Commentaries:
No entry exists in Forerunner Commentary for Numbers 14:5.
Numbers 14:5-9
Excerpted from: Christianity Is a Fight! (Part 2)Here is the other side of the story. Caleb and Joshua were not offering an easy solution. As you can see, it was an uphill battle for them because the overwhelming majority was afraid. Were they afraid to just walk in and take over? They were afraid of warfare. They were afraid of the fight that they knew was going to occur.
The next time you read through this, I want you to pay attention to the sense of the terminology. "It is a good land, but..." "Yeah, but..." And, as things continued, the people became increasingly fearful, and the spies—even Joshua and Caleb—expected that there would be confrontation. The whole group—all twelve of them, even the "good report" guys, Joshua and Caleb—most certainly did not understand God's promises in Exodus 23 literally as some carelessly do. They knew that even though God gave those promises, they were going to have to go to war against the people of the land.
The underlying problem was that they did not trust that this warfare would be a cooperative effort. They, in effect, said, "God cannot do it." That was rebellion. That is why Joshua said, "Only rebel you not." They were calling God a liar. They did not trust God—that He would be with them, cooperating with them, fighting on their side against the common enemy—the people of the land—making it easier than it otherwise would have been. But nonetheless, warfare was there, and God would have been with them.
Numbers 14:1-11
Excerpted from: Does Doctrine Really Matter? (Part 7)It would seem as though Israel had every evidence that God was with them, and that He was clearly powerful enough for them to trust Him. But that evidence—what He did to the Egyptians; the dividing of the Red Sea; His providing two million people plus with manna every day, with water as was needed, and even quails for them, clothing that did not wear out; and He even provided them with shade during the heat of the day—was not enough.
And their faith evaporated when fears (for their own safety, for the preservation of their flesh, and the satisfying of their appetites) overrode the trust of almost everyone. Their fear overcame whatever level of faith they had, and it motivated rebellion. It led directly to the death of everyone over twenty, except for Joshua and Caleb. Do you get the point?
Fear kills! That is its ultimate fruit.
This illustration here in Numbers 13 and 14 is clear evidence that these people were walking by sight. What they saw were giants, and it intimidated them—as if God was not bigger, greater, more powerful, smarter than giants. So God has to ask, "How long is it going to be before they believe Me?" It is like He says, "What can I do that might give them more faith?"
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