When Moses made known to Israel the will of God concerning them, they seemed sincerely to repent of their sinful conduct. But the Lord knew that they sorrowed because of the result of their evil course, rather than from a deep sense of their ingratitude and disobedience. But their repentance came too late; the just anger of God was awakened, and their doom was pronounced, from which there was no reprieve. When they found that the Lord would not relent in His decree, their self-will again arose, and they declared that they would not return into the wilderness. {4T 153.1}

Da Moses kundgjorde Israel Guds vilje om dem, var det som om de oprigtigt angrede deres syndige opførsel. Men Herren vidste at de sørgede som følge af deres onde opførsel og ikke havde en dyb fornemmelse af deres utaknemlighed og ulydighed. Men deres anger kom for sent; Guds retfærdige vrede blev vækket og deres dom var fældet og den kunne ikke appelleres. Da de fandt ud af at Herren ikke ville give efter for sin kendelse, rejstes deres egenvilje igen og de erklærede at de ikke ville vende tilbage til ørkenen.