Of course! We have their experience as a warning.


Of course, if victory is possible.


??? Well, our obedience passes through the corrupt channels of humanity and, therefore, must be purified with the incense of Christ's righteousness.

What I mean is, both she and Aaron were together in the sin at Hazeroth, yet it seems this sin per se wouldn't have prevented Aaron from entering Canaan. Was it this sin which prevented Miriam from entering there? If so, why?

Rosangela, victory corrupted and stained with sin is hardly victory. If we successfully resist complaining, thanking and praising God instead, why is it corrupted and sin stained? Where in the Bible is this idea explained. If it isn't biblical is it possible you're misinterpreting what Ellen wrote?

In the case of Miriam, it would appear that she was punished. It seems unlikely she would have been punished further by dying before entering the Promised Land.

Numbers
12:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in [again].

Mike, the Bible says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1Jo 1:8).


Then why do you think she didn’t enter there? I couldn’t find an explanation for this, either in the Bible or in the EGW writings.

Rosangela, I've explained what I think 1 John 1:8 means in one of the other threads. Regarding Miriam, it simply says she died. It may have been of natural causes.

Mike, sure most of the israelites died of natural causes, including Moses and Aaron and all those who fell on the desert because they couldn't enter the promised land. But I understand all those who didn't enter there couldn't do so as a form of punishment.

It's interesting that the Edomites hadn't yet placed themselves beyond the reach of God's mercy, and so they were spared, even after having refused Israel permission to travel through their country. "The Edomites were still probationers, and as such were to be mercifully dealt with. ... He [God] teaches Israel to spare the people of Edom, before requiring them to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan." {PP 423, 424}

But the Amorites had already received enough evidence that the Lord was the true God and had chosen to cling to their idols. So "when the Amorite king [Sihon] refused this courteous solicitation [for the Israelites to travel directly through their country without doing them any injury], and defiantly gathered his hosts for battle, their cup of iniquity was full, and God would now exercise His power for their overthrow." {PP 434.3}

In our Sabbath School Class discussion this morning we were hung up on the fact that God held back the water to test them.

I remembered reading what Rosangela posted and quoted here in relation to this testing, however, I thought I had read it in the study material, but later thought I must have read it here.

As at least one person questioned the idea of God testing His people, is there anything else to back up the idea of God testing His people?

In post #121781, PP 414 is quoted, which explains how the people was tested. God explained to them why the supply of water had been cut off (see Deut. 2:3-6) - because they were about to pass through a well-watered, fertile country, in a direct course to the land of Canaan. So this should have been a cause of rejoicing, a token that the wilderness wandering was ended. It was a test because, before God permitted them to enter Canaan, they must show that they believed His promise. But, instead, this became an occasion of doubt and murmuring, because they had "given up all hope that God would bring them into possession of Canaan" (PP 416). By disbelieving God's word and murmuring, and by not acting promptly on His word, the golden opportunity passed. When they were at last ready to present their request to the king of Edom, it was refused. "God had given the people water in answer to their clamors, but He permitted their unbelief to work out its punishment. Again they must traverse the desert and quench their thirst from the miraculous spring, which, had they but trusted in Him, they would no longer have needed" (PP 424).