During the wilderness wandering, the Israelites fall into severe discontentment, becoming critical of both Moses and God. Their complaining and rebellion lead to deep lessons about sin, its consequences and the cross.
“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” – G.K. Chesterton, in What’s Wrong with the World
The problem is not new. People begin in the faith but don’t finish. Today’s passage gives us the classic example.
Numbers 13-14.pdf
Our radical dedication to holiness should be an attractive option in a hopeless world – and a source of severe conviction to a compromised or hypocritical church.
One of the Bible’s most important concepts comes from Leviticus. When Jesus emphasizes it later, he is only elaborating on what was originally written here.
Central Reflections 