Traveling life's journeys (a look at Numbers 30-36)

[Ben Abraham]

Bible Study: “Matot v’ Masei” (Tribes and Journeys of) Numbers 30:1-32:42, 33:1-36:13


We are nearing the end of our study in the Book of Numbers. So I would like you to read over the selected chapters: 30-36. You might do it now or afterwards, but I would like to place importance on certain themes, not that the other themes of this study are not important, but certain themes are more applicable to our daily lives. Chapter 30 deals with making vows;

We need to be careful when making “vows.” God takes vows seriously. A vow is like a promise. Many times people make promises and mention God's name, or they just say: "I swear to God that I'll...." Numbers 30 tells us that vows and promises should be fulfilled. Yet how do we know that we will be alive to fulfill those future promises?- We don't! We might promise or vow or swear something today, and tomorrow we might be on the other side of eternity. Did we honor God, or dishonor his name by promising and not fulfilling? Yeshua said in Matthew 5:33 that we should NOT vow vows or promises, and not to use God's name nor other names, only that our YES be YES, or NO be NO.

We could say "Yes, if God permits and I am able to" or "No, I really can't now, but maybe at another time." It gets us off the hook and we are not bound by promises. However, some vows are made that should be kept, and those are "Marriage vows," and we can "vow" to care for our children the best we are able. We can vow to do our best in ministry, at work, in our careers. This is something that we should follow during our "life's journeys"

Chapter 31 deals with taking vengeance on Midian. They were involved with Moab in enticing the men of Israel to sin against God through idolatry and sexual sin. They planted the seed of temptation and idolatry; they reaped death and destruction. Moab and Midian were close neighbors and were pagan people, yet both were related to Abraham. The armies of Israel were sent out, and they were destroyed, and the spoils of war were brought back to the Israelite camp; (cattle, gold, silver, prisoners, etc)

All believers are at war today. Yes indeed, the war is constant against Satan and his demons and not against "flesh and blood"

( For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.) Ephesians 6:12)

The war has been won. It was won on Calvary's Cross, yet the battles still ensue. Satan causes families to rise up against family members, temptations of the flesh, etc...Yet there are rewards for all of us soldiers in this fight. We will reap the rewards in Heaven. We can fight against Satan with our spiritual gifts to further the Kingdom of God on Earth. Rewards are ??? for our "gold, silver, and precious gems." We just have to continue to fight and finish the race and get to the "other side".

Chapter 32 deals with the settlement of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh in Gilead, on the east side of the Jordan River. Was it a bad thing that they settled on that side? Moshe stated that if they built shelters for their children, wives, and cattle first and then joined the other tribes to conquer the land of Canaan, then, after the wars and conquest, they could go back to their families. Even though they were divided by the River Jordan, they were still united by faith as "Am Echad" (One People, One Nation). The same is true with believers today; we may be separated by rivers, lakes, oceans, and continents, yet churches and congregations all over the world are united in faith by ONE Savior, Yeshua our Messiah. Fortunately, we can get together and minister through radio, TV, and the Internet, which was impossible before these modern times.

The Book of Numbers describes the "Journeys of the Tribes" " Masei” or “journeys” or “stages” in some translations, describes the encampments of the Israelites starting in “Mitzraim” (Egypt), which comes from the root word “Mtzr” or “m’tzar” meaning “restricted” and ending at last in the promised land, giving the division of “Eretz C’anaan” (Land of Canaan) between the different Tribes of Israel. Numbers 33:1,2 reads;

“These were the wanderings of the Children of Israel who went out of the land of Egypt under the leadership of Moshe and Aaron. Moshe recorded their DEPARTURES, stage by stage as directed by YHVH; and these are the stages of their DEPARTURES.

We see in these 2 verses that the word “departures” is mentioned twice, once at the beginning of the verse, and then at the end. One way we can look at this is that we can either look back to where we came from, or we can look forward to where we are going, or both! We can say “we departed from… or we can say; “We departed towards…”

It is important to remember where we come from, how we were raised, perhaps even our shortcomings, our mistakes, yet NOT to DWELL ON THEM! But concentrate on what the LORD has ahead for us, our goals, family goals, work goals, and ministry goals. Don’t let our lives in Egypt depress us; look forward to our land of Canaan. In other words, let's not dwell on our negative past; let's look forward to what God has in store for us in the present and in the future. To understand where we are going, we need to look back from whence we came, and learn from the past. We are all on both physical and spiritual journeys.

They started “restricted” to a place called “Egypt,” and that is what “Mitzraim” means from the root word (M tzr). “Mitzraim” sounds more plural, so it could also mean “restrictions”. What was restricted? Their FREEDOM! They were surrounded by pagan idolatry; they couldn’t leave! Because they were slaves to Pharaoh. It took the power of Adonai-Elohim, the great I AM-YHVH, to get them out using his chosen servant Moshe.

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[Ben Abraham]

They left on the 15th of Nisan, the morning after Passover. The Word says they left with a “high hand” in some translations, “Boldness” with all “confidence,” “fearless” with “valor”. Interestingly, the word “Masei,” written using ancient Hebrew letters, could illustrate: “water, leaning on a short staff, an eye, and a hand connected to the arm.” The Paleo Hebrew alphabet was very illustrative, just like the ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs

So, what could this word symbolize? What do “journeys” mean? Well, here is one idea: the “multitudes march forward, leaning on the staff in sight of the hand!” huh? OK, sooo what does THAT mean? Look at it this way: Moshe led the way; he walked with a staff, as was the custom of all leaders back then. The people kept Moshe in sight, and as he leaned on his staff, they followed. The “hand” leans on the “staff,” but who gave Moshe the staff? It was YHVH!

As they journeyed, they kept YHVH in sight! The staff also symbolizes leadership; we lean on HIS leadership, and we have the “hand” in our sight, the “hands” that were pierced with the nails on Calvary. “Journeys” are not only physical, but also spiritual!

The Israelites left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea; now, they left “restrictions” behind. The sacrificed lambs of Passover symbolized Yeshua, the sacrificial lamb, who conquered the curse of sin and death, of HaSatan. Now they are on their way to a new life, just as we begin a new journey starting from the cross of Calvary. The Israelites experienced “bitter waters” at Marah, yet they experienced an oasis at Elim. We experience both bitter times and times of “refreshing cool waters”. Good times and bad times are part of our wanderings, or “life’s journeys”

They encamped at Mt Sinai to receive the Torah, to become officially united as a nation. “Am Echad b’Elohim” (One united People of God). We receive Yeshua as our Messiah and LORD, and we receive his WORD, his Torah, to guide us through the “wilderness of life”.

Then comes a list of all the places where they stopped, camped, and continued when the Glory Cloud lifted. All these stopping places took place during a period of 40 years. The number “40” symbolizes “testing.” The LORD was “trying, testing” his people. Each place they stopped at, they learned new things; they experienced the sacrificial offerings once the Mishkan (tabernacle) was fully erected. Yes, they complained, and Adonai chastised, yet forgave his children. He was with them all through the 40 years of journeys, and He brought them into the promised land through their new leader “Yehoshua,” who took Moshe’s place.

Our journeys through life will take us to many “stops” and “settlements”; one might consider a “new job” a kind of “Stopping to settle down for a while,” just like moving from “house to house” or “apartment to apartment” or “mobile home to mobile home”. Another “journey” in life is the “marriage journey”; then there are the “childhood, adolescence, teenage, young adult, middle age, and Senior” journeys. In each journey we learn and experience different things, “bitter waters” as well as “refreshing new waters,” all the time being led by “the LIVING WATER!

There will be enemies to fight, the worst kind being “spiritual enemies from the Kingdom of Darkness” who will put traps in our way, stumbling blocks, bad attitudes, issues, carnality, etc. But all these are part of the journeys in life. Aaron’s journey lasted 123 years. Methuselah’s journey lasted 969 years, while Abel’s journey was very short; maybe his journey ended when he was a teen. Enoch’s journey lasted 300 years.

We know not how long our journey will last; it is in God’s hands. What is important is that we learn from our experiences during our “stops” along the way, especially the “education stops.” Education is a lifelong aspect of our earthly sojourn; it should continue all of our days. We have our secular education and our Torah education. Sometimes there are conflicts between them, and we must adjust our ways to the TORAH ways, not the other way around.

The last stop is the “Canaan” stop, “death” is our trip across the Jordan River that will bring us to the River of Life in the World to Come, In the New Jerusalem, we will receive our share of our inheritance, issued out to us by Our LORD and Messiah, Yeshua HaMashiach, (Jesus the Christ) Then, in the New Jerusalem, begins our “new journey” which will never end.

How can we imagine a journey without end? We really can’t, not with finite minds. “Time” as we know it will be meaningless. Perhaps 100 years on earth will be like 10 seconds in heaven. As Elohim says, “One day is likened unto a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day.”

As we physically journey from place to place, remember that we are also “journeying” spiritually, being guided (hopefully) by God’s WORD, through His Holy Spirit. May you prosper in your journeys through life.



"Let's get going and walk our journeys"
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