Jehovah that burned in the camp because of their murmuring. (2) The
appointing of seventy elders to share with Moses the burden of the
people. (3) The sending of the quails and the destruction of those
that lusted. (4) Miriam, the sister of Moses, was smitten with leprosy
because with Aaron she rebelled against Moses and spoke
disrespectfully of him.

The Twelve Spies. From Kadesh Moses sent out twelve men who should
investigate the condition of Canaan. These men agreed that it was an
attractive and well favored land. They brought back evidences of its
fruitfulness. Only two of them, believed they could conquer it. The
People yielded to the opinions of the majority and refused to attempt
to enter Canaan and even worse they openly resolved to return to
Egypt. For this disbelief and open rebellion they were sentenced to
wander forty years in the wilderness and all of them who were above
twenty years old except Joshua and Caleb were not only doomed not to
be allowed to enter this promised land but were to die in the
wilderness.

Lessons of the Period. The more important truths taught by the records
of this period may be divided into three groups. (1) Those about man
and his nature: (a) He is sinful, his whole nature is out of proper
attitude toward God and is a fountain of evil; (b) He is, therefore,
in need of redemption and cannot have the benefit of worship to God
without it; (c) He owes obedience to God. (2) There are lessons about
God: (a) He is shown to be a Holy God. who hates and punishes sin; (b)
He is represented as a God of mercy and forgiveness; (c) He is seen as
one of power and might, able to carry forward his plans and to change
the whole destiny of a people. (3) There is a many sided view of
redemption: (a) It is based on blood; The victim must shed its blood