The Israelites are notoriously stubborn, complaining about everything. In the Book of Exodus, they fall prey to the Golden Calf; in the Book of Numbers, they disapprove of the spies’ report.
The crucial difference
In both cases, God threatens to destroy the people and begin anew with Moses. And both times, Moses begs God to forgive the people. The parallels are striking, but the major difference between them is this: The Book of Exodus is about the journey out of Egypt. The Book of Numbers, on the other hand, is about the journey into the Land of Israel. The Israelites in the Book of Numbers are not looking back; they have completed the perilous flight from Egypt. Rather, they are thinking about future dangers at their destination.
One might expect the Israelites to be relaxed at this stage. They have overcome dangers, experienced miracles. They know that God is with them and that He is almighty. And yet, the mood of the gloomy...
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