THE JOURNEY FROM HOREB TO KADESH vv5-18 (PART I)
THE JOURNEY FROM HOREB TO KADESH vv5-18 (PART I)
The Word declare is the Hebrew word ba-er meaning, ―to expound‖ It
means that He made the Word of God clear to the Israelites.
This word occurs here and in 27:8 where it is translated as ―very plainly‖ –
“And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very
plainly.”
“And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make
it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.”
The verb basically in Hebrew means to dig. The word for well in Hebrew
is beer.
They speak of two covenants, one at Horeb, and one in Moab; and the
latter, so far from being a mere repetition of the former, is as distinct from
1
Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
it as any two things can be. Of this we shall have the fullest and clearest
evidence in our study of the profound book which now lies open before
us. CHM
In fact in Deuteronomy the words ‖the Lord our God― occur almost 50
times. Yahweh is the sovereign Leader of Israel’s history. 2
"The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long
enough in this mount."
This is very beautiful. it reminds us somewhat of the lovely simplicity of
patriarchal times, when the Lord spake unto the fathers as a man speaketh
to his friend. It was not by the sound of a trumpet, or by the movement of
a cloud that the Lord communicated His mind to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. He was so very near to them that there was no need, no room for
an agency characterised by ceremony and distance. He visited them, sat
with them, partook of their hospitality, in all the intimacy of personal
friendship. CHM
2 Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
official capacity, come rarely before us; and, if they are referred to, it is
very much more in a moral than in a ceremonial way. Of this we shall have
ample proof as we pass along; it is a marked feature of this beautiful book.
CHM
Horeb was the name of the mountain range of which Sinai is a part.
The law cannot be any permanent resting place, for it points onward to
something far better, as the Book of Hebrews shows (Heb.6:1-2; 10:1-10).
(L M Grant)
“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the
very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they
offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.”
(Hebrews 10:1)
The boundaries (v. 7; cf. 11:24; Ex. 23:31) go beyond the territory that
Israel ever actually possessed. Though David’s and Solomon’s empires
extended to the Euphrates River (cf. 2 Sam. 8:3; 1 Kings 4:21), many of
the peoples in that territory were subjects only by paying tribute; they were
not conquered by Israelites so the land was not fully possessed by them.
The western foothills in Canaan were toward the Mediterranean Sea next
to the seacoast. The Negev was the extensive desert area west and
southwest of the Dead Sea. 3.
3 Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985
DIVINE GUIDANCE
Thus it was with Israel, in their desert wanderings, and thus it is with us. It
is our most precious privilege to leave all our matters in the hands, not
merely of a covenant God, but of a loving Father. He arranges our
movements for us; He fixes the bounds of our habitation; He tells us how
long to stay in a place, and where to go next. He has charged Himself with
all our concerns, all our movements, all our wants. His gracious word to us
is, "Be careful far nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." And what
then? "The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." CHM
“Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of
Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in
Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into
Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by
Mysia came down to Troas.” (Acts 16:6-8)
All these have to harmonise otherwise it cannot be the will of the Lord for
He never contradicts His Word.
It is true that we will not find a text of Scripture for every decision we
must make but the Bible does promise God’s guidance if we please Him.
“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach
his way.” (Psalm 25:9)
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he
delighteth in his way.” (Psalm 37:23)
Walter Knight told of an old Scottish woman who went from home to
home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings.
When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the
air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed.
One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. "Why
do you toss the stick more than once?" someone asked. "Because," replied
the woman, "it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on
the right." She then dutifully kept throwing the stick into the air until it
pointed the way she wanted to go!
From the life of Jehoshaphat we can see an example of making up one’s
mind to do something and then asking what God’s will us.
“And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt
thou go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I am as
thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in
the war. And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I
pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.” (2 Chronicles 18:3-4)
It was a near fatal decision which might have cost him his life on the
battlefield.
We see the same behaviour with the Jews in Jeremiah 42. They had already
made up their minds to go down to Egypt and wanted Jeremiah to tell
them the will of the Lord. When they found out God was forbidding them
for their own good they called Jeremiah a liar.
They even promised to do what God says even if it is evil in their eyes.
Some think that Jethro’s counsel was divinely given, that it urged a
sensible delegation of authority to others. Others remind us, however, that
God never assigns tasks without giving grace for them. Up to this time
God had been speaking to Moses as a man speaks with a friend, and had
not been using a go-between. Therefore Moses should have carried on
until God Himself made other arrangements.5
4 Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
5 William MacDonald
9 ¶ And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not
able to bear you myself alone:
We are so glad that the One of whom Moses is a type never says such
words but rather we hear the Lord Jesus say:
“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he
shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we
are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of
grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)
A new road was being built. Trees had to be torn down to make way.
The superintendent on the job noted that one tree had a nest of birds that
couldn't yet fly, so ordered that tree be left standing for the present, and
then be cut down late at the end of the tree-cutting operation.
A few weeks later the superintendent came back to the tree. The birds
were gone. The tree was felled. The nest fell out, and several pieces of
materials which the birds had used to build the nest were scattered in a
heap. One such piece fluttered near the feet of the superintendent. He
picked it up. It was a piece of paper that had been torn from a Sunday
school paper.
On it were these words: HE CARETH FOR YOU.
“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not
fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your
head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value
than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)
With the love of Christ in our heart we are to bear one another’s burdens
as believers.
“That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members
should have the same care one for another.” (1 Corinthians 12:25)
“Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me
daily, the care of all the churches.” (2 Corinthians 11:28)
In the Church too elder brethren can decide many things, but if anything
is too hard, these must be brought to the Lord in humble, dependent
prayer. (L M Grant)
10 ¶ The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and,
behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.
“If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them
to judge who are least esteemed in the church.” (1 Corinthians 6:4)
R.V.Revised Version
difficulty among believers. The apostle is not speaking of any believers as
―least esteemed,‖ as in the a.v. The reference to ―a wise man‖ in the next
verse makes this clear. He is not making a command, he is asking a
question by way of remonstrance.6
“And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads
over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of
fifties, and rulers of tens.” (Exodus 18:25)
As with the sending out of the spies we see that further information is
given in Deuteronomy that is not mentioned in Exodus. Here we are told
that Moses asked them to select the judges and v. 15 tells us Moses set
them in authority to judge.
“Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with
thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform
it thyself alone. Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee
counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-
ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God.” (Exodus 18:18-
19)
A.V.AuthorizedVersion
6
Vine, W. (1997, c1996). Collected writings of W.E. Vine. Nashville:
Thomas Nelson.
Jethro’s advice is summed up in v. 22, “so shall it be easier for thyself”
When God gave a work to Moses to do, He also gave him the grace and
strength to do it. Jethro’s advice though well meaning did not have any
sanction from God. God was not consulted about the matter.
Only when Moses did complain to the Lord later, the Lord told him to
appoint leaders.
“I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy
for me…And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy
men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of
the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the
tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the
spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall
bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself
alone.” (Numbers 11:14, 16-17)
We must not forget that all these men whom Moses and the people chose
perished in the wilderness because of unbelief.
As in the case of the people later wanting a king, though it was not the will
of the Lord, He never the less overruled it in that He chose Saul for them,
who was the kind of man they wanted and later He chose David to be
king who was after His own heart.
We have no allusion, here, to the fact recorded in Exodus 18, namely, that
the appointment of those rulers was at the suggestion of Jethro, Moses'
father-in-law Neither have we any reference to the scene in Numbers 11.
We call the reader's attention to this as one of the many proofs which lie
scattered along the pages of Deuteronomy, that it is very far indeed from
being a mere repetition of the preceding sections of the Pentateuch. CHM
14 ¶ And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou
hast spoken is good for us to do.