Numbers 16:44 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, 45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. 46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun.
Here comes trouble, because their probation is now going to close real soon, for there is nothing left for God to do. To put it in a nutshell, they could not be retrieved from the self-inflicted deception, for their minds had been deliberately barricaded against any evidences of truth. They had been given time that night to roll over the matter in their minds.
They could, if they so desired, recall with clarity what they saw, and heard and just maybe, there might be a chink in the armor of lies they had been taking refuge in. But no; the disposition to choose lies over truth had taken so deep root in the conscience, that there was nothing God could do to save them from going over the cliff permanently. The servant of The Lord puts it this way.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 402] Jesus, the Angel who went before the Hebrews, sought to save them from destruction. Forgiveness was lingering for them. The judgment of God had come very near, and appealed to them to repent. A special, irresistible interference from heaven had arrested their rebellion. Now, if they would respond to the interposition of God's providence, they might be saved. But while they fled from the judgments, through fear of destruction, their rebellion was not cured.
Numbers 16:41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!