What do we learn in Israel’s journey from slavery to baptism through the sea and freedom in the promised land? Is our journey to that eternal promised land similar? Do evils that we fail to eliminate still trouble us? Let’s look at Numbers 33.
Of about 42 stages in their journey, where did Israel start?
These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by command of the Lord, and these are their stages according to their starting places. They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover, the people of Israel went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians, while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them. On their gods also the Lord executed judgments. (Numbers 33:1-4 ESV)
Where did they go from Rameses to the sea? What was our journey from sin to baptism?
The Israelites departed from Rameses and camped at Succoth. They departed from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. They departed from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol. They departed from Pi-hahiroth and crossed through the middle of the sea into the wilderness. They took a three-day journey into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. They departed from Marah and came to Elim. There were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms at Elim, so they camped there. They departed from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. (Numbers 33:5-10 HCSB)
Some of these place names are lost to history. Is it also a long pilgrimage to the eternal promised land?
They traveled from the Reed Sea, then rested in the Wilderness of Zin. They traveled from the Wilderness of Zin, then rested in Dophkah. They traveled from Dophkah, then rested in Alush. They traveled from Alush, then rested in Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. They traveled from Rephidim, then rested in the Wilderness of Sinai. They traveled from the Wilderness of Sinai, then rested in Kibroth-hattaavah. They traveled from Kibroth-hattaavah, then rested in Hazeroth. They traveled from Hazeroth, then rested in Rithmah. They traveled from Rithmah, then rested in Rimmon-perez. They traveled from Rimmon-perez, then rested in Libnah. They traveled from Libnah, then rested in Rissah. They traveled from Rissah, then rested in Kehelathah. They traveled from Kehelathah, then rested at Mount Shepher. They traveled from Mount Shepher, then rested in Haradah. They traveled from Haradah, then rested in Makheloth. They traveled from Makheloth, then rested in Tahath. They traveled from Tahath, then rested in Terah. They traveled from Terah, then rested in Mithkah. They traveled from Mithkah, then rested in Hashmonah. They traveled from Hashmonah, then rested in Moseroth. They traveled from Moseroth, then rested in Bene-jaakan. They traveled from Bene-jaakan, then rested in Hor-haggidgad. They traveled from Hor-haggidgad, then rested in Jotbathah. They traveled from Jotbathah, then rested in Abronah. They traveled from Abronah, then rested in Ezion-geber. They traveled from Ezion-geber, then rested in the Wilderness of Zin, which is also known as Kadesh. They traveled from Kadesh, then rested in Mount Hor at the outskirts of the land of Edom. (Numbers 33:11-37 ISV)
Where did they go from the death of Aaron to across from Jericho?
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. And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor. And king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel. And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah. And they departed from Zalmonah, and pitched in Punon. And they departed from Punon, and pitched in Oboth. And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in Ijeabarim, in the border of Moab. And they departed from Iim, and pitched in Dibongad. And they removed from Dibongad, and encamped in Almondiblathaim. And they removed from Almondiblathaim, and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. And they pitched by Jordan, from Bethjesimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab. (Numbers 33:38-49 KJV)
What were God’s instructions regarding the former inhabitants that sacrificed their children, engaged in homosexuality, bestiality and idolatry? Will our lands suffer the same fate if we don’t repent?
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their carved stones and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places; and you shall take possession of the land and inhabit it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. And you shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. (Numbers 33:50-54 LSB)
What would happen to Israel if it failed to drive out the perverted inhabitants of the land?
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from you, then it will come about that those whom you let remain of them will be like thorns in your eyes and like pricks in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live. And just as I plan to do to them, I will do to you. (Numbers 33:55-56 NASB)
How easy is it to be deceived by evil influences? What did the author of Romans say?
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32 NIV)
What do we learn in Israel’s journey from slavery to baptism through the sea and freedom in the promised land? Is our journey to that eternal promised land similar? Do evils that we fail to eliminate still trouble us? You decide!
