Moses' Attempt to Enter the Promised Land Before Told
Moses did not attempt to enter the Promised Land before he was told; rather, his entry was prohibited due to an act of disobedience during the wilderness wandering [7]. The biblical narrative indicates that God commanded Moses to lead the Israelites toward the land promised to their ancestors [9].
After the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, where Moses had fled from Pharaoh [2] and later returned to lead his people [8], they journeyed through the wilderness [5]. At one point, the people desired to send spies into the land of Canaan, a request Moses approved and brought before the Lord [6]. From Kadesh-Barnea, located in the wilderness of Zin, Moses sent twelve spies to survey the land [1]. Ten of these spies returned with a discouraging report, causing the people to lose faith and rebel against God [1]. This rebellion led to God's decree that the generation who doubted would wander in the wilderness for forty years and would not enter the Promised Land [3, 5].
Moses himself was later barred from entering the Promised Land. This prohibition stemmed from an incident where, in a moment of impatience, he struck a rock to bring forth water instead of speaking to it as God had commanded [7]. This act of disobedience, which dishonored the Lord, disqualified Moses from leading the Israelites into Canaan [7]. Despite his fervent prayers and his role in interceding for the people on other occasions [4], God maintained this judgment [7].
Before his death, Moses ascended Mount Nebo, where God allowed him to view the Promised Land from a distance, but he was not permitted to enter it [10]. This event marked the end of Moses's leadership, with Joshua taking over to guide the Israelites into their inheritance [10].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Kadesh — Holy, or Kadesh-Barnea, sacred desert of wandering, a place on the south-eastern border of Palestine, about 165 miles from Horeb. It lay in the "wilderness" or "desert of Zin" (Gen. 14:7; Num. 13:3-26; 14:29-33; 20:1; 27:14), on the border of Edom (20:16). From this place, in compliance with the desire of the people, Moses sent forth "twelve spies" to spy the land. After examining it in all its districts, the spies brought back an evil report, Joshua and Caleb alone giving a good report of the land (13:18-31). Influenced by the discouraging report, the peopl”
- Exodus “Exodus 2:15 (LITV) — And Pharaoh heard this word, and he sought to kill Moses. And Moses fled from before Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian. And he sat down by the well.”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 15, section 1: . How Moses Was Displeased At This, And Foretold That God Was Angry And That They Should Continue In The Wilderness For Forty Years And Not, During That Time, Either Return Into Egypt Or Take Possession Of Canaan. 1. Moses came now boldly to the multitude, and informed them that God was moved at their abuse of him, and would inflict punishment upon them, not indeed such as they deserved for their sins, but such as parents inflict on their children, in order to their correction. For, he said, that when he was in the tabernacle, a”
- Psalms “Psalms 106:23 (BSB) — So He said He would destroy them— had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Desert, Journey of Israel Through The — Date of its commencement -- Ex 12:41,42. Their number commencing -- Ex 12:37. Their healthy state commencing -- Ps 105:37. A mixed multitude accompanied them in -- Ex 12:38; Nu 11:4. Commenced in haste -- Ex 12:39. Conducted with regularity -- Ex 13:18. Under Moses as leader -- Ex 3:10-12; Ac 7:36,38. By a circuitous route -- Ex 13:17,18. Order of marching during -- Nu 10:14-29. Order of encamping during -- Nu 2:1-34. Difficulty and danger of -- De 8:15. Continued forty years As a punishment. -- Nu 14:33,34. To prove and humble”
- Numbers (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Numbers 13:1: And the Lord Spake unto Moses,.... When in the wilderness of Paran, either at Rithmah or Kadesh; this was on the twenty ninth day of the month Sivan, on which day, the Jews say (o), the spies were sent to search the land, which was a scheme of the Israelites' own devising, and which they first proposed to Moses, who approved of it as prudential and political, at least he gave his assent unto it to please the people, and carried the affair to the Lord, and consulted him about it; who, rather permitting than approving, gave the following order; for the motion carried i”
- Deuteronomy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Deuteronomy 32:51: 32:51 you betrayed me: During the wilderness sojourn, Moses dishonored the Lord by striking a water-producing rock. This fit of impatient anger disqualified Moses from entering the Promised Land (Num 20:1-13; see Deut 1:37; 3:26-27).”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 4:21: And the Lord said unto Moses,.... At the same time he appeared to him in Midian, and ordered him to go into Egypt, even before his departure thither: when thou goest to return into Egypt; and when got thither; for before the thing directed to in the next clause could not be done: see that thou do all these wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand; not the three signs or wonders, related in the preceding part of the chapter, for they were to be done not before Pharaoh, but before the children of Israel; but these are the wonders he was to do in the sig”
- Deuteronomy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Deuteronomy 10:11: And the Lord said unto me, arise, take thy journey before the people,.... Here Moses goes on with his relation of things at Mount Sinai, how that upon his supplication for the people, on account of the destruction they were threatened with for their idolatry, the Lord was graciously pleased not only to hear him and forgive the people, but ordered him to go before them, and lead them on towards the land of Canaan he had promised them, Exo 32:34, that they may go in and possess the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give unto them; and which had it not be”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian — SECTION X. (part 1): On Deut. xxxiii. II. Hippolytus, the expositor of the Targum, has said that Moses, when he had finished this prophecy, also pronounced a blessing upon all the children of Israel, by their several tribes, and prayed for them. Then God charged Moses, saying to him, Go up to Mount Nebo, which indeed is known by the name of the mount of the Hebrews, which is in the land of Moab over against Jericho. And He said to him: View the land of Chanaan, which I am to give to the children of Israel for an inheritance. Thou, however, shal”