14:1-4
Now all the people rebel. Indeed, rebellion is a key feature of Numbers. Earlier we had Miriam and Aaron rebelling against Moses. Now all the people rebel, after this there will be another rebellion, and later Moses himself will rebel. What is the nature of the rebellion? First the people have chosen to believe the report of the ten spies, rather than of Joshua and Caleb. They have chosen to believe a godless report (for the report paid no attention to the promise of the Lord). Then they get all agitated. Today we can see a similar phenomenon with abortion and LGBTQ stuff. People choose to believe the report that abortion and LGBTQ is good, they then get all agitated about it. People demand the right to kill life in the womb. They then start fearing things that will not happen. “Our wives and our little ones will become prey”. They wouldn’t have done, but believing the bad (and false) report leads them to become filled with fear. Their solution to this is to wan to go back to Egypt, where their women and children would indeed become prey!
14:5-9
Moses and Aaron fall on their faces before the people. It isn’t clear why they are doing this. Are they prostrating themselves before the Lord, or before the people? However, Joshua and Caleb’s actions are clear. They urge the people to put their faith in God. They put God first, saying He can give the land into their hands. Thinking that omits God is inevitably wrong thinking. They make it clear that the people would be rebelling against the Lord, and that if they do trust the Lord then they have no need to fear.
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