Journeying from Sinai to the Promised Land

Day 20, Month 2, Year 2: The journey to the Desert of Paran

10:11-13

• The pillar-of-cloud rises, so the Israelites leave Sinai [cf. 9:17-23 & cf. Ex 13:21-22, 40:36-38]

10:14-28

The travelling order of the camps

Army #1

• 1^st Judah
• 2^nd Issachar
• 3^rd Zebulun

Levites #1

• 4^th The Gershonites & the tabernacle [framework]

Levites #2

• 5^th The Merarites & the tabernacle [curtains]

Army #2

• 6^th Reuben
• 7^th Simeon
• 8^th Gad

Levites #3

• 9^th The Kohathites & the holy things [furniture]

Army #3

• 10^th Ephraim
• 11^th Manasseh
• 12^th Benjamin

Army #4

• 13^th Dan
• 14^th Asher
• 15^th Naphtali

10:29-32

• Moses invites Hobab (his brother-in-law) to accompany the Israelites on their journey

10:33-36

• The journey lasts three days [from Sinai to the Desert of Paran]

At ‘Taberah’ [‘Burning’] (in Desert of Paran)

GRUMBLE #1

11:1-3

• The Israelites grumble [about God? cf. Ps 78:19-22];
• God hears them & sends fire [as punishment]

At ‘Kibroth Hattaavah’ [‘The Tombs of Craving’] (cf. 33:16)

GRUMBLE #2

11:4-35

• The rabble [of foreigners, Ex 12:38] crave other food, then Israelites grumble about the manna
• Moses complains to God about the people, so God appoints 70 elders to help him; all 70 are anointed by the Holy Spirit
• God sends quail as food but also a plague [as punishment]

At Hazeroth (cf. 33:17)

GRUMBLE #3

ch. 12

• Miriam [as ringleader] & Aaron speak against Moses because his [second] wife is a Cushite [from Cush a.k.a. Ethiopia];
• God gives Miriam leprosy [as punishment]; Moses prays for her to be healed; Miriam must stay outside the camp for 7 days [she is ritually ‘unclean’, cf. 5:1-4]

At Kadesh (in Desert of Paran)

[Kadesh a.k.a. Rithmah? see 33:18]

13:1-29

• Twelve spies explore Canaan for 40 days, & say, ‘The land is good but its inhabitants are strong!’

13:30-33

• Caleb says, ‘Enter the land!’ [Joshua agrees, see 14:6-9]; the other 10 spies say, ‘It’s impossible!’

GRUMBLE #4

14:1-20

• The Israelites grumble & plan to return to Egypt
• Moses, Aaron, Joshua & Caleb say, ‘We can take the land!’ but the people plan to kill them
• God says, ‘I will destroy the people & make you [Moses] into a great nation!’ but Moses intercedes, so God relents [cf. Ex 32:9-14]

14:21-38

• Punishment: All Israelites aged 20+ (v30, except Caleb & Joshua) will die in the desert over a 40 year period [since leaving Egypt]
• The 10 evil spies [cf. 13:31-32] are killed by a plague

14:39-45

• Some Israelites decide to enter Canaan without God’s help, and are defeated by Canaanites

Laws #2: Various Laws / A man is sentenced to death

15:1-16

• Laws: After entering Canaan, grain & drink offerings must accompany every burnt offering

15:17-21

• Bread offerings must be given from the first dough [made from each annual harvest, cf. Ex 23:19a]

15:22-29

• For unintentional sins (by the community or by individuals), sacrifices must be given

15:30-31

• For defiant sins, a person must be ‘cut off from the people’ [i.e. killed, cf. phrase in Ex 31:14-15]

15:32-36

• In the wilderness: A man was gathering firewood on the Sabbath [Rest] [This was against God’s law in Ex 35:2-3]
• God says he should die [cf. law in Ex 31:14-15] so the man is stoned to death

15:37-41

• Law: Place blue tassels on your garments as a visual reminder of God’s commandments

The wilderness years

The question of spiritual authority

[perhaps at Rimmon Perez? see 33:19]

GRUMBLE #5

16:1-3

• Korah, Dathan, Abiram & On along with 250 leaders rebel against the [spiritual] authority of Moses & Aaron

[cf. 16:3 with 12:2 / Tradition suggests On repented; he appears to escape punishment]

16:4-18

• Moses replies, ‘God chooses who represents Him; offer incense to God & He will choose!’

16:19-24

• God threatens to kill all Israelites [they sided with Korah]; Moses & Aaron pray [cf. Gen 18:23-25]

16:25-40

• Korah, Dathan & Abiram are swallowed by the ground;
• The 250 leaders are killed by God’s fire (the bronze from their incense holders is fixed to the altar to act as a future warning)

16:41-50

• The next day: The Israelites blame Moses & Aaron for the deaths of the [250] leaders, so God threatens to kill all Israelites;
• God sends a plague (killing 14,700) until Aaron intercedes

ch. 17

• God requests a [dry, wooden] staff from each tribal leader; God will reveal whom He chooses [to have spiritual authority];
• Aaron’s staff grows overnight to show buds, blossom & almonds

Laws #3: Priestly laws

18:1-7

• Aaron & his sons must bear the depravity of the sanctuary & the priesthood [i.e. they carry sin to remove guilt, cf. Ex 28:38, Heb 9:28]
• Only the Levites may assist Aaron at the tabernacle

18:8-19

• God gives to Aaron & his family all offerings [that, in future, God will receive from the Israelites]
• ‘Redeem firstborn (men+animals); sacrifice firstborn cattle, sheep & goats’ [cf. Ex 13:12-16]

18:20-32

• The priests (& Levites) will not receive land as inheritance:

i. Yahweh is their inheritance;

ii. the Levites will receive tithes [cf. Lev 27:30-33] & must give Aaron a tenth of the tithes

ch. 19

• ‘Sacrifice a red heifer; its burnt ash + water will [ritually] clean anyone who touches a corpse’

Ex / Lev / NUM / Deut / Josh