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Hebrew History Part 4

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Contact: David Parham 940-322-4343

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We continue our study of Hebrew History this week with the passages concerning Israel leaving Sinai.

Num 10:11 And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.

Num 10:12 And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.

We mentioned last week that to cross over to the promised land of Canaan would have been a much, much shorter trip if it had been straight from Egypt to Canaan, but God caused the people to wander for 40 years due to disobedience of believing the Lord when 10 of the spies came back with an evil report of the land. Even Moses never got to enter into the promised land due to striking the rock to bring forth water rather than speaking to the rock as God had commanded. This did not seem so important, but it was very important when you realize that it marred the typification of Jesus Christ being struck down on the cross for our sins. He died once and will never die again. By striking the rock, it made the typification marred due to Satan not smiting Christ a second time. We see here that the people came out of Sinai and headed into the wilderness of Paran. You remember last week that the people were led by a cloud in the daytime and a pillar of fire at night.

Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Exo 13:22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

 

After leaving Mt. Sinai, the people came to Taberah.

Num 11:1 And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

Num 11:2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.

Num 11:3 And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.

 

You remember how the people murmured to Moses about not having all the meats and spices of Egypt last week in our study. And God granted their request and sent them much meat in the form of quail. In Numbers Chapter 11, we read of how God sent the quail into the camp a second time.

Num 11:4 And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Num 11:5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:

Num 11:6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

Num 11:7 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

Num 11:8 And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

Num 11:9 And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

Skip down to verse 31

Num 11:31 And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

Num 11:32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

Num 11:33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

Num 11:34 And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

Num 11:35 And the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.

 

They called the place Kibrothhattaavah. According to the Strong’s Greek Concordance, this meant graves of the longing; Kibroth-hat-Taavh, a place in the Desert:--Kibroth-hattaavah. After leaving this place, they come to Hazeroth.

Num 13:26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.

 

So from Paran to Kadesh, the 12 spies are sent out and go to check the land of Canaan.

Num 13:17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:

Num 13:18 And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;

Num 13:19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;

Num 13:20 And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.

Num 13:21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.

Num 13:22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

 

We know that the ten spies came back and discouraged the people.

Num 14:32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.

Num 14:33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

Num 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

Num 14:35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

Num 14:36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,

Num 14:37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

Note that everyone that brought the evil report died and never got to enter into the promised land.

 

Those that lied wandered in the wilderness a year for each day they spied out the land and brought back the evil report. Do you remember which 2 of the 12 brought back a good report. 2 men believed God and the two were men of faith. They were Joshua and Caleb.

Num 14:7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.

Num 14:8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

Num 14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

 

Note that these 2 men lived on and did not die in the wilderness.

Num 14:38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.

 

We see the nation of Israel being defeated by Canaanites and the Amalekites.

Num 14:40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.

Num 14:41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.

Num 14:42 Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.

Num 14:43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.

Num 14:44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.

Num 14:45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.

 

When the people refused to obey God and to walk by faith, they paid a price. You and I are in a different wandering in a totally different land today, but when we go our own way and do not pray about what we do or how we serve God, we too will be defeated. The only way to lead a life of victory is to serve God diligently and with the whole heart.

 

Remember what Jesus told the women at the well.

John 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

 

God desires that we serve him with honesty, sincerity, and with a whole heart. The people of Israel were on and then off again. We need to be on and stay consistently on if we want our lives to count for God.

 

After almost 40 years, we see God’s chosen nation come up from Ebronah to cam at Ezion-geber.

Num 33:35 And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Eziongaber.

Num 33:36 And they removed from Eziongaber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.

 

This wandering would never have been necessary if the people would just have believed God. We had best believe God in this life or we to will wander aimlessly with no reason and no purpose in life. But set your eyes on God, get on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ, and not only will you have reason and purpose, you will reach others for Christ and your life will honor and glorify God.

 

We see in verse 36 that they came to the wilderness of Zin which is Kadesh. They have now come full circle back to the place that the first spies were sent out.

 

Num 20:1 Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

We see that Miriam died and they buried her there.

 

This is the place where there was no water, and we see Moses being commanded to speak to the rock. Like we said earlier, this seemed like no big deal. But it cost Moses the opportunity to cross into the promised land. He got to see it, but never crossed over Jordan to the other side. What does it cost us when we don’t obey God? Our money? Our testimony? Possibly even our families? Yes, following God and doing things right is important. Sin always has a price, and the ends thereof lead to death.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

 

Num 20:14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:

Num 20:15 How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:

Num 20:16 And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

Num 20:17 Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.

Num 20:18 And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.

Num 20:19 And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet.

Num 20:20 And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

Num 20:21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

 

We see here that messengers were sent to the King of Edom asking for permission to pass through the land… but that was not granted by the King.

Judg 11:17 Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.

 

We see that the father of the Edomites was Esau who dwelt in Mt. Seir.

Gen 25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

Gen 36:8 Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

Gen 36:9 And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir:

Num 20:22 And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.

 

We see the people coming up from Kadesh to Mt. Hor where Aaron died.

Num 20:23 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

Num 20:24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.

Num 20:25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:

Num 20:26 And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.

Num 20:27 And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

Num 20:28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

Num 20:29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

 

You know it hurt the people to lose a great leader like Aaron. He was the one who stood by Moses for so many years. While he did wrong like so many others, the people still mourned for him for 30 days.

Num 33:38 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.

Num 33:39 And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor.

We see the Bible recording his death as the 40th year and the 1st day of the 5th month after they came out of the land of Egypt. This would have made him 123 years old. Oh to live our lives fully to the Lord all of our days. If God grants us 20 years, lets use them for his glory. And if he lets us live over 100 years, may he be glorified in every single year.

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