are grumbling yet again. This time they chose to believe the fearful report of the ten spies rather than the faithful report of Caleb and Joshua. Despite God’s continued patience, this marks a turning point. Only those who trusted in the Lord would move ahead into His promises.

In Numbers 14:22, God states that the people had put Him to the test ten times, and now the consequences would come. While I’m not exactly sure which ten instances God was referring to, the following list highlights repeated events where we clearly see the pattern of the peoples’ disbelief:

  1. The Red Sea—Doubting deliverance with Pharaoh’s army approaching (Exodus 14:10–12)
  2. The Waters of Marah—Complaining about bitter water (Exodus 15:22–24)
  3. In the Wilderness of Sin—Grumbling about lack of food (Exodus 16:1–3)
  4. Gathering Manna—Hoarding manna despite God’s command (Exodus 16:19–20)
  5. Ignoring the Sabbath—Disregarding God’s instruction to rest (Exodus 16:27–30)
  6. Rephidim—Complaining about lack of water and testing the Lord (Exodus 17:1–7)
  7. The Gold Calf at Mount Sinai – Turning away from God after only 40 days (Exodus 32:1–35)
  8. Complaining at Taberah—Complaints brought down fire from the Lord (Numbers 11:1–3)
  9. Craving Meat and Rejecting Manna—The sin of greed at Kibroth Hattaavah (Numbers 11:4–34)
  10. Rejecting the Promised Land—Believing the bad report of the ten spies (Numbers 13:31–14:4)

Because of this repeated pattern of unbelief and disobedience, God declared that all those counted in the census—twenty years and older—would die in the wilderness. Though the people mourned greatly and tried to repent, it was too little too late after God had spoken.

This is a sobering truth: God forgives sin, but that doesn’t always remove the consequences.

Yet in the midst of this, what stands out most to me is Moses’s response. He had every reason to be done with the people. When God threatened to start over with him, Moses could’ve agreed—but instead, he interceded for the people. He stood in the gap, praying on behalf of the very people who frustrated him so. And God answered Moses’s prayer in Numbers 14:20:

“I have pardoned, according to your word.”

What a powerful example—not just for leaders, but for anyone dealing with difficult people, seasons, or circumstances. Remain faithful. Keep interceding. Stay the course.

Another encouragement comes from Moses’s prayer in Psalm 90. In verse 4, he writes:

“For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.”

To the weary soul—whether you’re a leader, parent, teacher, or simply walking through a hard season—be encouraged: what feels long and heavy to us is but a moment in God’s eternal plan. Forty years in the wilderness was a consequence for the people, yet for faithful leaders like Caleb and Joshua, God brings them through and renews their strength as if no time passed at all (Joshua 14:11).

Even if, like Moses, you don’t see the “promised land” in this life, keep in mind that our true reward isn’t material—remember the Levites—it is God Himself. By keeping Moses’s perspective, we too can be satisfied,

“…in the morning with [God’s] steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days” ( Psalm 90:14).

Let God’s HESED חָסַד—His steadfast, covenant love—be the source of your joy, the foundation of your perseverance, and the reason you continue walking faithfully.

Takeaway: Whether you’re leading others or simply trying to remain faithful in a hard season, find your satisfaction not in outcomes, but in God’s steadfast love. Trust His timing. Keep praying. Stay obedient. His promises will come to pass—in His way, and in His time.