The cloud over the tabernacle moved, the priests blew the trumpets, the priests and Levites dismantled the tabernacle, and the people prepared to march. They had been comfortable while at Sinai, living in the same place for nearly a year and not having to face the rigors of a daily march. God’s great victory over Egypt was fresh in their minds, and each morning when they gathered the manna, they were reminded of God’s gracious provision for their every need.
But their inheritance wasn’t Mount Sinai; it was the Promised Land, “the land of milk and honey” that God had promised His people. It was time for them to move. The more comfortable we become, the less we welcome change, and yet there’s no growth without challenge and there’s no challenge without change. Comfort usually leads to complacency, and complacency is the enemy of character and spiritual growth. In each new experience of life, one of two things happens: either we trust God and He brings out the best in us, or we disobey God and Satan brings out the worst in us.
Marching in order (vv. 11–28). The tribes already had their leaders (Num. 1) and knew the marching order (Num. 2), so all that the priests had to do was sound the trumpets and signal when each tribe should move out and join the procession. The ark of the covenant led the way, carried by the Levites and following the pillar of cloud (10:33–36; Neh. 9:12; Ps. 78:14). The ark was the throne of God (80:1; 99: niv), and the Lord was sovereign over His people. He led the way. “You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (77: nkjv).
Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun were at the head of the march, followed by the Gershonites and Merarites carrying the tabernacle proper. Next were Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, followed by the Kohathites bearing the tabernacle furniture at the heart of the procession. It was the safest place for those valuable furnishings. The tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin came next, and then Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. The “mixed multitude” that did not belong to any tribe brought up the rear (Num. 11:4; Ex. 12:38).
Where each tribe marched in the procession wasn’t an option; it was an obligation, an order from Almighty God. If the tribe of Dan or Asher grew tired of being at the end of the march and asked to take the lead, Moses would have refused their request, for the will of God in this matter wasn’t negotiable. The people of Israel weren’t on a pleasure trip, looking at the scenery. They were an army invading enemy territory and commanded by the Lord of Hosts. Each tribe was a division in the Lord’s army (Num. 28; “divisions,” niv), and each division had to be in its proper place.
Inviting others to come (vv. 29–32). Hobab was Moses’ brother-in-law, the son of Raguel, who was also know as Reuel and Jethro (Ex. 2:15—3:1). It’s likely that Jethro was now dead and Hobab was head of the family. Moses wanted his in-laws to travel with Israel and enjoy the blessings God had promised His people, but Hobab declined the offer. He preferred to stay in his own land with his own people. Why should he sacrifice comfort and security for an unknown future?
But Moses knew that Jehovah was with Israel and that the future lay with those who trusted Him and obeyed His laws. Perhaps that’s why Moses added a special challenge to his invitation: because of Hobab’s knowledge of the terrain, he could assist Israel in its wilderness journey. Hobab must have agreed to the proposal, because years later we find his descendants living with the Israelites (Judg. 1:16; 4:11). Certainly they were better off being a part of the people of God.
Bible students disagree over whether Moses was right or wrong when he asked Hobab to be Israel’s “eyes” as they traveled in the wilderness. After all, wasn’t the nation being led by the pillar of cloud and the ark of the Lord? And didn’t God speak to Moses personally and reveal His will to him? Then why draft a human guide when they had so much help from heaven?
But divine providence doesn’t minimize or destroy human ability or responsibility. Israel didn’t need Hobab to tell them where to march or where to camp; God would do that. But Hobab’s knowledge of the land would assist them in making other decisions as they moved from place to place. Charles Spurgeon said: “We ought to learn from this, I think, that while we ever seek the guidance of God in providence, yet we may frequently find direction and guidance in the use of our own common sense, our own discretion with which the Lord has endowed us.” We don’t “lean on” our own understanding (Prov. 3:5–6), but neither do we ignore it. God wants us to act intelligently as well as believingly, and the spiritually minded Christian knows how to use both heart and mind in discerning God’s will (Rom. 12:2).
But let’s not miss the main thrust of what Moses did: He invited others to come with Israel to enjoy the blessings God had prepared for them. The church today is a pilgrim people in this world (1 Peter 1:1; 2:11), traveling toward heaven, and it’s our privilege to invite others to come along with us. The journey isn’t easy, but God is blessing His people now and will bless them forever. How many have we invited lately?
Glorifying the Lord (vv. 33–36). The suggestion here is that Moses and Aaron marched ahead of the tribes, just behind the ark. Each time the pillar of cloud signaled a move and the tribes were assembled, Moses prayed to God for guidance and victory, and when the nation stopped to camp, he prayed that God’s presence would again rest with His people at the tabernacle. The ark would be put into the Holy of Holies and the pillar of fire would rest over the tent.
No matter how many times the Israelites started and stopped in their journey, Moses repeated these prayers. He wanted the people to know that God, not Moses, was in charge of the nation, and that Israel was an army that depended on the Lord for victory. Like the invocation and benediction at a church worship service, these prayers became familiar to the Jews, but these brief prayers were essential to Israel’s well-being as a nation. Moses put God first in the life of the people, and had the Jews paid attention to this, they would have avoided the sins that later brought them so much sorrow.