Moses faithfully set before the people their great sin. It was God's power alone that had preserved them in "that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, 429 and drought, where there was no water." Deuteronomy 8:15. Every day of their travels they had been kept by a miracle of divine mercy. In all the way of God's leading they had found water to refresh the thirsty, bread from heaven to satisfy their hunger, and peace and safety under the shadowy cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Angels had ministered to them as they climbed the rocky heights or threaded the rugged paths of the wilderness. Notwithstanding the hardships they had endured, there was not a feeble one in all their ranks. Their feet had not swollen in their long journeys, neither had their clothes grown old. God had subdued before them the fierce beasts of prey and the venomous reptiles of the forest and the desert. If with all these tokens of His love the people still continued to complain, the Lord would withdraw His protection until they should be led to appreciate His merciful care, and return to Him with repentance and humiliation.

Moses henledte pligttro folkets opmærksomhed på deres store synd. Det var ene og alene Guds kraft, som havde holdt dem i live i "den store, grufulde ørken med dens giftslanger og skorpioner og vandløse ødemarker". 5. Mos. 8, 15. Hver eneste dag på rejsen var de blevet bevaret ved den guddommelige nådes mirakel. Medens Gud ledede dem, fik de hele tiden vand til at slukke tørsten og brød fra himmelen til at stille sulten. Om dagen blev de beskyttet og værnet af skystøtten og om natten af ildstøtten. Englene stod dem bi, når de klatrede op ad de stejle klipper eller vandrede på de ujævne stier i ørkenen. Til trods for alle de strabadser, de havde været ude for, var der ikke en eneste svækling iblandt dem. Deres fødder var ikke ophovnet på deres lange rejser, og deres klæder var ikke blevet slidt. Gud havde holdt de vilde rovdyr og skovens og ørkenens giftige slanger borte. Hvis folket blev ved at beklage sig til trods for alle disse tegn på Guds kærlighed, ville Herren unddrage dem sin beskyttelse, til de lærte at sætte pris på hans nådige omsorg og søge ham med anger og ydmyghed.