Numbers 14

After the assigned leaders (spies) returned with their report of the promised land, they said to Moses -

"...We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we."  (Old Testament | Numbers 13:31)

But they didn't leave it at that allowing Moses to make the decision -

"...they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."  (Old Testament | Numbers 13:32 - 33)

Obviously, this would stir the people of their respective tribes, and so -

"...all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt."  (Old Testament | Numbers 14:1 - 4)

It seems that was the breaking point.  The Lord had enough with their limited faith and disobedience even with all he had done and said to Moses -

"...How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they."  (Old Testament | Numbers 14:11 - 12)

Like many times before, Moses pleaded on behalf of these people and reasoned with the Lord -

"...Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)
14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15 ¶ Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
16 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.
17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my LORD be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now."  (Old Testament | Numbers 14:13 - 19)

So instead of "disinheriting" them, the Lord now tells them -

"Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it..."  (Old Testament | Numbers 14:22 - 23)

Adding -

"How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me..."  (Old Testament | Numbers 14:27 - 29)

And thus, these people were let to wander 40 years in the wilderness with the hope that their children would build sufficient faith to acquire the Promised Land.

There is another lesson of great significance in my mind as -

"...Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?"  (Old Testament | Numbers 16:1 - 3)

From Moses record of the limited faith and obedience of these people, even having to wander 40 years until those over 20  years old had died, these men suggested that they were holy and should be leaders even though they were not keeping the commandments.  They even aspired for priesthood privileges of which they were not worthy or was according to the will of the Lord.  We see this much today where individuals claim things are good when it is evil and aspire for the honors of men.  Some believe those that we sustain as prophet, seers, and revelators are not prudent or wise and that they themselves possess greater wisdom and knowledge and protest the actions of priesthood leaders.  Isaiah warned -

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"  (Old Testament | Isaiah 5:20 - 21)

Moses then put them to the test and the result was, Moses said  -

"...if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
31 ¶ And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
35 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense."  (Old Testament | Numbers 16:30 - 35)

What I find interesting is even with this event, the people continued to murmur.