What happened at Kadesh Barnea when Israel could have entered the promised land?
At Kadesh Barnea, when Israel could have entered and possessed the land of promise, the people turned back in unbelief instead. They reversed course and returned to the wilderness. Their unbelief kept them from going in at that time, though a remnant of true believers remained.
Les explains that Israel's history was marked by constantly turning back in unbelief, and Kadesh Barnea was a key example. When they could have gone in and had the land of promise, in unbelief they turned around and went back into the wilderness. Even so, God always preserved a remnant of true believers, and at the end of the age a remnant of Israel will cause God to spare the nation.
And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
More Questions
Why could Israel have entered the promised land without any work or labor?
Israel could have entered the promised land—what the Bible calls God's rest—without doing any work at all, because everything was already prepared and they could simply walk in.