First, God's punishment was firm and just (26-35) God made it very clear that he was upset with the people's grumbling. None of the people who treated the Lord with contempt would enter the Promised Land. Instead they would wander around the desert until the whole generation died, all of them except for Caleb and Joshua. Their children would also suffer for forty years because of their sin. Second, the people tried to repent in their own way (36-45) When the Israelites heard of the plague that fell upon the people who spread a bad report, they were afraid and mourned deeply. They were moving towards repentance, expressing a desire to return to God. But after mourning, they made some false presumptions about how to make things right with the Lord. The felt that God would accept any gesture of repentance they offered. Their plan to enter the land was another act of rebellion. Their mourning did not lead them to true repentance but to a frantic act to avoid punishment. God tried to help them through Moses, but they would not listen. God must have grieved over this.
Application: Lord, when you reveal to me my sin, I mourn over it. Teach me the way of repentance.
One Word: Repent in God's way