As the people listened to this report, they gave vent to their disappointment in bitter reproaches and wailing. They did not wait to reflect and reason that God, who had brought them out thus far, would certainly give them the land. They left God out of the question. They acted as though in taking the city of Jericho, the key to the land of Canaan, they must depend solely on the power of arms. God had declared that He would give them the country, and they should have fully trusted Him to fulfill His word. But their unsubdued hearts were not in harmony with His plans. They did not reflect how wonderfully He had wrought in their behalf, bringing them out of their Egyptian bondage, cutting a path for them through the waters of the sea, and destroying the pursuing host of Pharaoh. In their unbelief they were limiting the work of God and distrusting the hand that had hitherto safely guided them. In this instance they repeated their former error of murmuring against Moses and Aaron. “This, then, is the end of all our high hopes,” said they. “This is the land we have traveled all the way from Egypt to possess.” They blamed their leaders for bringing trouble upon Israel and again charged them with deceiving the people and leading them astray. {4T 148.2}

Da folket lyttede til denne beretning, gav de frit løb for deres skuffelser, i bitre bebrejdelser og klage. De tænkte ikke på at det var Gud, som havde bragt dem ud af den fare de var i også ville sikkert give dem landet. De lod slet ikke Gud komme på tale. De handlede som om de tager (149) Jeriko by, nøglen til Kanaans land, ved kun at satte lid til hærens kræfter. Gud havde erklæret at han ville give dem landet og de skulle betro ham fuldt ud at han ville fuldbyrde sit ord. Men deres ukuelige hjerter var ikke i harmoni med hans planer. De reagerede ikke på, at han havde arbejdet så underfuldt for deres skyld, bragt dem ud af deres egyptiske trældom, skåret en sti for dem igennem havets vande og ødelagt Faraos forfølgende hær. I deres vantro begrænsede de Guds arbejde, havde mistro til den hånd, der hidtil havde ledt dem så sikkert. Her gentog deres tidligere fejlagtige knurren mod Moses og Aron. "Så er dette enden på alle vore store forhåbninger," sagde de. "Dette er landet vi har rejst hele vejen fra Egypten for at tage i besiddelse." De bebrejdede deres ledere for at bringe trængsler over Israel og beskyldte dem igen for at bedrage folket og føre dem på vildspor.