It is clear in the readings of Numbers that Israel’s condemnation in the wilderness is due to their rejection of God. They were dissatisfied and distrusted God and His plan, and as a consequence the generation was condemned. Their dissatisfaction towards God can be seen both when they complain about the manna given by God and when they dared to insist that they were better off in Egypt under slavery. They were not ready to follow God’s plan and distrusted Him, for this reason God did not allow them to go into the promised land. God punished the people with the plague. Later on, they distrusted God promise of handing them the promised land and so God condemned them to reside for 40 years just outside the promised land and abandons them when they try to take over the territory without Him.
The death of Moses at the end of the Pentateuch, is not a let down, but rather an important lesson for the Israelites. By his passing, the Israelites are reminded that Moses is just a human. Even though he has been glorified by his close connection to God, the people of Israel must maintain that the power behind is that of God and not that of Moses. Furthermore, his passing of the power to Joshua is a key lesson to the Israelites about the importance of passing down tradition and power from leaders to future generations peacefully.
