THE PEOPLE'S JOURNEY 1) Journey started from mount Sinai after God spoke to His servant Moses, gave him the laws, ordered him to build the Tabernacle with all its implements and utensils and asked him to sanctify it. God had announced that He was going to lead the people of Israel Himself. Consequently the heavenly cloud lifted above the Tabernacle heading towards the wilderness of Paran, so the priests blew the trumpets, and the procession started to move together in the shape of the cross as we saw before. 2) As Moses was delighted with the divine procession, he invited his father-in-law Hobab son of Reuel (maybe his son, because of the fact that Jethro was too old to travel, so he returned to his homeland Ex. 18:27). Moses calling Hobab to accompany him was a sign of accepting the Gentiles in the church of the New Testament though some look upon this as merely being courteous to his relatives in flesh. A matter that even the prophets, find difficult to denounce. Moses asked him to become their guiding eyes in the wilderness, although God was leading them (10:31). 3) The Ark of covenant proceeded the procession (10 and 33) not in physical position but in remaining among the assembly, nor even in time placement because the sons of Kohath were moving, following the standard of camps of Judah and Reuben. The Ark of Covenant proceeded in a spiritual hidden way, its descending upon them was the secret behind the strength and sanctity of the procession. The procession did not stop for 3 days because it is the procession of leadership in Christ (numeral 3 represents the resurrection). This was made clear from the saying of Moses: "Arise Lord..." (10:35). 4) The Ark of covenant starts moving, number "8" denotes what is beyond time (7 days of the week) to the resurrection of Christ [The first day of the new week (7+1)]. The motion is 8 because the procession starts in this fashion [the standard of camp of Judah (3 tribes)+ the standard of camp of Reuben (3 tribes) + Moses and his companions (1)+ and the sons of Kohath the carriers of the Ark of covenant (the 8th)]. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 19 CHAPTER 11 THE COMPLAINTS OF THE PEOPLE 1) Not a long time had elapsed since the leaders of the people had presented their "Rejoice Offerings" to the Lord on behalf of the congregation as a whole, and on behalf of each tribe, until the people succumbed to their old lusts. The book of Numbers is the wilderness book, it manifests God's endless support for His people and the people's unnecessary continuous revolt due to their spiritual emptiness. The fruit of this revolt resulting only in the burning of the outskirts of the Camp [1-3] in order to reveal their burning agitation that preoccupied their hearts. Moses did not stay idle, he persevered lovingly to intercede to God on their behalf until the fire was extinguished. This site was named "Taberah" meaning "a blaze" in order that they might remember the incident that took place, and never repeat it again. During their exodus, a group of Egyptians accompanied them (Ex. 12:38). Their role was to incite them to lust for meat (11:4-9). This represents our leniency in tolerating alien thoughts and allowing them to possess us and enslave us all-over, as well as the false bretheren among the congregation (Gal. 2:4,5; Jude 4; 4, song of Songs 2:15). The people kept remembering the little fish, snake, cucumber and watermelon that was given to working slaves back in Egypt, and forgot all about the whiplash beatings they undertook, as well as their humiliation and disgrace while working in slavery constructing sun dried bricks. They also disregarded God's gifts to them in the wilderness. "Now our souls have dried up." They despised the bread of the angles in order to eat from the food of the slaves. A painful portrayal of continuous denial, disbelief and revolt. 2) Even Moses the great prophet with all his encompassing love felt inadequate to bear this heavy responsibility at times, and begged for death as a relief, but God did not abandon him. He equipped him with seventy elders to support him [16]. Thus the ecclesiastic discipline is completed by the sharing of responsibility by the people's representative, as if from the beginning, it was God's intention, to assert the people's role in leadership. God being the Guardian, and bestower of His power on Moses, took (a part) and gave it to the elders (11:17). God shed His Light on Moses so that he became a luminous lantern, and from his he ignited the other lamps without allowing him to lose his power. The Spirit of God that was working within Moses, was also moving the representative of the people. 3) God wanted to emphasize that the "gift of Spirit" that was granted to the elders was His own and did not originate from Moses, hence Eldad (whom God loves) and medad (the loved one), unlike the rest of the elders who departed to the Tabernacle, they remained in the Camp and the Spirit of God rested upon them just like the others and they were acquired the gift of prophecy. They enjoyed the gift of Spirit which is the gift of love as it well shows from their names. There are two (The numeral 2 refers to the love that unites two into one), that represent the loving church. 4) He satisfied their craving for meat, not by sacrificing cattle, nor by fish from the sea [21], but by quails. He caused winds to drive those quails towards their camp so that it is declared that not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit said the Lord of Hosts (Zeh. 4:7).
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