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CHAPTER 17: Departure From Sinai - March Into The Wilderness Of
Paran - At Taberah And Kibroth-HattaavahNumbers 10:29-11
AT length, on the twentieth day of the second month, the signal for departure from
Sinai was given.The cloud which had rested upon the Tabernacle moved; the silver
trumpets of the priestssummoned "the camps" of Israel to their march, and as the Ark
itself set forward, Moses, in joyousconfidence of faith, spake those words of mingled
prayer and praise which, as they marked theprogress of Israel towards the Land of
Promise, have ever been the signal in every forwardmovement of the Church:
Arise, O Jehovah, let Thine enemies be scattered: Let them
also that hate Thee flee before Thee.
The general destination of Israel was, in the first place, "the wilderness of Paran," a
name known longbefore. (Genesis 14:6; 21:21) This tract may be described as
occupying the whole northern part ofthe Sinaitic peninsula, between the so-called
Arabah on the east, and the wilderness of Shur in thewest, (Genesis 16:7; Exodus
15:22) which separates Philistia from Egypt.
Here Israel was, so to speak, hedged in by the descendants of Esau - on the one side
by theEdomites, whose country lay east of the Arabah, and on the other by the
Amalekites, while rightbefore them were the Amorites. The whole district still bears
the name Badiet et Tih, "the desert ofthe wanderings." Its southern portion seems, as it
were, driven in wedgeways into the Sinaiticpeninsula proper, from which it is
separated by a belt of sand. Ascending from the so-called Tot,which had been the
scene of the first year of Israel's pilgrimage and of the Sinaitic legislation, the
Tihmight be entered by one of several passes through the mountains which form its
southern boundary.The Et Tih itself "is a limestone plateau of irregular surface." It
may generally be described as "openplains of sand and gravel... broken by a few
valleys," and is at present "nearly waterless, with theexception of a few springs,
situated in the larger wadies," which, however, yield rather an admixtureof sand and
water than water... "The ground is for the most part hard and unyielding, and is
coveredin many places with a carpet of small flints, which are so worn and polished...
as to resemble piecesof black glass." In spring, however, there is a scanty herbage
even here, while in the larger wadiesthere is always sufficient for camels, and even "a
few patches of ground available for cultivation."Such was "that great and terrible
wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, anddrought, where there was
no water," (Deuteronomy 8:15) through which Jehovah their God safelyled Israel!
A still earlier retrospect on the part of Moses brings the events about to be described
most vividlybefore us. Addressing Israel, he reminds them: (Deuteronomy 1:19)
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