Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Numbers
Book: Numbers
Chapter: 14
Overview:
The people murmur at the account of the
Spies.
(1-4) Joshua
and
Caleb labour to still the people.
(5-10) The Divine
threatenings, The intercession of
Moses.
(11-19) The murmurers
forbidden to enter the promised land.
(20-35) Death of the evil
Spies.
(36-39) Defeat of the people, who now would invade the
land.
(40-45)
1-4 Those who do not trust
God, continually vex themselves. The
sorrow of the world worketh
Death. The Israelites murmured
against
Moses and
Aaron, and in them reproached the
Lord. They
look back with causeless discontent. See the
Madness of
unbridled passions, which makes men prodigal of what nature
accounts most dear,
Life itself. They wish rather to die
criminals under
God's
Justice, than to live conquerors in his
favour. At last they resolve, that, instead of going forward to
Canaan, they would go back to
Egypt. Those who walk not in
God's
counsels, seek their own ruin. Could they expect that
God's
Cloud would lead them, or his
Manna attend them? Suppose the
difficulties of conquering
Canaan were as they imagined, those
of returning to
Egypt were much greater. We complain of our
place and
Lot, and we would change; but is there any place or
condition in this world, that has not something in it to make us
uneasy, if we are disposed to be
So? The way to better our
condition, is to get our spirits in a better frame. See the
folly of turning from the ways of
God. But men run
On the
certain fatal consequences of a sinful course.
5-10 Moses and
Aaron were astonished to see a people throw away
their own mercies.
Caleb and
Joshua assured the people of the
Goodness of the land. They made nothing of the difficulties in
the way of their gaining it. If men were convinced of the
desirableness of the gains of religion, they would not stick at
the services of it. Though the
Canaanites Dwell in walled
cities, their defence was departed from them. The other
Spies
took notice of their strength, but these of their wickedness.
No
people can be safe, when they have provoked
God to leave them.
Though
Israel Dwell in tents, they are fortified. While we have
the presence of
God with us, we need not fear the most powerful
force against us. Sinners are ruined
By their own rebellion. But
those who, like
Caleb and
Joshua, faithfully expose themselves
for
God, are sure to be taken under his special protection, and
shall be hid from the rage of men, either under
Heaven or in
Heaven.
11-19 Moses made humble intercession for
Israel. Herein he was
a
Type of
Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used
him. The
Pardon of a nation's
Sin, is the turning away the
nation's
Punishment; and for that
Moses is here
So Earnest.
Moses argued that, consistently with
God's character, in his
abundant mercies, he could forgive them.
20-35 The
Lord granted the
Prayer of
Moses So far as not at
once to destroy the
Congregation. But disbelief of the promise
forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall
be shut out of it. The promise of
God should be fulfilled to
their children. They wished to die in the
Wilderness;
God made
their
Sin their ruin, took them at their
Word, and their
carcases fell in the
Wilderness. They were made to groan under
the
Burden of their own
Sin, which was too heavy for them to
Bear. Ye shall know my
Breach of promise, both the causes of it,
that it is procured
By your
Sin, for
God never leaves any till
they first leave him; and the consequences of it, that will
produce your ruin. But your little ones, now under twenty years
old, which ye, in your unbelief, said should be a prey, them
will I bring in.
God will let them know that he can
Put a
difference between the guilty and the innocent, and cut them off
without touching their children. Thus
God would not utterly take
away his loving kindness.
36-39 Here is the sudden
Death of the ten evil
Spies. They
sinned in bringing a slander upon the land of promise. Those
greatly provoke
God, who misrepresent religion, raise dislike in
men's minds toward it, or give opportunity to those to do
So,
who seek occasion. Justly are murmurers made mourners. If they
had mourned for the
Sin, when they were faithfully reproved, the
sentence had been prevented; but as they mourned for the
Judgment only, it did them
No service. There is in
Hell such
mourning as this; but tears will not quench the flames, nor cool
the tongue.
40-45 Some of the Israelites were now
Earnest to go forward
toward
Canaan. But it came too late. If men would but be as
Earnest for
Heaven while their
Day of
Grace lasts, as they will
be when it is over, how
Well would it be for them! That which
has been duty in its season, when mistimed, may be turned into
Sin. Those who are out of the way of their duty, are not under
God's protection, and go at their peril.
God bade them go, and
they would not; he forbade them, and they would go. Thus is the
Carnal mind
Enmity against
God. They had distrusted
God's
strength; they now presume upon their own without his. And the
expedition fails accordingly; now the sentence began to be
executed, that their carcases should fall in the
Wilderness.
That affair can never
End Well, which begins with
Sin. The way
to obtain peace with our friends, and success against our
enemies, is, to have
God, as our Friend, and to keep in his
Love. Let us take warning from the fate of
Israel, lest we
perish after the same
Example of unbelief. Let us go forth,
depending
On God's
Mercy, power, promise, and
Truth; he will be
with us, and bring our souls to
Everlasting Rest.