Intro: (EBC) The malicious report of the ten spies (13:26–33) spread throughout the populace like a vicious virus on rampage. The words of Caleb and Joshua were not heard. Everywhere people heard of walled cities, strong men, giants, and the fabled Nephilim.
The giant clusters of grapes were a portent of doom. If clusters of grapes were as great as these, imagine what the people would be like! No one talked about God’s grace. None recited his miracles.
Forgotten was the act of God where the most powerful nation of their world was stymied at the rushing of waters back to their beds. The thunder of Sinai, the fire of God, that he had spoken and delivered and graced his people beyond imagination—all these things were forgotten in their paroxysm of fear. Fear unchecked becomes its own fuel, a self-propelling force that expands as it expends
Reflection: Have I got my faith shaken because of other people's words? Whose words are more powerful than God's words to me? Do I forget God's words easily?
Ob and In:
Verses 1–2 (EBC) emphasize the pervasiveness of the fear and the outrage of the entire populace. The words are “all the people of the community” (v.1), “all the Israelites” (v.2), and “the whole assembly” (v.2). This threefold emphasis on the extent of the rebellion is important; for the judgment of God will extend to the entire community
murmured=(NET) It is paralleled in the literature with the word “to rebel.” The murmuring is like a parliamentary vote of no confidence, for they no longer trusted their leaders and wished to choose a new leader and return. This “return to Egypt” becomes a symbol of their lack of faith in the LORD. (EBC) As the people gave themselves over to more and more outrageous attitudes, they began to wish that they had already died
Reflection: Once they committed to let their fear, their emotion, and their outrage to control them they were done. Their destiny of wondering in the wilderness for 40 years and died in the wilderness began here. What have I done to prevent myself to start on this same journey of emotion taken over? There is a better way to let go of my emotion/anger-faith and trust in the Lord.
v.3 Why has the LORD... (EBC)the Lord was the one really to blame; he had delivered them from Egypt. He had brought Pharaoh to his knees, had cast horse and rider into the sea, had led them through a barren land, and had provided bread from heaven and water from a gushing rock. He had spoken, revealing grace and wonder, power and gentleness, direction and Torah. God was the one at fault! And they began...to contemn his goodness, to reject his grace.
Reflection: Blaming the LORD and finding Him at fault were to despise His goodness and to reject His grace. How shall I perceive the fact? Is this really a fearful moment or a moment of remembering His goodness and grace and time to move forward?
v.5 (EBC) Be that as it may, the only voices of reason and faith that we hear in the text are those of Moses, Aaron, Caleb, and Joshua...In this posture they symbolized their awareness that the anger of the Lord was likely to burst on the people in a moment.
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