From Kadesh to the Death of Moses.
Num. 14-Dt. 34.
The Pathos of the Forty Years. The stories of this period have running
through them an element of pathos arising especially from two sources.
(1) Perhaps the experiences of Moses are most sorrowful. That he
should now, after faithfully bringing this people to the very border
of the land which they sought, be compelled to spend forty monotonous
years in this bare and uninteresting desert must have been a
disappointment very heavy to bear. During these wanderings he buried
Miriam, his sister, and Aaron, his brother and helper. He was often
complained of by the people he was trying to help, and because of it
was led to sin in such a way as to cause God to refuse him the
privilege of entering Canaan. It was necessary for him to appoint his
successor and himself be buried in these lands. He was compelled to
renumber the people to find that all but two of those who were above
twenty when they left Egypt had perished. (2) Surely the experience of
the people of Israel during these years is sufficient to arouse a
feeling of pity. Forty years of suffering and unhappiness and the loss
of all opportunity to enter Canaan by those who fell in the wilderness
beclouds the whole story.
The Events of the Forty Years' Wandering. It is now impossible to
trace exactly any except the latter portion of their journeyings. It
is clear that they went from place to place, not of course marching
continuously each day, but changing their location as often at least
as the requirements of pasturage demanded. Of the early portion of
these years we know but little. They seemed to have remained a long
while at Kadesh (Dt. 1:45) and indeed may have made it a sort of
headquarters. The story of the rebellion of Konah with the consequent
punishment, and the budding of Aarons rod by which the appointment of
the family of Aaron to the priesthood was attested are the important
incidents of this period.
Final Scenes at Kadesh. After about thirty-eight years had elapsed
(Dt. 2:14), and the period of wandering was nearly at an end, Israel
is again found at Kadesh (Num. 20:11) on the borders of Edom where the
spies had been sent out and they made their calamitous blunder. Here
at this time happened three important events; (1) Miriam died and was
buried, (2) Moses smote the rock and brought forth water, but because
he smote it instead of speaking to it Jehovah was angry with him and
told him he should not enter the land of promise. (3) Moses asked
permission of the King of Edom to pass peaceably through his land and
was refused. They were, therefore, compelled to take a long journey
around Edom to reach there own land.
From Kadesh to the Jordan. When they were refused passage through the
land of the Edomites, their kinsmen, (Num. 20:14-21), the Hebrews made
a long journey around. On this journey occurred three important
events. (1) The death of Aaron in Mount Hor (Num. 20:22-29). (2) The
defeat of the King of South Canaan and the laying waste of his country
to Hormah where they had been routed nearly forty years ago. (3) The
sending of the fiery serpents and the brazen serpent as a remedy. They
also passed the country of Moab and came finally to the river Arnan
(Num. 21:13), which is the boundary between Moab and the Amorites.
Here they came into conflict with Sihon the King of the Amorites, whom
they defeated, and possessed his land. (Num. 21:23-24). The overcoming
of this strong and ancient people brought Israel into contact with Og,
king of Bashan, who was himself a giant and whose country was far more
formidable than that of the Amorites. By defeating him and possessing
his cities Israel was enabled to pass on and come to the plains of
Moab beyond Jordan at Jericho. In Psalms 135 and 136, written hundreds
of years later, the victory over Sihon and Og and the overthrow of
Pharaoh are dwelt on together in such a way as to show that their
conquest was regarded as an achievement worthy to rank along side of
that of their deliverance from the power of Egypt.
The Prophecies of Balaam. (Num. Chaps. 22-24). The Moabites were
greatly distressed about the settlement of the victorious Hebrews in
the region just north of them and feared lest they should suffer the
same fate as Shihon and Og. Balak, the King of Moab, had beard of
Balaam, a famous soothsayer or wise prophet of Chaldea, whose curses
and blessings were reported to carry with them extraordinary effects.
He sought at any cost to have him cripple Israel by placing a curse
upon them. But instead of cursing Israel and blessing the Moabites, he
revealed how wonderfully Israel was blessed Of God and how a scepter
would rise out of Israel and smite and destroy Moab.
This strange man Balaam seems to have had the gift of prophecy without
its grace. He had the knowledge of future events but sought to use it
for his own advantage instead of for the glory of God. He was a
covetous, money-loving prophet and sought the rewards offered by
Balak. He tried repeatedly to find some way by which he could speak
good for Moab and thereby earn the much desired fee. On the other hand
he was afraid to speak against Israel lest the curse should recoil on
him. No other word seems to describe his course except to say that he
was compelled by Jehovah to speak to Israel's advantage and to predict
her future greatness. His language fittingly describes the material
splendor and the splendid victories and reign of David. The spirit of
Israel described is that of the united kingdom standing at the zenith
of its power. In a beautiful way also he pointed to the Messiah who
should put all enemies under his feet.
He may have secured his reward, however, in another way. He seems to
have led Balak to entice Israel, through pretensions of friendship, to
partake in the idolatrous and impure festivals of the Moabites (Num.
25:1-5; 31:15-16; Rev. 2:14). These and other acts of their own
brought down upon Israel the curse of heaven and made them the subject
of such calamites as Balaam could not himself pronounce against them.
By suggesting this course to Balak, he may have obtained the coveted
pay without directly disobeying God. This whole story would seem to
imply that the Hebrew historians did not believe that divine relations
were limited to seers and prophets of their own race.
The Last Acts of Moses. Events are now transpiring in rapid succession
and the story hastens to the close of the career of Moses, the great
leader prophet, priest and judge of Israel. Several matters are worthy
of study: (1) The sending of an expedition to destroy the Midianites.
(2) The final numbering of the people preparatory to their entrance
into Canaan. (3) The appointing of Joshua as his successor. (4) The
settlement of the two and a half tribes on the east side of Jordan.
(5) The appointment of the cities of refuge. (8) The delivery of a
farewell address, or of farewell addresses.
The Last Scene on Moab. There were far too many of the Israelites to
hear his voice and he probably gathered together the princes and
elders who listened to him from day to day, each of whom went home and
repeated to his own people what he had heard from their inspired
leader. In these addresses Moses recounted their wanderings and
Jehovah's goodness to them. He reminded them of all that God had
commanded them in his law and gave such new instructions and
interpretations as would be needed in the new conditions that they
would meet on coming into the Promised Land. He painted in frightful
colors the fearful doom that would befall the disobedient and
eloquently described the blessing of loyalty to God. After being
called of God to depart into the mountains and die, he pronounced in
one of the most beautiful passages in all the scripture, his farewell
blessing upon each of the tribes.
And how solemn must have been the occasion. They are listening for the
last time to his voice. With what veneration they must have gazed on
him. He it was that Jochebed with loving hands had laid in the
bulrushes when 120 years ago Pharaoh had persecuted them. He was the
man that had so nobly chosen to suffer affliction with the people of
God instead of the attractions of Egypt. His eyes under the shadow of
Horeb had looked on the burning bush. His hand had stretched out over
Egypt and overwhelmed it with the plagues. His was the face that had
reflected the divine glory of the mount after forty days of fellowship
with Jehovah, during which he received the substance of the law. That
was the faithful and tried man that had often been wrongly accused,
that had meekly borne so many trials, that had guided the people so
faithfully, and advised them so wisely, and had refused honors himself
because he loved them so well. How they must have hung on those last
words! And the echo of his last words had hardly died away until his
spirit had been called away and unseen hands had laid his dust in an
unknown tomb.
The Significance of the Work of Moses. Humanly speaking, he explains
the great difference between the Hebrews and the people kindred to
them. He accounts for their development from a company of disheartened
slaves, and from the careless habits of wandering tribes into a
conquering nation, made irresistible by its belief in the guidance of
Jehovah. Humanly speaking, he was the creator of Israel. (1) He was a
_leader_ and as such heartened and disciplined them. (2) He was a
_prophet_ and as such taught them ideals of social justice, purity and
honor. (3) He was a _lawgiver_ and as such furnished them with civil,
sanitary, social and religious laws that channeled them into a sober,
healthy, moral, and right-minded people. (4) He was the _founder of a
religion_ and as such led them into a real loyalty to Jehovah as their
God and gave them such a conception of the divine character and
requirements as to stimulate in them a growth in goodness.
Lessons of the Period. The student will readily collect for himself
lessons that have been brought to his attention. The following,
however, should not fail of consideration: (1) God's law is
inflexible. It is of universal operation and can not be evaded or
revoked. Even the best men must suffer if they violate it as was the
case of Moses. (2) To rebel against God's appointed leaders and to
speak disrespectfully of them will subject one to the outpouring of
divine wrath. (3) God never forgets his covenants as seen In the case
of his refusal to give to Israel the land of Edom and of Ammon. (4)
That God decides the fate of armies in battle and is therefore the God
of nations as well as individuals. (5) Early hardships often fit us
for a more glorious destiny later.
For Study and Discussion. (1) The rebellion of Korah. (2) The story of
Balak and Balaam and the present day truth which it suggests or the
problems of today to which it is applicable. (3) The story of the
budding of Aaron's rod. (4) The sin of Moses because of which he was
not allowed to enter Canaan. Find every reference to it. (5) The
different victories of Israel recorded in the period. (6) The fiery
serpents and serpent of brass. (7) The cities of refuge, their names,
location, purpose and the lessons for today to be drawn from their
use. (8) The principal events of Israel's past history mentioned in
Dt. chs. 1-4, and find where in previous books each is recorded. (9)
From Dt. chs. 27-28 list the curses and blessings, showing the sin and
its penalty and the blessing and that for which it is promised. (10)
The farewell blessing of Moses on the tribes (Dt. ch. 33). List the
promises to each. (11) The death of Moses (Dt. chs. 32 and 34). (12)
The incidents of the period that have in them a miraculous element.
(13) Other prominent leaders besides Moses, Aaron and Joshua. (14) The
nations mentioned with whom the Hebrews had contact. (15) The
geography of the places and nations noticed in this period.