It is interesting that in his anger, the Lord does not send fire or plague this time, but instead speaks to Moses about his anger. The Lord first asks, “How long will these people treat me with contempt?” The word “contempt” is na’as, which is a very strong word for utter disrespect and total indifference towards a person. God has tired of these people and his remedy is to start over with Moses, who is himself a descendant of Abraham and a seed from the promised son, Isaac. God will simply wipe this generation out and focus on the descendants of Moses, which he will turn into an even greater nation than the current faithless nation disrespecting him in the wilderness.

“I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.” – Numbers 14:12

This was the second time in the fourteen months since they had left Israel that God has made this suggestion. He also said something similar at the incident that involved the golden calf:

“Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” – Exodus 32:10

Moses then steps in and intercedes for the people reminding God of his promises, his word, his nature and his reputation among the nations who will hear that he slaughtered his own people in the wilderness after having “tried” to deliver them. (Numbers 14:13-22)

On February 8, 356, Athanasius is sent into exile for the third time since the Church’s Council of Nicea in 325 for rejecting Arianism (the belief that Jesus, the Son of God, was created rather than eternally existing). Arianism had been rejected at the Council of Nicea, but in 356 Arian believing Christians controlled the government (and, thus, controlled the church). Athanasius would go into exile two more times before he died.