Numbers 14:36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, Even these men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord.
Unbelief is death. The ten spies who could not believe God died by the plague. They caused the people to complain in unbelief; they disbelieved God’s Word and Promise; and they said bad things about the kingdom of God. The Lord God said, “Believe Me, Trust Me, Obey Me. I will give you what I promised. Surely, after all I’ve done, you could trust and obey.” God takes His Word seriously. The wages of sin is death.
Not only did they murmur in unbelief, but they made the congregation murmur in unbelief. “It would be better to drown in the sea than to cause one of these little ones to sin.” Leading others astray is worse than sinning yourself. That’s the issue with gossip.
We should beware of slandering (saying bad things about) God, His servant, His promise, His kingdom. We don’t realize we are sinful and placing ourselves in peril of eternal death. We may not take our sinful and unbelieving words seriously, but God does. Thank God for grace and forgiveness!
There are many ways in which we bring up an evil report about the kingdom of God. Yes, we have big enemies trying to keep us from entering the Kingdom and the Life, but our Lord Jesus overcomes definitively. Trust and enjoy!