The Lord told Moses, Have each of the 12 families of Israel send one leader into the promised land to look and see what’s there. So Moses sent the leader of each family to see and come back and tell what they saw.

The men were gone 40 days looking, from one end to the other of God’s special land, the best land on earth. They came back bringing huge heavy bunches of grapes and figs and pomegranates. They said, the land really does flow with milk and honey, and look at this fruit! But there are giants there, so tall that we look as small as grasshoppers. We won’t be able to go in there and take the land.

One of leaders who went to look, Caleb, said, Let’s go now, we are well able to overcome them. But 10 of the leaders said, No, they are stronger then us. The people cried big tears all night long and talked bad about God saying, He brought us out of Egypt to kill us.

Joshua and Caleb told the people, It’s a really good place to live, If God is happy with us He will bring us in and give the land to us, Don’t go against Him. Our God is strong and the people there don’t have any protection. Let’s go!

Then God’s glory appeared at the door to His tent. He asked Moses, How long until this people believe Me? I will strike them down and make You into a great nation.

Moses said to God, When the Egyptians hear of it, they will say You were not able to bring them into the special land. Let Your power be great to forgive the people because you suffer long and are full of love and mercy.

The Lord said, I have forgiven as you asked, but as sure as I live, the earth will be full of My glory. And these men who have seen what I can to and still don’t believe, I will never let them see My special land. Then the 10 men who didn’t believe God and turned away the peoples hearts to say bad things about God died right there in front of God. But Joshua and Caleb still lived.

Then the people turned their hearts back again and tried to go up into the land without God. Moses said, Don’t go, God is not with you. But again, they didn’t listen and the people of the land came down and struck them really hard.

After this sin, God told Moses to remind the people bring offerings that show of His great love for them and how much he was going to do to bring them back from everything bad. These gifts are sweet to God’s heart.

Have the children of Israel put a fringe on the edge of their clothes with a blue ribbon to remind them to do what I have said. I am the One who controls everything. I am yours.

Some of the leaders in Israel listened to the bad one and went against Moses. 250 other leaders went with them trying to take Moses place.

So Moses fell on his face and prayed to God. Then he said, Tomorrow God will show who are his. You 250 men come tomorrow to God’s tent with your fire pans filled with incense.

 

 

When the men gathered there before God, God’s glory appeared and told Moses and Aaron, Get back. I will wipe them away now. Moses fell on his face and prayed, O God, the God of the spirits of all, are you mad at all of us because of this one man’s sin?

So God said, Have everyone get away from the tents of these three men. Then Moses said to all the people, God is going to do a new thing to show that He has been doing all these works through me. If the ground opens up and swallows these men you will know that they have hated God.

Right then the ground opened and swallowed them men and their tents and all their stuff and then the ground closed back again over them. And a fire came out from God and ate up the 250 others who listened to the bad one and went against Moses.

Then God said to Moses, I will stop this fighting against you right now forever. Have each of the 12 families bring a staff to my tent with their family name written on it. And Moses put them in God’s tent before God for the night. The next morning the staff that had Aaron’s name on it had budded and grew almond flowers and almonds.

Moses brought all the rods out and showed the people what God had made happen, flowers and almonds growing out of the staff with Aaron’s name showing that God chose Aaron to be the leader at His house. So that no more people would die.