THE PASSION OF THE RETURN TO SLAVERY 1) As the spies were submitting their reports on the new land, its prosperity and its inhabitants, the people started a revolt, they grumbled and wept longing to return back to their slavery under a new leadership [4]. They wanted to get rid of Moses and Aaron, as well as of Joshva and Caleb by stoning them [10], whose Testimony was true. 2) In humility both Moses and Aaron, fell to the ground on their faces before all the crowd, a sign of their total disability as well as to turn away the spirit of wrath. Next, Joshua and Caleb gave them an account of what they tasted as pledge of God promise. The people's groaning grew stronger, but God supported his faithful servants by "Manifesting his Glory in the Tabernacle, to all the congregation of Israel" [10], when all the people renounced them, God supported them. 3) The people's discontent became more intense, and they revolted against Moses and Aaron as well as Joshua and Caleb. They even refused to submit to God's apparition. Hence God consulted with Moses on a way to chastise them [11-12], as if God in His over abundant Love, did not want to singly enforce His decision, in spite of His Being the Creator and Author of wisdom. He's teaching us to consult always with others before making any decision no matter how high our position or how powerful our authority is; and maybe God intended to glorify Moses by interceding for his enemies, in an attempt to strengthen his guardianship love [13-19]. 4) Moses mentions God's mercy and justice [17-19], saying "But he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the inequity of fathers upon children upon the third and upon the fourth generation" [18], in the sense that if the fathers sin, God will forgive them awaiting their repentance, and then if the sons come and repent the sin over again, He will bear patiently with them, but if the following generation insist on following the footsteps, only then will God reprove them sternly. Maybe God's intention is to forgive the first couple of generations while the sin is still a thought or a saying when man is striving to conquer it. However if it converts into action (during the third generation) and into habit (during the fourth generation), God disciplines. 5) Moses was tolerant of the people's remonstrations. He prayed God on their behalf, and God pardoned them, but God denied this generation entry to the promised land, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, their sons were exempted [21-23...]. God intended to punish them by astraying them for 40 years instead of 40 days that they needed while accomplishing their spying mission, substituting one year for each day and emphasizing that while the wounds of transgression occur instantly yet their treatment necessitates a prolonged and tedious period of time. Due to sin, God deserted them as a result of their turning away from Him [34] consequently, they lost the secret behind their power, peace, happiness, in short thsecret behindtheir lives. God disciplined the ten spies for their lack of belief [37] so that they act as an example for the others; and the people get to understand the truth of the matter. The people lived to regret their transgressions and instead of learning to become obedient to the will of God, they decided to further violate his wish and insisted on departing https://coptic-treasures.com/ 24 towards the promised land. This resulted in their destruction by the Giants and the Canaanites. They were driven back as far as the city of Hormah (forbidden of sacred place).
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