The Desert Wanderings
[Numbers]
The first census
[Num 1:1-10:10]
It has now been thirteen months since the Israelites left Egypt.
A
Census
is
taken
of
all
the
men
of
twenty
years
or
older
who
are
able
to
serve
in
an
army,
and
the
numbers
recorded
by
tribe.
The
Levites
are
excluded
from
the
census
as
they
are
to
be
responsible
for
the
tabernacle
and
its
furnishings,
for
the
erection
and
disassembly
of
it,
and
for
carrying
it
from
camp
to
camp.
The
order
of
which
the
tribes
are
to
camp
around
the
tabernacle,
and
the
order for marching is given, with the twelve tribes assembled in four groups of three headed by Judah, Reuben, Ephraim and Dan.
Before leaving Sinai, offerings from each tribe are given for the dedication of the tabernacle.
The journey from Sinai to Kadesh
[Num 10:11-12:16]
The
cloud
now
lifts
from
above
the
tabernacle
and
the
Israelites
prepare
to
leave
Sinai,
breaking
camp
and
forming
their
marching
order according to God’s instructions.
After
just
three
days
of
travelling,
some
of
the
Israelites
start
to
complain
about
the
manna,
perhaps
now
becoming
somewhat
monotonous,
and
crave
after
the
fine
foods
they
remember
from
Egypt.
In
response,
God
provides
them
with
quail,
but
so
much
of
it
they
will
eventually
become
sick
of
meat
and
again
be
satisfied
with
manna.
But
before
they
have
finished
their
first
meal
of
quail,
the
people
are
struck
with
a
severe
plague,
their
complaining
having
kindled
God’s
wrath.
After
this
episode
they
then
travel
on
to
Hazeroth
and camp there.
Miriam
and
Aaron
speak
to
Moses,
apparently
envious
of
Moses’
relationship
with
God.
God
summons
all
three
to
the
Tabernacle
and
speaks
directly
to
Aaron
and
Miriam,
confirming
the
special
relationship
in
which
it
is
only
Moses
with
whom
God
speaks
face
to
face.
As punishment for the complaint, Miriam was made leprous and had to remain outside the camp for seven days.
They then travelled on to the Desert of Paran, in the region of Kadesh.
In the Kadesh region
[Num 13:1-20:21]
The
Israelites
are
now
approaching
the
land
God
is
to
give
them.
God
instructs
Moses
to
send
twelve
men,
one
from
each
tribe,
to
explore
the
land
and
return
with
a
full
report.
They
pass
through
the
Wilderness
of
Zin
and
explore
as
far
north
as
Hebron.
After
forty
days
they
return
with
some
pomegranates,
figs,
and
a
cluster
of
grapes
so
large
that
it
has
to
be
carried
on
a
pole
between
two
people.
However,
ten
of
them
report
that
the
people
are
very
powerful
and
their
cities
large
and
fortified.
They
also
mention
the
Nephilim,
to
whom
they
seemed
like
grasshoppers.
The
report
is
soon
known
to
all
the
people
and
they
become
fearful
they
will
be
killed.
It’s
even
suggested
that
they
should
choose
another
leader
and
return
to
Egypt.
Moses,
Aaron,
Joshua
and
Caleb
try
to
persuade
them
that
God
will
deliver
the
land
and
its
people
into
their
hands,
and
they
should
not
rebel
against
the
Lord.
Yet
the
crowd
now
begins
to
talk
of
stoning
them.
God,
tiring
of
the
people’s
rebellious
attitude,
suggests
he
will
disinherit
them
and
raise
a
new
nation
through
Moses.
However,
Moses
intercedes
on
their
behalf
and
God
pardons
them,
but
declares
that
none
of
the
people
aged
twenty
or
more
will
see
the
promised
land.
They
will
continue
to
sojourn
in
the
desert
for
a
total
of
forty
years,
one
year
for
each
day
of
the
exploration.
Of
the
twelve spies, only Joshua and Caleb would see the promised land. The other ten were smitten with a plague.
The
next
morning,
some
men
attempt
to
enter
the
promised
land
to
somehow
make
up
for
their
mistrust,
but
do
so
without
God’s
approval and are defeated at Hormah by the Amalekites and Canaanites.
Various laws are now given to Moses for when they eventually enter the promised land.
A
man
is
found
gathering
sticks
on
the
Sabbath,
and
under
instruction
from
God
is
stoned,
effectively
demonstrating
the
seriousness
of
Sabbath-breaking.
The
people
are
then
required
to
make
fringes
in
the
border
of
their
garments
as
a
constant
reminder
to
keep
the
Lord’s commandments.
Korah,
a
Levite,
along
with
Dathan
and
Abiram,
rebel
against
Moses
and
Aaron,
leading
two
hundred
and
fifty
‘princes’.
Korah’s
grievance
is
Aaron’s
position
over
them
in
the
priesthood,
and
Dathan
and
Abiram’s
concerning
Moses’
leadership
over
them
all
and
his
failure
to
take
them
into
the
promised
land.
Their
rebellion
is
punished
by
God
who
causes
the
leaders
and
all
their
tents
to
be
swallowed up by the ground, and the two hundred and fifty to be consumed by fire.
To
confirm
Aaron’s
leadership,
God
instructs
that
Aaron’s
staff
and
twelve
from
the
tribes
of
Israel
are
all
to
be
placed
in
the
tabernacle.
The
one
that
blossoms
will
identify
the
leader.
In
the
morning
it
is
Aaron’s
staff
that
has
bud
and
blossomed,
demonstrating
with certainty that Aaron is the head of the priesthood.
The
priesthood
now
confirmed,
instructions
for
their
duties
are
given,
and
for
the
support
they
are
to
receive
from
the
Levites.
As
the
Levites
will
not
have
any
inheritance
from
the
land,
they
will
have
what’s
left
over
from
sacrificial
offerings
and
receive
the
nation’s
tithes. They will then, in turn, give tithes to the priests.
Instructions
are
now
given
for
the
elaborate
ceremonial
preparation
of
cleansing
water,
using
the
ashes
of
a
red
heifer.
The
cleansing
water is used for purification rituals following contact with a dead body.
The
people
again
complain
to
Moses
about
lack
of
water.
God
instructs
Moses
and
Aaron
to
speak
in
front
of
all
the
people
to
the
rock,
which
will
then
bring
forth
water.
But
Moses
strikes
the
rock
rather
than
speaking
to
it.
For
this
disobedience,
which
God
says
was
a failure to sanctify Him in the eyes of the people, Moses and Aaron would not be the ones to take Israel into the promised land.
Moses now sends messengers to Edom (Esau’s descendants) to request passage through their land, but this request is denied.
From Kadesh to the plains of Moab
[Num 20:22-22:1]
The Israelites now journey from Kadesh to Mount Hor where Aaron dies and his position passes to his son Eleazar.
Following
an
incident
with,
and
subsequent
victory
over,
some
Canaanites,
the
camp
heads
south
to
avoid
Edom,
in
the
opposite
direction
to
the
promised
land
and
passing
near
the
Red
Sea.
This
discourages
the
people
and
they
again
complain
about
the
lack
of
water
and
food,
expressing
their
loathing
of
manna.
God
punishes
them
by
sending
serpents
with
fatal
bites,
then
instructs
Moses
to
make a fiery serpent on a pole. Anyone who is bitten and then looks at the serpent on the pole is saved from death.
They
continue
on
their
way,
stopping
at
various
places,
and
come
to
the
top
of
Pisgah
where
messengers
are
sent
to
Sihon,
the
king
of
the
Amorites,
requesting
passage
through
his
land.
This
is
denied
and
the
king
goes
to
war
with
the
Israelites,
but
is
defeated
and
they are able to stay in the land of the Amorites for a time.
On the Plains of Moab
[Num 22:2-36:13]
Balak,
son
of
a
Moabite
king,
having
seen
Israel’s
defeat
of
the
Amorites,
is
terrified
of
them
and
assumes
they
have
plans
against
Moab.
Since
Balak
believes
there
is
no
military
way
to
defeat
Israel,
he
colludes
with
the
Midianites
to
pay
for
the
services
of
a
diviner,
Balaam,
to
put
a
curse
on
them.
Balaam
is
told
by
God
not
to
curse
the
Israelites,
and
uses
the
voice
of
his
donkey
and
an
angel
of
the
Lord
as
a
means
of
encouraging
Balaam
to
do
as
He
wishes.
This
is
presumably
intended
to
be
more
persuasive
than
any
financial
incentives
from
his
hirers.
Three
times
Balak
asks
Balaam
to
curse
Israel,
but
three
times
he
blesses
them,
as
instructed
by
God,
before returning home.
Many
of
the
Israelites
have
now
been
seduced
by
Moabite
women
and
enticed
into
worshipping
their
gods.
God’s
wrath
is
kindled
and a plague is brought on the people until Phinehas, a priest and grandson of Aaron, deals with two of the offenders.
A second census is now taken in preparation for invading the promised land.
Following a petition from the daughters of Zelophehad, God provides the law concerning inheritance when a man dies without sons.
From
Mount
Abarim
God
shows
Moses
the
land
the
Israelites
are
to
inherit,
but
Moses
will
not
be
permitted
to
enter
it.
This
is
because
of
his
disobedience
in
the
Desert
of
Zin
when
he
struck
the
rock
to
provide
water
for
the
people.
Joshua
is
then
formally
proclaimed as Moses’ successor.
Required
offerings
and
feasts
are
restated
and
the
law
concerning
vows
is
given.
A
man’s
vow
is
binding,
but
a
woman’s
is
only
binding if a father or husband does not nullify it at the time the vow is made.
The
Lord
instructs
Moses
to
take
vengeance
on
the
Midianites
as
his
last
act
before
his
death.
After
this
battle,
Moses
is
angry
with
the
commanders
for
sparing
the
women
and
children.
They
were
instructed
to
kill
all
the
women
who
were
not
virgins,
as
they
were
those
who
were
guilty
of
corrupting
the
Israelites,
and
all
the
boys,
presumably
because
they
would
endanger
the
inheritance
rights
of
Israelite men. The spoils of this war are divided according to God’s instructions to Moses.
The
tribes
of
Reuben,
Gad
and
the
half
tribe
of
Manasseh
request
to
have
the
land
east
of
the
Jordan
as
their
inheritance.
This
is
reluctantly
granted
by
Moses
on
the
condition
the
men
take
part
in
the
conquest
of
Canaan
before
returning
to
their
new
land
and
homes.
Moses had been instructed by God to record the stages in their journey. These are given here (chapter 33).
The
boundaries
of
their
inheritance
west
of
Jordan,
the
towns
and
pastures
for
the
Levites,
and
the
six
cities
of
refuge
for
those
who
cause death by accident, are all allotted.
Safeguards
for
the
inheritance
for
Zelophehad’s
daughters
are
put
in
place,
completing
all
the
commands
and
regulations
given
by
God through Moses on the east side of the Jordan.
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