Deuteronomy 9:22-24 - The effects of unbelief

In Deuteronomy 9:22-24, Moses pointed out four other incidences that the children of Israel had rebelled against the Lord. The sin that had been committed at Horeb was a grievous one and should have kept them walking in line with God. They should have been humbled by the mercy of God and kept in check along the way. Apparently, it did not. They continued to show their stubborn trait by rebelling against the Lord. In all three places they again blatantly provoked the Lord.

The first was at Taberah. Numbers 11:1-3 give us a little more detail about what happened there. This was the first stop after they left Mount Sinai. From Numbers  10:33, we conclude that it was hardly three days since the incident at Horeb, they were already showing their ingratitude and were grumbling against the Lord. They provoked the Lord to anger by their grumbling. He sent a fire to consume the outskirt of where they were engaging in their murmuring. It was not until they fled to Moses who then interceded on their behalf that the judgment of God abated. The place was named Tebarah meaning “burning”.   

The second place Moses reminded them of their ingratitude was at Massah, a place near Rephidim. When they arrived there, they could not find any water. Without hesitation, the grumbling against Moses started. They even wanted to stone him. They used the lack of water to provoke the Lord. Like spoilt children, they were threatening not to follow God if water was not provided. Moses named this place Massah, which means testing, because of the question they asked. “Is the Lord among us or not?” How ungrateful they were.

The third place where they grumbled against the Lord was at Kilbroth-hattaavah. Here they wanted meat. It was not wrong for them to crave for meat, but it was wrong of them to doubt God’s ability to supply their needs. They doubted that God was concerned for them. In that incident, God supplied them quails till they could not take it anymore.  

The forth place was their show of unbelief at Kadesh Barnea, where they were told to go into the promised land and possess it, and they refused to go. They hardened their hearts in unbelief and chose not to obey the Lord. All those times they had stubbornly refused to trust God. Unbelief always leads to disobedience and disobedience to open defiance.     

Moses brought up these incidences to challenge the present generation to trust the Lord. The pains their fathers went through because of their unbelief and disobedience, need not happen to them if they respond positively to God’s kind overtures. There is a need to keep trusting and obeying the Lord. Faith in the Lord is the anchor that gives our hearts the settled feeling that God always keeps His promise. It enables us to trust and keep moving forward with Him, no matter how tough the circumstances of life may present themselves. Keep trusting and believing in God, He will never fail us!