Thematic Bible: Israel's


Thematic Bible



Then Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron: How long must I put up with this wicked congregation that keeps complaining about me? I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making about me. Therefore tell them: 'As I live, declares Jehovah, I solemnly swear I will do everything to you that you said I would do. read more.
Your bodies will drop dead in this desert. All of you who are at least twenty years old, who were registered and listed, and who complained about me will die. I raised my hand and swore an oath to give you this land to live in. But none of you will enter it except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. You said your children would be taken as prisoners of war. Instead, I will bring them into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it. But your bodies will drop dead in this desert. Your children will be shepherds in the desert for forty years. They will suffer for your unfaithfulness until the last of your bodies lies dead in the desert. You explored the land for forty days. So for forty years, one year for each day, you will suffer for your sins and know what it means for me to be against you.' I, Jehovah, have spoken. I swear I will do these things to all the people in this whole wicked congregation. For they have joined forces against me. They will meet their end in this desert. Here they will die!' The men Moses sent to explore the land died in front of Jehovah from a plague. They died because they had returned and made the whole community complain about Moses. They spread lies about the land. Of all the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived. Moses told these things to all the Israelites. The people mourned bitterly, as if someone had died. Early the next morning they headed into the mountains. They said: We have sinned. Now we will go to the place Jehovah promised. Moses asked: Why are you disobeying Jehovah's command? Your plan will not work! Do not go! Your enemies will defeat you because Jehovah is not with you. The Amalekites and Canaanites are there. You will die in battle. Now that you have turned away from Jehovah, he will not be with you. But they headed into the mountains anyway. The Ark of the Jehovah's promise and Moses stayed in the camp. The Amalekites and Canaanites who lived there came down from those mountains, attacked the Israelites, and defeated them at Hormah.