The Book Of Numbers | A Journey Toward Human Freedom Under God's AuthoritySample

"Stages of a Slave" 

It is very curious to me that Moses’ writing likens the journey of the Israelites to “stages.” It is as if the Israeli disciples were growing up. They’d moved from infancy and total dependence, to the place of a toddler, and a place where they needed guidance and utter protection; with the goal of such a journey being to prepare Israel for young childhood and pre-adolescence--when she would come before the base of Mt. Sinai and be given God’s law. This was to be a catapult into their adult years where Israel was about to walk out everything they had learned in a very real journey of trial and error.

In Moses’ “travel log” and “journal”, he records the beginning stages of Israel. As a child she traversed out from underneath slavery at the hands of the Egyptians. Israel’s travels took her to Succoth which means “to block,” as she was shut off from the influence of the Egyptians. Then to Etham they went, where the Lord “shut them in” and even required them to retrace a few of their steps in going back to Migdol—a place right under Egyptian noses. At Marah (bitter), God led Moses to a bitter and salty spring in order to give the Israelites a picture of their bitter soul. Then, in progressing toward the Red Sea, the people landed at Elim where there were 12 springs and 70 trees—a symbol of a new people divided into new tribes under new human leadership. Then, as we know, they were ultimately delivered from the pursuit of their enemies at the Red Sea.

Then Moses records for us everything that took place up until the time of Aaron’s death. The Israelites were led to Hezeroth where Miriam was afflicted, to Rithmah, Libnah, Rissah, Kehelatha, and Mount Shepher known as “brightness.” They were led through Haradah (fear)—Makeheloth, Tahath, Terah—wanderer—to Mithkah, a land of sweetness; to Hashmonah, a land of fatness; to Moseroth, Ben-jaakan, and to the caves of Hor-Haggidgad; then to Jotbathah, Abronah, Ezion-geber, Kadesh and finally into the land of Edom and Mount Hor where Aaron died. All of these locations speak louder than merely their names. God’s journey and traverse throughout the duration of Israel’s childhood was to usher them into a process, a way, and a path along which they were to mature, and relearn their way of looking at life.