◄ Numbers 14:44 ►
But they dared to go up to the ridge of the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of the LORD moved from the camp.
Study Bible
But they dared to go up
The phrase "But they dared to go up" indicates a bold and reckless decision by the Israelites. The Hebrew root for "dared" (עָפַל, 'aphal) suggests presumptuousness and arrogance. This action was not sanctioned by God, highlighting a significant moment of disobedience. Historically, this reflects the Israelites' continual struggle with faith and obedience, often choosing their own path rather than trusting in God's timing and command. This serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of acting on human impulse rather than divine instruction.

to the ridge of the hill country
The "ridge of the hill country" refers to the elevated terrain of Canaan, which the Israelites were attempting to enter. This geographical detail is significant as it represents the boundary of the Promised Land, a place of both promise and challenge. The hill country was known for its strategic military advantage, but also for its formidable defenses. This setting underscores the Israelites' misguided attempt to seize God's promises through their own strength rather than through faith and obedience.

though neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of the LORD
The mention of "neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of the LORD" emphasizes the absence of divine leadership and presence. Moses, as God's appointed leader, and the ark, symbolizing God's presence, were crucial for any successful endeavor. Their absence signifies a lack of divine approval and guidance. This highlights the importance of seeking God's presence and leadership in all endeavors, reminding believers that success is not achieved through human effort alone but through alignment with God's will.

departed from the camp
The phrase "departed from the camp" indicates a physical and spiritual separation from the community and God's ordained plan. The camp represents the place of God's provision and protection. By departing, the Israelites were stepping outside of God's covering, exposing themselves to danger and failure. This serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of remaining within the boundaries of God's protection and guidance, and the peril of venturing out on one's own without His blessing.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Israelites
The people of God who were delivered from Egypt and are now in the wilderness. They are characterized by their frequent disobedience and lack of faith.

2. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to guide them to the Promised Land. He represents God's authority and guidance.

3. The Ark of the Covenant
A sacred chest that symbolizes God's presence among His people. It was meant to lead the Israelites in their journey.

4. The Hill Country
The geographical area the Israelites attempted to ascend, representing their presumptuous attempt to enter the Promised Land without God's blessing.

5. The Amalekites and Canaanites
The enemies who dwelt in the hill country, representing the obstacles and challenges the Israelites faced due to their disobedience.
Teaching Points
The Danger of Presumption
Presumption leads to failure when we act without God's guidance. The Israelites' decision to go up the hill country without the ark or Moses shows a lack of reliance on God.

The Importance of Obedience
Obedience to God's commands is crucial. The Israelites' disobedience resulted in defeat, teaching us that success comes from following God's will.

God's Presence is Essential
The absence of the ark signifies the absence of God's presence. We must seek God's presence in all our endeavors to ensure His blessing and guidance.

Leadership and Authority
Respect for God-appointed leadership is vital. The Israelites ignored Moses' warning, illustrating the consequences of disregarding spiritual authority.

Learning from Past Mistakes
The Israelites' failure serves as a lesson for us to learn from past mistakes and trust in God's timing and direction.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does the Israelites' decision to go up the hill country without God's presence teach us about the importance of seeking God's guidance in our decisions?

2. How can we apply the lesson of obedience from this passage to our daily lives, especially when faced with difficult decisions?

3. In what ways can we ensure that we are not acting presumptuously in our spiritual walk, and how can we discern God's will?

4. How does the role of Moses in this passage inform our understanding of spiritual leadership and authority in the church today?

5. Reflect on a time when you acted without seeking God's guidance. What were the consequences, and how did you learn from that experience?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 1:42-43
This passage recounts the same event, emphasizing the Israelites' disobedience to God's command not to go up and fight.

1 Samuel 15:22-23
Highlights the importance of obedience over sacrifice, paralleling the Israelites' presumption with King Saul's disobedience.

Hebrews 3:12-19
Warns against unbelief and disobedience, using the Israelites' wilderness experience as a cautionary example for believers.
Sermons
The Could not Enter in Because of UnbeliefW. Binnie Numbers 14:1-45
A Confession Contradicted in ActionD. Young Numbers 14:39-45
A Presumptuous Enterprise and its Disastrous TerminationW. Jones.Numbers 14:40-45
Religious Explanation of FailureJ. Parker, D. D.Numbers 14:40-45
Unauthorised EnterprisesGeorge Breay, B. A.Numbers 14:40-45
People
Aaron, Amalekites, Caleb, Canaanites, Egyptians, Israelites, Jephunneh, Joshua, Moses, Nun
Places
Egypt, Hormah, Kadesh-barnea, Red Sea
Topics
Agreement, Although, Ark, Attention, Camp, Covenant, Depart, Departed, Didn't, Heedlessly, Heights, Hill, Hill-top, Lord's, Midst, Mountain, Moved, Nevertheless, Presume, Presumed, Presumption, Ridge, Tent-circle, Though, Yet
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 14:39-45

     6734   repentance, importance

Numbers 14:40-45

     4207   land, divine gift
     8801   presumption

Numbers 14:41-45

     6109   alienation

Library
Moses the Intercessor
'Pardon, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of Thy mercy, and as Thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.' --NUM. xiv. 19. See how in this story a divine threat is averted and a divine promise is broken, thus revealing a standing law that these in Scripture are conditional. This striking incident of Moses' intercession suggests to us some thoughts as to I. The ground of the divine forgiveness. The appeal is not based on anything in the people. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Weighed, and Found Wanting
'And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! 3. And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? 4. And they said one …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Order and Argument in Prayer
It is further observable that though a good man hastens to God in his trouble, and runs with all the more speed because of the unkindness of his fellow men, yet sometimes the gracious soul is left without the comfortable presence of God. This is the worst of all griefs; the text is one of Job's deep groans, far deeper than any which came from him on account of the loss of his children and his property: "Oh that I knew where I might find HIM!" The worst of all losses is to lose the smile of my God. …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 12: 1866

The Spies
THE UNBELIEF OF THE CHILDREN of Israel, prompted them to send spies into Canaan. God had told them that it was a good land, and he had promised to drive out their enemies, they ought therefore to have marched forward with all confidence to possess the promised heritage. Instead of this, they send twelve princes to spy out the land, and "alas, for human nature," ten of these were faithless, and only two true to the Lord. Read over the narrative, and mark the ill effect of the lying message, and the …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

Afraid of Giants
'And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain; 18. And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; 19. And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; 20. And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Appendix ii. Philo of Alexandria and Rabbinic Theology.
(Ad. vol. i. p. 42, note 4.) In comparing the allegorical Canons of Philo with those of Jewish traditionalism, we think first of all of the seven exegetical canons which are ascribed to Hillel. These bear chiefly the character of logical deductions, and as such were largely applied in the Halakhah. These seven canons were next expanded by R. Ishmael (in the first century) into thirteen, by the analysis of one of them (the 5th) into six, and the addition of this sound exegetical rule, that where two …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Personality of Power.
A Personally Conducted Journey. Everyone enjoys the pleasure of travel; but nearly all shrink back from its tiresomeness and drudgery. The transportation companies are constantly scheming to overcome this disagreeable side for both pleasure and business travel. One of the popular ways of pleasure travel of late is by means of personally conducted tours. A party is formed, often by the railroad company, and is accompanied by a special agent to attend to all the business matters of the trip. A variation …
S.D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on Power

Exploring Canaan by Faith
EXPLORING CANAAN BY FAITH I can not understand faith. What is faith, anyway? I try to believe; sometimes I feel that my faith is strong, but at other times I feel that my faith is giving way. Can you help me in this matter? Faith seems such a hazy, intangible, elusive thing; now I think I have it, now it seems certain I have it not. I feel at times that my faith is so strong I could believe anything, then again I feel that every bit of faith I had is gone. Can you give me any instructions that will …
Robert Lee Berry—Adventures in the Land of Canaan

Trinity Sunday the Doctrine of the Trinity.
Second Sermon. Text: Romans 11, 33-36. THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY.[1] [Footnote 1: This sermon was first printed in 1535, at Wittenberg.] 1. This festival requires us to instruct the people in the dogma of the Holy Trinity, and to strengthen both memory and faith concerning it. This is the reason why we take up the subject once more. Without proper instruction and a sound foundation in this regard, other dogmas cannot be rightly and successfully treated. The other festivals of the year present …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

The Scriptures
Q-II: WHAT RULE HAS GOD GIVEN TO DIRECT US HOW WE MAY GLORIFY AND ENJOY HIM? A: The Word of God, which is contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. 2 Tim 3:16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,' By Scripture is understood the sacred Book of God. It is given by divine inspiration; that is, the Scripture is not the contrivance of man's brain, but is divine in its origin. The image of Diana was had in veneration …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Ninth Sunday after Trinity Carnal Security and Its vices.
Text: 1 Corinthians 10, 6-13. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us make trial of the Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished by the serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of the Eleventh
An unfinished commentary on the Bible, found among the author's papers after his death, in his own handwriting; and published in 1691, by Charles Doe, in a folio volume of the works of John Bunyan. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR Being in company with an enlightened society of Protestant dissenters of the Baptist denomination, I observed to a doctor of divinity, who was advancing towards his seventieth year, that my time had been delightfully engaged with John Bunyan's commentary on Genesis. "What," …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Thirdly, for Thy Actions.
1. Do no evil, though thou mightest; for God will not suffer the least sin, without bitter repentance, to escape unpunished. Leave not undone any good that thou canst. But do nothing without a calling, nor anything in thy calling, till thou hast first taken counsel at God's word (1 Sam. xxx. 8) of its lawfulness, and pray for his blessings upon thy endeavour; and then do it in the name of God, with cheerfulness of heart, committing the success to him, in whose power it is to bless with his grace …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Earliest Christian Preaching
1. THUS far we have confined ourselves to the words of Jesus. The divine necessity of His death, indicated in the Old Testament and forming the basis of all His teaching regarding it, is the primary truth; the nature of that necessity begins to be revealed as the death is set in relation to the ransoming of many, and to the institution of a new covenant -- that is, a new religion, having as its fundamental blessing the forgiveness of sins. I do not think this view of our Lord's mind as to His own …
James Denney—The Death of Christ

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
A BRIEF AND FAITHFUL RELATION OF THE EXCEEDING MERCY OF GOD IN CHRIST TO HIS POOR SERVANT, JOHN BUNYAN; WHEREIN IS PARTICULARLY SHOWED THE MANNER OF HIS CONVERSION, HIS SIGHT AND TROUBLE FOR SIN, HIS DREADFUL TEMPTATIONS, ALSO HOW HE DESPAIRED OF GOD'S MERCY, AND HOW THE LORD AT LENGTH THROUGH CHRIST DID DELIVER HIM FROM ALL THE GUILT AND TERROR THAT LAY UPON HIM. Whereunto is added a brief relation of his call to the work of the ministry, of his temptations therein, as also what he hath met with …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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