民十三30　迦勒在摩西面前使百姓安静，说，我们立刻上去得那地吧，因为我们足能得胜。

　　十四9　只是你们不可背叛耶和华，也不要怕那地的民；因为他们是我们的食物。荫庇他们的已经离开他们，有耶和华与我们同在；不要怕他们。

　　神在路上，在以色列人前面行，为他们寻找安营的地方，夜间在火柱里，日间在云柱里，指示他们所当行的路（申一33）。但是，由于摩西打发去窥探美地的十二人中有十人回来报恶信，以色列众人竟然不顾念神在旷野中对他们的照顾，忘记神如何背负他们经过大而可畏的旷野（31），而起了不信的恶心，不信神，也不信祂的应许，甚至向神发怨言，以为神把他们领到那地，是要使他们倒在刀下，他们的妻子和孩子必被掳掠（民十四1~3）。因此，神在怒中起誓，他们这一代所有不信的人，连一个也不得见神起誓要赐给他们列祖的美地。唯有迦勒和约书亚才能进去（申一34~38）（真理课程三级卷二，一一三至一一四页）。

　　Num. 13:30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, Let us go up at once and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

　　14:9 Only do not rebel against Jehovah, nor should you fear the people of the land, for they are our bread. Their protection has been removed from them, and Jehovah is with us; do not fear them.

　　Even though God had gone before them in the fire by night and in the cloud by day, seeking out places for them to camp and showing them the way they should go (Deut. 1:33), the children of Israel disregarded God's care for them in the wilderness because of the evil report brought back by ten of the twelve men who went to spy out the good land and because they forgot how He had carried them through the great and awesome wilderness (v. 31). Thus, they had an evil heart of unbelief, believing neither in God nor in His promise. They even murmured against God, saying that God brought them into the land to fall by the sword and for their wives and little ones to become a plunder (Num. 14:1-3). Hence, God swore in His wrath that not one of the unbelieving generation would see the good land which He had sworn to give to their fathers; only Caleb and Joshua were allowed to enter (Deut. 1:34-38). (Truth Lessons—Level Three, vol. 2, p. 100)

　　以色列人所说，要被掳掠的孩子，神却要领他们进入那地。以色列人和他们的儿女必在旷野飘流四十年，……以担当他们的罪孽。至于那些报恶信的人，都遭瘟疫，死在耶和华面前（民十四26~38）。这给我们看见不信神是可怕的，我们需要谨慎，不要有不信的恶心（真理课程三级卷二，一一四页）。

　　我们的信心可能非常微弱，甚至几乎不存在。既然如此，我们该学习在神面前谦卑，承认自己信心软弱，求祂赦免我们。这是我们在神面前该有的灵。然而由以色列人所说的话指明，他们没有顾到神，只顾到自己。……以色列人……并没有为神考虑，只为自己的利益考虑。他们一点也不顾到神，只顾到自己的安全、平安和生存。他们不承认自己的软弱，也不在神面前谦卑自己。至终，他们得罪神到一个地步，使神憎恶他们。

　　他们成为可憎恶的，是因为他们太过为着自己。他们事事处处都是为着自己，不是为着神的权益。他们只要有一点是为神的权益着想，他们就会说，“神啊，你对我们那么好，我们真爱你。我们愿意为你的定旨牺牲前途、安全、保障、存在并一切。我们忘记我们的利益。我们只顾到你定旨的完成。为了你的定旨，让我们前去据有那地。”……他们所作的，大部分是为着自己。这光景带进神的审判和惩罚（民数记生命读经，一六三、一六五至一六六、一七二页）。

　　信总是实际而真实的，环境是谎言。要听从信，不要听从谎言。我们的环境如果好，我们不需要信。当我们在为难的环境里，我们需要信。烦恼、忧虑甚至身体的病痛，都是谎言。信总是告诉环境，它是谎言，它不是巨人。否认环境就是信。在民数记十三至十四章，约书亚和迦勒以神的话为他们的信（生命的经历与长大，四七页）。

　　以色列人在旷野飘流时，总是发怨言，起争论，责怪人，那必定是在魂里，不是在灵里。但迦勒和约书亚相信神的话，顺从主，向着目标竭力往前，这必定不是在魂里，乃是在灵里（希伯来书生命读经，三四八页）。

　　参读：真理课程三级卷二，第二十九课。

　　The little ones, who the people said would become plunder, were brought into the land by God. The people and their children wandered in the wilderness forty years to bear their iniquities....Those who gave the evil report all died by a plague before Jehovah (Num. 14:26-38). This shows that it is a terrible thing not to believe in God. We need to be careful not to have an evil heart of unbelief. (Truth Lessons—Level Three, vol. 2, p. 100)

　　Our faith may be very weak and small, nearly nonexistent. Since this may be our situation, we should learn to humble ourselves before God, confessing the weakness of our faith and asking Him to forgive us. This is the spirit we should have before God. But as indicated by what they said, the children of Israel did not care for God but only for themselves.

　　Their consideration was not for God but for their own interest. They did not care for God in the least, but cared only for their safety, their peace, and their existence. They did not confess their weakness or humble themselves before God. Eventually, they offended God to such an extent that they became abhorrent to Him.

　　They became abhorrent because they were so much for themselves. In everything and in every way they were for themselves, not for God's interests. If they had thought even a little about God's interests, they would have said, "God, as You have been so good to us, we just love You. We would like to sacrifice our future, our safety, our security, our existence, and everything for Your purpose. We forget about our benefit. We care only that You accomplish Your purpose. For Your purpose, let us go and possess the land."

　　What they did was mostly for themselves. This situation brought in God's judgment and punishment. (Life-study of Numbers, pp. 149-151, 157)

　　Faith is always real and true. The environment is a lie. Listen to faith, not to the lie. If our environment is good, we do not need to believe. We need to believe when we are in a difficult environment. Worry, anxiety, and even physical sickness, all are lies. Faith always tells the environment that it is a lie, not a giant. To deny the environment is faith. In Numbers 13 and 14, Joshua and Caleb took the word of God as their faith. (CWWL, 1989, vol. 3, "The Experience and Growth in Life," pp. 37-38)

　　When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, they were always murmuring, reasoning, and chiding. That was surely in their soul, not in their spirit. But Joshua and Caleb believed in the word of God, obeyed the Lord, and pressed toward the goal. This was surely not in their soul but in their spirit. (Life-study of Hebrews, p. 289)

　　Further Reading: Truth Lessons—Level Three, vol. 2, lsn. 29