[Numbers 33] Surviving Between Moves of God. In this chapter, Moses recites the wilderness journeying of the children of Israel. These are called the “stations of the wilderness.” From Ramses to the plains of Moab, the Lord led the children of Israel for forty years by the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day. One would think this would be a holy and blessed time. Often, however, when they waited for the next transition, rebellion would break out, and suffering would result. While you are waiting for the next chapter of God’s leading in your life, you must know how to posture yourself before God so that even though you may be in a wilderness experience, you still survive and thrive and make it to your own personal Canaan.
[Num 33:1-56 KJV] 1 These [are] the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 2 And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD: and these [are] their journeys according to their goings out. 3 And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. 4 For the Egyptians buried all [their] firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments. 5 And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth. 6 And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which [is] in the edge of the wilderness. 7 And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pihahiroth, which [is] before Baalzephon: and they pitched before Migdol. 8 And they departed from before Pihahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah. 9 And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim [were] twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched there. 10 And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea. 11 And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin. 12 And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah. 13 And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. 14 And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink. 15 And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai. 16 And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibrothhattaavah. 17 And they departed from Kibrothhattaavah, and encamped at Hazeroth. 18 And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah. 19 And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmonparez. 20 And they departed from Rimmonparez, and pitched in Libnah. 21 And they removed from Libnah, and pitched at Rissah. 22 And they journeyed from Rissah, and pitched in Kehelathah. 23 And they went from Kehelathah, and pitched in mount Shapher. 24 And they removed from mount Shapher, and encamped in Haradah. 25 And they removed from Haradah, and pitched in Makheloth. 26 And they removed from Makheloth, and encamped at Tahath. 27 And they departed from Tahath, and pitched at Tarah. 28 And they removed from Tarah, and pitched in Mithcah. 29 And they went from Mithcah, and pitched in Hashmonah. 30 And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth. 31 And they departed from Moseroth, and pitched in Benejaakan. 32 And they removed from Benejaakan, and encamped at Horhagidgad. 33 And they went from Horhagidgad, and pitched in Jotbathah. 34 And they removed from Jotbathah, and encamped at Ebronah. 35 And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Eziongaber. 36 And they removed from Eziongaber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin, which [is] Kadesh. 37 And they removed from Kadesh, and pitched in mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom. 38 And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first [day] of the fifth month. 39 And Aaron [was] an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor. 40 And king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel. 41 And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah. 42 And they departed from Zalmonah, and pitched in Punon. 43 And they departed from Punon, and pitched in Oboth. 44 And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in Ijeabarim, in the border of Moab. 45 And they departed from Iim, and pitched in Dibongad. 46 And they removed from Dibongad, and encamped in Almondiblathaim. 47 And they removed from Almondiblathaim, and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. 48 And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan [near] Jericho. 49 And they pitched by Jordan, from Bethjesimoth [even] unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab. 50 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan [near] Jericho, saying, 51 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; 52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: 53 And ye shall dispossess [the inhabitants] of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it. 54 And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: [and] to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man’s [inheritance] shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit. 55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them [shall be] pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. 56 Moreover it shall come to pass, [that] I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.
It is astonishing to realize that none of the adults who came out of Egypt made it to Canaan. God planned to bless them, but because of unbelief and murmuring, they were not allowed to complete their journey to the very thing God had in store for them. What is the lesson for us? These things happened to the ancient Israelites as an example to us on whom the ends of the age have come. What do these journeys tell us about who Jesus is to us and our relationship to Him? Fortunately, the book of Hebrews speaks extensively to this very thing:
[Heb 3:7-19 KJV] 7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Why did the first generation of Israelites fail to enter in? Because of unbelief. We tend to see ourselves as victims of unbelief, but Rev. 21:8 classes unbelief and fear for that matter and transgression and sin. This may be intimidating, but there is hope here as well. You can do something about unbelief. One thing that will help you survive the wilderness trip is found in verse 13 “exhort one another…” You need to be a person who is willing to receive and exhort others to remain faithful when times are hard. Love others enough to help them when you see them going through difficult things. Exhort them and be willing to be provoked in a good way. Those who exhort us may not always get it right, but even when you are going through a tough time, be willing to and not be stubborn or hard hearted. Be open to instruction and encouragement when needed.
In v. 16, we see that not everyone who caused problems in the wilderness came out by Moses. Many followed them out of Egypt, who were not of Israel. We need to know who is living according to God’s leading and who is not. Learn to be conservative in your fellowship. Do not allow unbelievers to speak formatively in your life. Love them and be kind to them. But draw the line and don’t allow unbelievers, immature people, those who don’t see you the way God sees you to influence your state of mind or contaminate your walk with God. Let us read further in Hebrews:
[Heb 4:5-11 KJV] 5 And in this [place] again, If they shall enter into my rest. 6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, andis a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
God called Canaan the place of rest for His people. We need to hear this. God’s choice for us is rest and not struggle. Enter into rest. It isn’t all up to you. Fear God. Labor to enter in. How do we labor to enter into the rest of God? By knowing that the word is working on your behalf. Keep the word first place in your life. Of all the avenues of information that influence you – dust off your bible and give it supremacy over the media and every other information source. The enemy understands the power of what you put your attention on. He always seeks to turn your attention away from God and His word. Don’t give in to this. Honor God’s word. Trust His promise. Be persistent. You will see the difference in your life’s experience, and you will be left standing when all others have failed.
In vs. 50-56, God gives Moses and the people strict warning about their behavior and their plans for themselves when they get to Canaan. When you deposit your life in the hands of God, it is not an option to acknowledge His lordship. Take no prisoners. Do not live in compromise. Do not allow pity, natural thinking, or false wisdom to cause you to have a better idea than God. Be strong and be forceful. You don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but people are not just flesh and blood. They have spirits that can influence you just like a demon or an angel. Love people. Be good to them. But be diligent and guard your heart, and you will make it through to your promise.
