22 - Pilgrimage from Mt. Sinai to Canaan answers
68The Travail of a Nation
Numbers 1-14
Most of the journey still remains before the children of Israel. How little do they realize their own unpreparedness spiritually! How little do they realize the cost of a weak faith! They have been out of Egypt one year. They have traveled long enough to have reached Canaan – had they been ready spiritually to enter. They did not have enough faith to go by the way of the Philistines when they started. Their faith is still weak. It will require thirty-nine more years and many weary miles to finish the journey.
1. It is time for what Holy Day when they leave Mt. Sinai? (9.1-2) Passover
2. They observe this day and then Moses counts those old enough to fight. How many were in the army? (1.46) 603,550
3. What use was made of trumpets? (10.1-10) Trumpets were used to call the community together, to let them know it was time to set out, to call them to assemble at the Tabernacle, to call the leaders together, as a call to battle, and as part of their festivals.
4. Whom did Moses ask to go with them and act "as eyes" for them? (10.29-32) Hobab, his brother-in-law
5. Each time they broke camp, what did Moses say? (10.35) "Rise up, O Lord! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you."
6. When they made camp again, what did he say? (10.36) "Return, O Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel."
7. Which tribes camped on each side (north, east, south, west) of the Tabernacle? (chapter 2)
On the east: Judah, Issachar, Zebulun
On the south: Reuben, Simeon, Gad
On the west: Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin
On the north: Dan, Asher, Naphtali
8. At what place was fire sent into their midst because of murmuring? (11.3) Taberah
9. Where did they "lust for meat"? (11.31-34) Kibroth Hattaavah
10. What happened as a result of this murmuring? (11.31-34) God sent a huge quantity of quail, enough to last a month. But He was angry with them and sent a plague among them as they ate. Those who were not satisfied with manna died.
11. Where did Aaron and Miriam complain against Moses? With what result? (Chapter 12)
At Hazeroth, Aaron and Miriam criticized Moses. God rebuked them and put some kind of skin disease on Miriam. Seeing Miriam’s condition, Aaron acknowledged their sin and asked Moses to intercede in her behalf. Moses prayed for Miriam and, after seven days, she was healed.
12. Who was sent to spy out the land when they reached the edge of Canaan? (13.2) One leader was sent from each of the 12 tribes.
13. Give the reports brought back. (13.27-33) The spies reported that the land flowed with milk and honey. They brought back grapes, pomegranates, and figs. However, they said the people were powerful and the cities were large and fortified. Caleb interrupted their report to express his confidence that Israel could conquer the land. But most of the other spies spread the word that the people were too strong and too big for the Israelites. They said, "We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
14. Which spies believed that with God’s help they could take the land? (14.6-8) Caleb from the tribe of Judah and Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim believed they could take the land.
15. What did the people say? The people said they would have been better off if they had died in Egypt or in the desert. They asked why the Lord would bring them to this land to die by the sword. They predicted that their wives and children would be taken as plunder. And they wanted to choose a leader to take them back to Egypt.
16. Did the people appreciate Moses? (14.1-4) No, they grumbled against Moses and Aaron and were ready to choose another leader.
17. Again God offered to found a nation of Moses’ descendants. Again Moses begged God to forgive the people, which he did for Moses’ sake. But He said the people have tempted Him ten times. Can you list these?
a. Exodus 5. The people were angry with Moses when Pharaoh increased their work load.
b. Exodus 14.10-12. At the Red Sea, with the Egyptian army bearing down upon them, the Israelites grumbled against Moses, saying they would have been better off if they had stayed in Egypt.
c. Exodus 15.22-24. At Marah, the people grumbled against Moses because they had no water.
d. Exodus 16.1-3. In the Desert of Sin, the people accused Moses of bringing them out into the desert to starve to death.
e. Exodus 17.1-3. At Rephidim, the people were angry with Moses because they had no water.
f. Exodus 32. At Mt. Sinai, the people demanded that Aaron make them a god to worship because Moses was gone so long. Aaron made the golden calf.
g. Numbers 11. 1-3. At Taberah, the people complained about their hardships and God sent fire among them.
h. Numbers 11.4-6. Some of the people complained because they had no meat to eat.
i. Numbers 12. Aaron and Miriam spoke out against Moses. They criticized his Cushite wife and questioned his leadership role.
j. Numbers 14. When 10 of the 12 spies brought back a despairing report, the people were ready to choose a new leader who would take them back to Egypt.
18. What did God say would happen to all of them except Joshua and Caleb? (14.27-32)
God said every person aged 20 or older would die in the wilderness, except for Joshua and Caleb. Their children would not be taken as plunder, but would enter the land and conquer it.
19. How do we sometimes fail to take when God offers simply for the lack of faith?
Examples of situations where someone’s lack of faith causes them not to receive God’s gifts and assistance include: a) anyone who has heard the Gospel and failed to receive Jesus as their Savior, b) anyone who worries, c) anyone who fears, d) anyone who disobeys the Word.
[Corrections, additions, and comments from readers/participants are appreciated. bj]
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Betty we have to remember that the children of Israel knew nothing about freedom as they had lived as captives, as slaves all their lives, serving Pharoah. Freedom was foreign to them, and they didn't know how to handle it or how to live their lives out of captivity.
From the time they arrive at the Red Sea and have no way to turn, they like children begin to grumble and ask what to do now, they fear Pharoah but would rathr return to captivity and servitude, rather that face the possibility of death. These people new nothing about freedom all they knew was servitude as slaves.
Think of it as teaching a five year old child how to ice skate. You take the child to a rink or a frozen pond or whatever and it sees these people gliding across the ice skating. The child thinks it's really neat and cool and wants to do it too. You show the child a pair of skates, and immediately the child begins to wonder, OK how do these fit over my boots, they don't know that the boots have to come off. So you show them by removing their boots and putting on the skates. You then take the child to the ice and the child unaware of the difference between skates and boots breaks free from your grasp and tries walking on the ice, it knows how to walk so it should be easy now. Suddenly the child falls, so you pick it up. You begin to walk infront of the child drawing it across the ice, and again the child begins moving its feet trying to walk, and slips again but this time you have hold so it doesn't fall. You keep going at it until finally the child finds its balance and is able to take baby steps while you watch.
Great comment, Tamarajo. I agree with your observation about the last question. And I like your idea of praying the same prayers Moses did when the camp broke up and when it settled again. They're short, but powerful prayers! Thank you so much for your visit and your comment.
That's a great analogy, Dave - teaching a child to skate! Your comment reminds me of Elsa the lioness in the movie "Born Free." Her adoptive "parents" had to teach her step by step how to live free. It was a slow, sometimes frightening process, kinda' like the children of Israel in the wilderness.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, adding depth and scope to my hub. A rich blessing!
Tamarajo Level 5 Commenter 13 months ago
In answer to the last question. I think we do it every time we try to calculate a situation from our human perspective and when we are so consumed with what we want and don't turn to God as our source.
I liked the closer look in questions 5 and 6 I did not notice before that these were stated each time camp was broken and settled. It is an interesting prayer we might pray when we are moving in and out of different situation and circumstance.
Blessed study : )