After forty days of exploration, the spies returned with a divided report. Ten of them brought negative news, describing the land as "flowing with milk and honey," but inhabited by powerful nations with fortified cities. They focused on the challenges and dangers of conquering the land, causing fear and doubt among the people.
However, two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, delivered a different report. They affirmed the fertility of the land and emphasized that, with God's help, the people could conquer it. They urged the Israelites to trust God and move forward in faith.
The majority of the people, influenced by the negative report, reacted with disbelief, murmuring, and complaining against Moses and Aaron. They desired to return to Egypt, where they felt a sense of security and provision despite the slavery they had experienced.
As a result of this rebellion and lack of faith, God decreed that the entire generation involved in this incident, except Caleb and Joshua, would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land. They would wander in the wilderness for forty years until that entire generation died out. This period of wilderness wandering became a time of testing, discipline, and purification for the Israelites.
So, the crisis that caused Israel to remain in the wilderness for an extended time was their response to the report of the spies, which revealed a lack of trust and faith in God's promises. Their desire to return to Egypt demonstrated their preference for comfort and security over the challenges and blessings of inheriting the Promised Land.
