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Many people consider Numbers a very boring book because it goes over so many names. But as seen in part 1 of this discussion, the Hebrew names of each of the places of the Exodus and wilderness wanderings have important meaning. It might not be the literal meaning of the name but based on the symbolism of what occurred at that place. These are God’s names for these places, not necessarily the common names given to those places by the inhabitants at the time.
Text: Num. 33:18-27
There were 42 encampments total: two before the crossed the Red Sea and 40 after the crossed the Red Sea. We can’t judge the attributes of a particular town or valley based on what it looks like now. Climate change changes more than just the weather. It also effects geography. God’s judgment can also effect an area. Sodom and Gomorrah were originally located in a lush and fruitful plain but after God’s judgement came, the area became deserted and utterly desolate.
God speaks to people on a one-on-one basis. This is when we are in the wilderness. God wants to speak with us where we are not distracted by the outside world. God is a person of few words with a “still small voice” who often speaks in “show and tell.” Actions speak louder than words.
This is how He spoke to the children of Israel as they were leaving Egypt towards the Promised land.
After they left Hazeroth, God brought them to Rithmah (רִתְמָה H7575), derived from the verb רָתַם ratham, to bind, attach (H7573). Indeed, it was a place of binding and attachment. In the area of Paran after Hazaroth, Israel was barred from entering the land for a generation (Num. 12:16–14:45).
From Rithmath, the people of Israel were brought to Rimmon-Peretz (רִמֹּן פָּרֶץ H7428), which means “pomegranate of the breach” (רִמּוֹן rimmon H7416 for pomegranate and פֶּרֶץ perets H6556 for bursting forth and breach). Something rose up and a breach took place, just as Peretz, Judah’s son caused a breach when he and his twin brother were born. The breach that happened here came as a result of the spies Moses had sent into the Promised Land.
Of the 12 spies, 10 of them came back with an “evil report” about the land. The majority of the people believed the 10 spies and disregarded the testimony of Joshua and Caleb. As a consequence, all the people over the age of 20 were denied entry into the promise land so God had to send them back into the wilderness to wander another 40 years until all that generation passed away. That break between the over 20 and the under 20 was the breach referred here.
The first place they were sent to live after their failure to take the land was a place called Libnah (לִבְנָה H3841), which comes from the word לָבֵן laben (H3835a), which means to be white or to make pure. The people came here to repent and purify themselves after their moral failure at Rimmon-Peretz.
From Libnah, they were sent to Rissah (רִסָּה H7446), a place of droplets of dew. As water moistens flour to make bread, in a sense, God was watering them.
From there, they went to Kehelathah (קְהֵלָתָה qehelata H6954). The name comes from קָהָל qahal (H6951, assembly, convocation, congregation) as a place of sacred assembly.
Next in their journey, God brought them to הַר־שָׁפֶר Har Shepher (הַר har H2022, mountain, and שֶׁפֶר Shepher H8234, beauty), which is the mountain of beauty.
From a place of beauty, He took to a place of fear and trembling (חָרַד charad H2729, to tremble, be terrified), called Charadah (חֲרָדָה charada H2732). This may be God’s name for the spot where the rebellion of Korah occurred. God took hold of the rebellion in a terrible way. The people were so scared of Moses at that point, they though they all were going to die.
Marqheloth (מַקְהֵלֹת maqhelot H4722) was the next destination God wanted them to recall. Like Kehelathah, word Maqheloth also comes from the Hebrew word qahal, meaning as a place of sacred assembly where God again had to humble them.
Then God brought them to a place called Tahath (תַּחַת tachat H8480), which means delay, and then to Terah. This should remind us of Abraham’s father Terah (Gen. 11:24–12:4). He brought Abraham and his sons and one of his grandsons, Lot, with him. Terah did not make it all the way to Caanan, but Abraham and Lot continued the journey from that point. Terah was delayed and stopped by God from continuing on to the Land.
Just as God delayed or stopped the children of Israel from entering the promised land after they believed the false report of the 12 spies. They were so close but they were delayed as a punishment for their own sin.
Speaker: Richard Agee. Summary: Tammy.