Week 14: Numbers 30 – Deuteronomy 1 and Psalms 92 – 98
Well, we made it through Numbers! A gripping title?…Not so much! Full of inspired instruction for our hearts?…Absolutely! In fact, tucked in the end of the book was a chapter that encouraged me profoundly; chapter 33, entitled, “Recounting Israel’s Journey.” It began this way:
“These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by commandment of the Lord, and these are their stages according to their starting places.” Numbers 33:1-2
This chapter is Moses’ travel log, where he laid out the nitty gritty details of their 40-year journey from Egypt to the Plains of Moab. According to Moses’ records, Israel moved 41 times, and perhaps several more times once they were on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Leaving out all of the major details that were recorded in previous chapters, Moses noted a few key features of some of the stops along the way. He mentioned that they went out from Egypt “triumphantly” (v.3). From there, they did some back tracking (v.7), they passed through the sea (v.8), they camped in one spot that had refreshing springs of water and nice palm trees (v.9) and then another spot that had not a drop of water for anyone to drink (v.14).
Israel’s journey was riddled with high points and low points, with the miraculous and the mundane, with triumph and defeat, with great sorrow and great joy. Along the way, babies had been born and life had been blessed, and they had also been stricken with the gut-wrenching pain of death and loss. As a people, they had times of remarkable faith, and others of dire disillusionment. They took steps of joyful obedience and also treaded in outright rebellion and disobedience.
Apparently, Moses had not considered most of the 41 stops along the way worth mentioning up until this point. Perhaps nothing particularly noteworthy had taken place at the majority of their camping spots. From Exodus 12 onward, Moses had developed the major events of Israel’s wilderness story. But, here, in Numbers 33, he recounts each and every stop along the way. He gave the same amount of parchment to the camp sites where God made great displays of power as the ones where they simply…camped. In this bird’s eye view of Israel’s wanderings, each stop was assigned equal value.
While the big highlight moments recorded in the earlier chapter of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers were written down for instruction for all those who would come after the wilderness generation (as stated in 1 Corinthians 10), perhaps the moments in-between were the real meat for the ones actually wandering through the wilderness. We are told of the gross manifestations of Israel’s unbelief and rebellion, when the attitudes of their hearts came bubbling to the surface in outbursts of grumbling and disobedience. But, what of the everyday life at the camp sites? Was that not where God was testing their hearts? Was that not when their hearts were being given over to faith or to fear and doubt?
Moses’ play by play account encouraged me. I saw my own story in its details, as a wandering pilgrim myself. As I look back over my life up to this point, I have moved about as many times as the Israelites did in their 40 years in the wilderness. My story has also had stops along the way that were completely life altering and hugely consequential. Other stops have nearly escaped my memory because they were so brief or uninspiring. Still, others are ones that I have intentionally tried to forget because they are the home of some of my darkest seasons.
From my perspective, the highlight reel moments of my story have been the most consequential. The crossroads of big decisions and displays of God’s mighty intervention have been the ones to most define my present where-abouts. But, I imagine God’s perspective is quite different than my own. Perhaps the in-between, less noteworthy stops along the way have been some of His favorite. I wonder if the space between the highlight reel moments have been the ground for His truest sanctifying work. The countless mundane stops along the way have been the ones where my heart has been tested towards faith or unbelief. I quickly recall the times of blatant manifestation of the condition of my heart, but God recalls every moment. Every part of the journey has equal value in His travel log of my life.
Wherever you find yourself today, whether in a paramount season of life altering decision or a season of simply wondering what on earth to make for your family for dinner tonight…God is logging your travels. He has not missed a detail along the way. Whether seemingly significant or not, He counts it noteworthy. His work of sanctification in us is never ending. His work of fashioning us into the image of Jesus is constant in every moment. It is all precious to Him.
“In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God? How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.” Psalm 139:16-18
Our Heavenly Father is intimately invested in each and every moment of our wanderings through this wilderness of life. Not a single thing goes unnoticed by Him. Every step, every stopping point, every moment of wondering where in the world we are headed, is on purpose. Whether we feel it or not, God is accomplishing His purposes in us. Whether we can see it or not, God is in the midst of fulfilling His promises.
How do we know? Look no further than the cross. Behold Jesus, dying on our behalf, fulfilling God’s promise to redeem every moment of our lives. His death is our assurance that God hold’s nothing back in His rescue mission of our hearts. His resurrection is our assurance that the hope of our promised destination is real.
I believe that we shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; fellow wanderer. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord! (adapted from Psalm 27:13-14)