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“Now in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony;” (Numbers 10:11 NASB)
Why did they set out on the second month? I have no idea. I know that what ever God has written down is important for us. Just because I don’t fully understand something doesn’t make it irrelevant or unimportant.
“and the sons of Israel set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. Then the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran.” (Numbers 10:12 NASB)
Mt. Sinai is in Arabia, not in Egypt. This is what the Apostle Paul has shown us, but scholars ignored his witness in favor of Constantine’s mother Helena.
“So they moved out for the first time according to the commandment of the LORD through Moses.” (Numbers 10:13 NASB)
We have gone over the names of these tribes and their commanders before and they tell us something about how God moves through history. Many of these men did not live up to their names, we know this because all of them later died in the wilderness due to disobedience. God lists their names to tell us His story, not their stories.
Different English translations have these names in different order. The meanings of these names and the order are a form of prophesy.
They did their jobs in order, one by one. They did not step in to do the job of another. God is not the author of confusion. God’s precision fascinates me. We need to have faith in God’s modus operandi. We should not move anywhere unless God moves us. We move when the cloud moves.
I have lived in the same house for about 42 years, that is a long time but God may tell me to depart. I don’t know if God might call me to move to New York, Los Angeles, Israel, Russia, who knows? Where I move does not trouble me in the least. I will go where God tells me to go and stay where God tells me to stay. God is the one who makes the movement.
There’s no justice without judgement. There’s no mercy without judgement and justice. Once judgement, justice and mercy are given, that is when trust comes in. The judgement will not be a pleasant experience. A reckoning has to take place.
“Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, ‘We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you’; come with us and we will do you good, for the LORD has promised good concerning Israel.'” (Numbers 10:29 NASB)
God had a hand in this. The name Reuel means “friend of God.” Every-time Moses spoke his name, he is reminded that God is their friend. God will tell His friend where to set up the next camp.
God doesn’t write anything in vain.
“Thus they set out from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD journeying in front of them for the three days, to seek out a resting place for them.” (Numbers 10:33 NASB)
God knows our weakness. He knows how far we can move. Let’s talk more about the 3 days journey. The first time Moses spoke with Pharaoh he asked for permission for all the children of Israel to take a three day journey to worship Him. We don’t know what month Moses and the elders presented this request to Pharaoh. Many other important events happened on the third day.
“On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance” (Genesis 22:4 NASB)
On this third day, Abraham was supposed to sacrifice his son.
“And he put a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.” (Genesis 30:36 NASB)
Jacob and Laban lived three days apart.
“When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled,” (Genesis 31:22 NASB)
Not all these incidents were matters of life and death. Jacob’s life was not in danger. God was the one who told Jacob to leave. This was not Jacob’s decision.
Joseph was given a vision about the baker and the wine steward that one would live and one would die after there days.
The cloud protected them in the wilderness. It never slept. It protected them from the sun, from the elements of the earth. There are elements in the spiritual world that God does not want us to see, and He protects us from them.
Reader: Jeff. Speaker: Richard Agee. Summary: Tammy.