THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Therefore, I raised My hand against them in the desert, intending not to lead them into the land I had promised them, which flows with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all the lands, because they rejected My statutes, did not follow My commandments, and desecrated My Sabbaths, for their hearts were drawn to idols. Nevertheless, I was reluctant to destroy them, and I did not wipe them out in the wilderness. I lifted My hand against them in the wilderness to ensure they would not enter the land I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, surpassing all others. They turned away from My justifications, disregarded My commandments, profaned My Sabbaths, and followed the inclinations of their hearts.
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However, My eye was merciful, and I refrained from completely annihilating them in the wilderness. Although I had resolved to unleash My wrath upon them and obliterate them, I acted to preserve My name from being profaned among the nations, specifically among the Amalekites and others who confronted them in the wilderness. Hence, I chose not to lead them into the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most delightful of all territories. The reason for this judgment stems from their rejection of My decrees, their failure to adhere to My commandments, and their profanation of My Sabbaths. The root of their disobedience was their hearts’ inclination toward the idols of Egypt. Yet He states, My eye refrained from destruction, annihilation, and total ruin. The question arises: How did He show mercy to those whose bodies fell in the wilderness, with only Joshua and Caleb entering the Promised Land? This indicates that they live on and are not destined for eternal damnation, nor have they been removed from the book of the living despite their demise in the Lord's sight. If we consider their exclusion from the Promised Land as a mark of total ruin, then Moses, who beheld the land yet did not enter it, would likewise perish. Concerning him, the Lord affirms, Moses my servant is dead, and in Malachi, Remember the law of Moses my servant, while in Jeremiah, the Lord refers to him as a beloved companion, saying, If Moses and Samuel stand before me. It is also important to recognize that God heard the prayers of Moses, who pleaded for the people, stating, If thou wilt forgive their sin, forgive it; but if not, blot me out of thy book. It is evident that God's judgment is not intended for the destruction of children and servants, but rather for their correction. Proverbs urges us not to be disheartened by the Lord's discipline, for He loves those whom He disciplines and chastens every son whom He receives. In another verse, He indicates His intent to seek those He has stricken, and in the song of Deuteronomy, He declares, I kill and I make alive. Taken literally, we might assert that He did not obliterate them along with their tribes and offspring; rather, after punishing the fathers, He spared the children, bringing them into the promised land.