Israel Marches Toward Canaan

Numbers 10:11, 12, 29-36

GOLDEN TEXT: “Come thou with us, and we will do thee good.”—Numbers 10:29

THE Israelites spent nearly a year at Mount Sinai before they were ready to begin marching toward the land of promise. During that period a constructive work was accomplished among them, transforming them from a horde of comparatively unorganized emigrants into a powerful nation, with covenant relationship to God. The Law Covenant was there instituted, by which the nation was accepted of the Lord as His special people. They in turn had pledged themselves to full loyalty to the Lord and to all the principles of His righteousness. All this arrangement, however, was centered in Moses, the mediator of that Law Covenant; he was the people’s representative before the Lord and the Lord’s representative before the people.

The fact that they were led of Jehovah—that the pillar of glory guided their journeyings by day and the pillar of fire marked and enlightened their camp by night—would be a continual reminder to them of the Lord their God, and of the covenant between Him and them. All this, however, would hardly account to them for the fac. that the route chosen was far from the most direct one, and that the judgments visited upon them for their murmurings, etc., were severer than those experienced by other nations around them who worshiped idols and practiced all manner of sin.

The only explanation of the whole matter (one which the Israelites could not themselves understand, because the time for its manifestation had not yet come) is the one given in the New Testament—that the Israelites were used of the Lord as a typical people, whose testings, etc., were made to picture in advance the corresponding experiences of the church in this age—spiritual Israel. As the Apostle Paul declares, much advantage accrued to natural Israel, “chiefly, because unto them were committed the oracles of God.” (Romans 3:2) If it was blessed to be associated with the Lord as members of the house of servants under Moses, how much more blessed it is to be associated now with the Lord as members of the higher house of sons under Christ.—Hebrews 3

Today’s lesson introduces Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, who belonged to what is known as the Kenites, an Arab tribe of Midian, east of Sinai. Hobab had been with the Israelites, but was now about to return to his own land, and we have two arguments on the part of Moses to induce him to remain. He said: “We are journeying into the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you. Come thou with us, and we will do thee good, for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.”

What words of faith, and how humble a statement from the leader of this great people. We note the utter absence of reference to himself and what he would do, or of his authority and power.

Very properly we may regard this as a suggestion for ourselves in connection with our journeying toward the heavenly Canaan. Those who are with us, friends or neighbors or kindred, should be invited along these lines—lines of faith. Whosoever comes with us receives a blessing, and in urging any to come with us we also receive a blessing, because our own faith and obedience are encouraged and stimulated.

Moses’ first argument failed to persuade Hobab, and he then made another appeal, suggesting that his familiarity with the wilderness through which Israel was to travel might be a help to Moses and his people. This argument seems to have appealed to Hobab, and we have records of the Kenites among the Israelites down to the time of Saul. (Judges 1:6; 4:11; I Samuel 15:6) So it has been found by the people of spiritual Israel, too—some may be attracted to be associated with them by opportunity for rendering service.

It should be remembered, however, that there are varieties of service, and that the Kenites were never invited to minister as priests at the altar. And so the Lord’s people should not feel it to be appropriate that they should elect to places of prominence in the church those who have not fully and completely made a consecration to the Lord; neither should they repel them, but rather be willing to use each as appropriate to the extent of their willingness to serve and cooperate in the Lord’s work.

The last verses of our lesson tell us of the morning and evening services during Israel’s journey. When in obedience to the movement of the cloud they started forward, Moses proclaimed, “Rise up, Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee.” In the evening, at the end of the day’s journey, again Moses’ voice was heard in the words, “Return, O Israel.”

QUESTIONS:

How long did the Israelites encamp in the vicinity of Mount Sinai before they started on the march toward Canaan? and what was accomplished during that time?

Who was Hobab, and are there those of similar disposition among the spiritual Israelites of this age?

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