The harsh truth is that most Jews find it easier and more comfortable to live under foreign rule than to have to build their own self-governing society and nation. He is a prophet, soothsayer and “holy” man, possessed of great charisma and intelligence. Both Balak and Balaam are recurring characters in the Jewish story throughout the ages and present in our current world. Another major incident in the desert was the attempt of a Moabite king Balak to hire a non-Jewish prophet, Balaam, to curse the Jewish people (Numbers 22-24). Food, water and shelter were all lacking. Be encouraged and … They did not like the wilderness. Even when God performed miracles to take care of those needs their mood of foreboding and pessimism was not easily dispelled. ‍The Reubenite Line – The infamous pair of Reubenites, Dothan and Abiram, who rebelled against Moses’ authority during the wilderness wanderings, were the grandsons of Palu (Num 26:8–9), who in turn is mentioned in Gen 46:9 as one of the 70 migrants to Egypt. They remained camped in this area for two years. This was the Jewish heartland for centuries. EXODUS 16:2-3- 2. To many of those Israelites who came out of Egypt, the promise of deliverance had proven false. The laws of geometry teach us that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. 1. Forty Years in the Wilderness The Israelites lived at Mount Sinai for a year. The Israelites traveled on. Nevertheless, at the end his thoughts turn toward the future, to the greatness of the eternal people, its resilience and stubbornness and its tenacity. The true reason for that is because Korah wished to convert Judaism to a man-made “democratic” faith, not its original and true source as a faith revealed to humans from on high, a faith and life system ordained in Heaven and revealed to humans. But he would not let them go into the promised land. After the ancient Israelites left Egypt and came out of slavery, God commanded Moses to have them set up their Wilderness Camp in a specific way. But some of the spies were afraid of the people of Canaan. However, it is Balaam who carries the key to the ultimate resolution of the situation. God was teaching Israel to rely on him. When Moses was 120 years old, God told him to go to a mountain. Then God took Moses. However, its lessons were absorbed and translated into Jewish individual and public life, and thus have proven to be of eternal value. But behind that veneer of sincerity and good intentions lays the real villain of the story – the greedy, frustrated, amoral Jew-hater. God’s provisions included all the necessary sustenance (both food and water) Israel would need during their 40 year sojourn through the wilderness. The exultation of Israel at seeing its hated oppressors destroyed at its feet knew no bounds. Moses’ final words to the Jewish people are words of love and blessing. Whereas Balak seems to be safely ignored by heaven, not so Balaam. They did not have faith in God. There is no mention that the “evening meal of meat” (quail) mentioned in Exodus 16:12 ever stopped. They told Moses they wanted water. They came to some water. In their long exile there is almost no place in the world they have not visited, settled and eventually moved from. God (Yahweh)—the creator of heaven and earth, who chose Israel as his special nation and dwells in their midst.Moses—the prophet and human leader of the nation of Israel. In the end, God turns Balaam’s curses into blessings. Its wildest dreams of success and achievement had been fulfilled and realized. It is full of character sketches and descriptions of people who by their actions changed the course of Jewish history, not only in the desert of Sinai but for all times as well. 38 years and 17 campsites later, they returned to Kadesh. The Israelites followed Moses. The spies came back. Numbers 11-21 contains seven narratives about Israel’s rebellion as they journey through the wilderness. The Torah is not intended as a history book. The Israelites experienced this wilderness as they journeyed from their bondage in Egypt to the promised land. Its narrative is never restricted to dry facts alone, but comes to reveal the human factors and the psychological/spiritual import of events. Its wildest dreams of success and achievement had been fulfilled and realized. Korah — a leader of the tribe of Levi, one of the bearers of the Holy Ark, the wealthiest man in Israel, and a close relative of Moses and Aaron — aroused others to mutiny and appoint him leader. Though we don’t know how he made it through those years, there is no doubt that God had always led and helped him. Their lack of belief in God’s word and promises brought forth the wrath of God. They wanted some meat. He taught them the commandments of God. That honor and opportunity would be given to the next generation. It is the children of the generation that left Egypt who will take on the task of nation-building. The exile mentality of the Jewish people, formed already in Egyptian bondage over three millennia ago, remains part of Jewish DNA even today. The failings of Israel in the wilderness were caused by their misconception of what they would find in the desert. With his defeat and elimination, the situation can return to a manageable normalcy. The scene: Israel has a working tabernacle, the tribes are organized and prepared to leave Mt. The Second Complaint: no food! Exodus 16:2-3 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The future is still within our grasp to improve and succeed. Copyright © JewishHistory.com & The Destiny Foundation. Suddenly, everything collapses. … And Moses was powerless to tell the people to reject the negative report. In Exodus 15:25, God gave the Israelites clean water to drink. To the Israelites who were in their teens, they didn’t reach the Promised Land until they had turned 50 or 60 years old. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 3. THE DAILY NEEDS OF ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS. Then the first month (Nisan – Mar-Apr) of their 41st year is when they e ntered the Promised Land (Joshua 4:19.) Instead they returned with a report about the land and its inhabitants whose negative parts overwhelmed the positive statements they uttered (Numbers 13:27-29). Nearly 3,500 years ago, the Lord delivered His people from Egyptian bondage as described in Exodus, chapters 1–12. However, almost immediately, the people of Israel, faced with the problems of the real world, turned sullen and rebellious. This means they didn’t lack food. There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!” 6 So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died. It was the understanding and true meaning of Judaism. The paradigm of Jewish history in exile is that Jews arrive at a new destination, settle, help develop that country, begin to feel at home and attempt to assimilate into the majority culture and society. If only the Jewish people hadnt skipped that class while enslaved in Egypt, perhaps it wouldnt have taken them 40 years to arrive at the Promised Land. Read 5 Lessons We Can Learn from the Israelites' Wandering Years - Your Daily Bible Verse - July 1 from today's daily devotional. Moses led the people in the wilderness for forty years. The 40-year wilderness wandering by Moses and the Israelites must be one of the biggest miracles in the Bible, yet we take it for granted. They were not happy. When they grumbled that they were starving, it meant they merely didn’t want what the Lord had provided, but wanted something else, perhaps the delicacies and portions they once had in Egypt. They had never been slaves; had never known the taskmaster’s whip. Nehemiah 9:21 points out that when the Israelites wandered for 40 years, they lacked nothing. He undoubtedly had unquestioned trust in their piety and wisdom, and expected them to return with an enthusiastic assessment of the Land of Israel. Additionally, how long did the Israelites travel from Egypt to Canaan? It was the land God had promised the Israelites. Unfortunately, this road trip goes south quickly. The years have tried to explain these differences with various ideas numbers 13:1-16 ) ’! 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