And now the mighty God reveals Himself, to the confusion of His disobedient, murmuring people. “And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.” What a burden was brought upon Moses and Aaron, and how earnest were their entreaties that God would not destroy His people! Moses pleads before the Lord the wonderful manifestations of divine power that have made the name of Israel’s God a terror to their enemies, and entreats that the enemies of God and of His people may have no occasion to triumph, saying: “Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which He sware unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness.” The Lord hearkened unto the prayer of Moses; but he declared that those who had rebelled against Him, after having witnessed His power and glory, should fall in the wilderness; they should never see the land which was their promised inheritance. But of Caleb He said: “My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed Me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.” {5T 378.2}

Og nu åbenbarer den mægtige Gud sig selv for sit ulydige, knurrende folks forvirring. »Da kom Herrens herlighed til syne for alle israelitterne ved åbenbaringsteltet.« Hvilken byrde var ikke pålagt Moses og Aron og hvor alvorlige var deres bønner ikke om Gud ikke måtte ødelægge sit folk! Moses bad til Herren, om de underfulde tilkendegivelser om guddommelig kraft, der har gjort Israels Guds navn til en rædsel for deres fjender og bad om at Guds og hans folks fjender ikke måtte få anledning til at sejre, ved at sige: »Fordi Herren ikke evnede at føre dette folk til det land, han havde tilsvoret dem, lod han dem omkomme i ørkenen.« Herren lyttede til Mose bøn; men han erklærede at dem, som havde gjort oprør mod ham, efter at have vidnet om sin kraft og herlighed, skulle falde i ørknen; de skulle aldrig se det land som var deres forjættede arv. Men til Kaleb sagde han: »Kun min tjener Kaleb lader jeg komme til det land, han har været i og hans efterkommere skal få det i eje.«