The Israelites' Removal from Sinai to Paran, Part 2

This continues a chronological Bible study.  Because Blogger limits the number of labels per post, this post is actually in two parts.  See the first part here:

The Israelites' Removal from Sinai to Paran, Part 1

(Numbers 10:22) And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies; and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.

In part one of this post the tribes of the Israelites were moving out from their camps in an order that had been predetermined.  The Israelites under the standard of Judah (Judah, Issachar, Zebulun) moved first; then went the Gershonites and Merarites carrying the tabernacle; then the tribes under the standard of Reuben (Reuben, Simeon, Gad) moved forward; and then went the Kohathites carrying the most holy parts of the tabernacle, those things belonging to the sanctuary.

Now we see that the next to move were the tribes under the standard of Ephraim.  According to Numbers 2, they camped on the west side, and included the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin.  The captain of the host of Ephraim was Elishama, the son of Ammihud.

(23) And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

The captain of the host of the tribe of Manasseh, which was under the standard of Ephraim, was Gamaliel, the son of Pedazur.

(24) And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.

The captain over the host of the tribe of Benjamin, that also moved under the standard of Ephraim, was Abidan, the son of Gideoni.

(25) And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, the rearward of all the camps throughout their hosts; and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

Finally the standard of Dan moved forward, bringing up the rear of all the camps.  The captain of the host of the tribe of Dan was Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai.  According to Numbers 2:25 they camped on the north side of the tabernacle.  Included under the standard of Dan were the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali.

(26) And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.

The captain over the host of the tribe of Asher, which was under the standard of Dan, was Pagiel, the son of Ocran.

(27) And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.

The captain of the host of the tribe of Naphtali, also under the standard of Dan, was Ahira, the son of Enan.

(28) Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward.

Thus was the order in which the children of Israel journeyed forward, by their armies.

(29) And Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses's father-in-law, "We are journeying to the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the LORD has spoken good concerning Israel."

Reuel or Jethro (in some scriptures) was Moses's father-in-law, Zipporah's father; therefore Hobab would be Zipporah's brother.  Back in Exodus 18:27 Moses had left his father-in-law to go to his own land, but apparently, his brother-in-law had stayed with the Israelites.  Now that they were moving on to the place the Lord was giving to them, Moses asked Hobab to join them, promising to treat him well because the Lord had promised blessings on Israel and they would share those with him.

(30) And he said to him, “I will not go, but I will depart to my own land and to my kindred."

Hobab refused, saying he would return to his own land and to his family. 

(31) And he said, "Leave us not, I pray thee, forasmuch as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you may be our eyes."

Moses asked Hobab not to leave them, this time suggesting that he could help them.  Obviously, the Lord was their guide in the cloud, but I suppose Hobab could have been useful in their daily excursions from their camps.  He, being more familiar with the area, could point them to watering places, pastures, or point out dangerous places, etc.  This may have been just Moses's attempt to show Hobab that they sincerely would like him to stay with them.

(32) “And it shall be, if you go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the LORD shall do to us, the same will we do to you.”

Moses continued with his plea to Hobab, repeating that indeed if Hobab went with them, whatever goodness the Lord blessed them with, they would in turn bless Hobab.

(33) And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them.

Although it doesn't specifically say so, I think we can assume that Hobab remained with the Israelites, because later scriptures show that his posterity dwelt among the Israelites in Canaan.  The Israelites departed from Mount Sinai, and traveled three days with the pillar of cloud over the Ark of the Covenant leading them, seeking out the next place for them to rest or camp.

(34) And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.

The cloud did not just stay as a pillar at the head, but it spread itself in journeying over the whole body of people and was a covering to them from the heat of the sun, as well as a guide to them.  The psalmist spoke of this in Psalm 105:39:  "He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night."

(35) And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, “Rise up, O LORD, and let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.”

When the ark set forward, Moses asked the Lord to rise up and scatter their enemies and those who hated Him, so that they might safely travel through the wilderness.  That's a prayer we would all do well to remember; God must come first and we want to follow Him and be dependent upon Him for our successes.

(36) And when it rested, he said, “Return, O LORD, to the many thousands of Israel."

Moses also prayed when the ark rested.  Having asked the Lord to rise up and scatter their enemies as they journeyed, he now asked Him to return to them and take up His abode with them.  Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, likened this to the church of God, which has many thousands, hundreds of thousands, yet their safety is not in their numbers, but in the continual presence of God.  Our welfare and happiness, like with the Israelites, depends upon His grace and mercy and guidance.