The Lord said to Moses, "How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?"
Numbers 14:11 NASB
The occasion was when Israel stood ready to enter the promised land, but refused to enter for fear of the inhabitants of the land.
Notice that God charged them with unbelief. God had indeed performed great deeds in their sight. The people saw the plagues in Egypt. They experienced the crossing of the Red Sea. They were led by God in the cloud, and pillar of fire. They stood in fear of His awesome presence at Sinai, and had experienced His discipline already for their grumbling. They had seen His wrath in the incident of the golden calf. He had faithfully provided manna for them, and miraculously provided water from the rock when they grumbled in His sight.
The people did not doubt the existence of God. They knew Him to be real, they had experienced His presence and power daily as they travelled from Egypt to the promised land.
Their unbelief entered in as they failed to obey Him. Their lack of faith was evidenced every time they grumbled, every time they cried out to return to Egypt.
It is not enough to merely assent to the fact that God does exist. The demons believe this, and tremble (James 2:19). They know all too well that God exists, and they also know that they will some day face His wrath.
God expects us to believe in Him with a unshakeable trust that follows Him in obedience no matter the cost to us. A grumbling disobedient faith is no faith in God's estimation.
The writer of Hebrews uses this example from Israel's history to show us the New Testament concept of faith tied to obedience. It has not changed from the Old testament to the new (Hebrews 3:7-19, 4:1-11). What God expected of the Israelites of old, He expects of us today as well. He desires us to commit ourselves to Him with an obedient faith . Any other faith is really unbelief.
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