Second Study.
THE WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS.
I. Let us notice briefly the EVENTS LEADING TO THE WANDERING.
1. The Oppression of the Israelites. (B. C. 1635.) (Exod. 1. 8-13.) This was an important link in the chain of events. If the Israelites had been prosperous and happy in Egypt they would have remained there, and the destiny of the chosen people would have been forgotten. Therefore, when Egypt had given to Israel all that it could, the wrath of man was made to praise God; and by suffering the Israelites were made willing to leave the land of their sojourn and seek the land of promise. The nest was stirred up, and the young eaglet was compelled to fly (Deut. 32. 11, 12).
2. The Training of Moses. (Born B. C. 1571.) There was another element of preparation. No common man could have wrought the great work of liberation, of legislation, and of training which Israel needed. Notice, 1.) Moses was an Israelite in birth, of the consecrated tribe of Levi (Exod. 2. 1, 2). 2.) But he was educated in the palace, and in the highest culture, as a prince in Egypt (Exod. 2. 10). If he had been doomed to a slave's life he could never have accomplished his mission. 3.) At full age Moses made choice of his people, because they were the people of God (Heb. 11. 24-26). 4.) Then came the training of forty years in the desert, giving him knowledge of the land, experience of hardships, and maturity of thought. 5.) Lastly, there was the call of God (Exod. 3. 2), with its revelation of God's name and power, imparting strength for his work.
3. The Ten Plagues. There was a special significance in these plagues, for each was a blow at some form of idol-worship among the Egyptians. They were: 1.) The river turned to blood (Exod. 7. 20, 21). 2.) Frogs (Exod. 8. 6). 3.) Lice (Exod. 8. 17). 4.) Flies, probably including beetles and other winged pests (Exod. 8. 24). 5.) Murrain, or pestilence among domestic animals (Exod. 9. 3, 4). 6.) Boils (Exod. 9. 10). 7.) Hail (Exod. 9. 23). 8.) Locusts (Exod. 10. 14, 15). 9.) Darkness (Exod. 10. 22, 23). 10.) Death of the first-born (Exod. 12. 29).
4. The Passover. (Exod. 12. 21-28.) This service represented three ideas. 1.) It was the spring-tide festival. 2.) It commemorated the sudden departure from Egypt, when there was not even time to "raise the bread" before leaving (Exod. 12. 34-39). 3.) It was an impressive prophecy of Christ, the slain Lamb of God (Exod. 12. 21, 22).
5. The Exodus. (B. C. 1491.) (Exod. 12. 40, 41.) The word means "going out." This was the birthday of a nation, the hour when the Israelites rose from being merely a mass of men to become a people.
II. THE WILDERNESS OF THE WANDERING. Let the student note carefully upon a good map the following locations, and then draw a map containing them:
1. Draw the coast-lines and note three Seas. 1.) The "great sea," or Mediterranean (Josh. 1. 4). 2.) The Red Sea (Exod. 13. 18), (Gulfs of Suez and Akaba). 3.) The Dead Sea.
2. Draw the mountain ranges, and note five Deserts. 1.) The Desert of Shur (Exod. 15. 22), between Goshen and Canaan. 2.) The Desert of Paran, in the center of the Sinaitic triangle (Num. 10. 12). This is the wilderness in which thirty-eight of the forty years were passed (Deut. 1. 19). 3.) The Desert of E'ham (Num. 33. 8), on the shore of the Gulf of Suez. 4.) The Desert of Sin, near Mount Sinai (Exod. 16. 1). 5.) The Desert of Zin, the desolate valley between the Gulf of Akaba and the Dead Sea, now called the Arabah (Num. 13. 21).
3. Locate also the five Lands of this region. 1.) Goshen, the land of the sojourn (Exod. 9. 26). 2.) Midian, the land of Moses's shepherd life (Exod. 2. 15), on both sides of the Gulf of Akaba. 3.) Edom, the land of Esau's descendants, south of the Dead Sea (Num. 21. 4). 4.) Moab, the land of Lot's descendants, east of the Dead Sea (Num. 21. 13). 5.) Canaan, the land of promise (Gen. 12. 7).
4. Fix also the location of three Mountains. 1.) Mount Sinai, where the law was given (Exod. 19. 20). 2.) Mount Hor, where Aaron died (Num. 20. 23-28). 3.) Mount Nebo (Pisgah), where Moses died (Deut. 34. 1).
5. Notice also seven Places, some of which are clearly, others not so definitely, identified. 1.) Rameses, the starting-point of the Israelites (Exod. 12. 37). 2.) Baal-zephon, the place of crossing the Red Sea (Exod. 14. 2). 3.) Marah, where the bitter waters were sweetened (Exod. 15. 22-25). 4.) Elim, the place of rest (Exod. 15. 27). 5.) Rephidim, the place of the first battle, near Mount Sinai (Exod. 17. 8-16). 6.) Kadesh-barnea,[C] whence the spies were sent forth (Num. 13. 26). 7.) Jahaz, in the land of Moab, south of the brook Arnon, the place of a victory over the Amorites (Num. 21. 23, 24).
III. THE JOURNEYS OF THE WANDERING. These, with the EVENTS connected with them, may be arranged in order as follows:
1. From Rameses to the Red Sea (Exod. 12. 37; 14. 9). With this note: 1.) The crossing of the Red Sea.
2. From the Red Sea to Mount Sinai. Events: 2.) The Waters of Marah. 3.) The repulse of the Amalekites. 4.) The giving of the law. 5.) The worship of the golden calf. At Mount Sinai the camp was kept for nearly a year, and the organization of the people was effected.
3. From Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea (B. C. 1490). At the latter place occurred, 6.) The sending out of the spies (Num. 13. 1-26). 7.) The defeat at Hormah (Num. 14. 40-45). It was the purpose of Moses to lead the people at once from Kadesh up to Canaan. But their fear of the Canaanite and Amorite inhabitants made them weak; they were defeated and driven back into the desert of Paran, where they wandered thirty-eight years, until the generation of slavish souls should die off, and a new Israel, the young people, trained in the spirit of Moses and Aaron, and fitted for conquest, should arise in their places.
4. From Kadesh-barnea through the desert of Paran and return. This was the long wandering of thirty-eight years. We trace the route from Kadesh, around the desert of Paran, to Mount Hor, to Ezion-geber at the head of the Gulf of Akaba, and at last to Kadesh once more (Num. 20. 1). There occurred, 8.) The water from the rock at Kadesh, and Moses's disobedience (Num. 20. 10-12). 9.) The repulse of Arad (Num. 21. 1). It would seem that the Israelites made a second attempt to enter Canaan on the south, and were again defeated, though not so severely as before.
5. From Kadesh-barnea around Edom to the river Jordan. After this second defeat Moses desired to lead the people through the land of the Edomites, and to enter Canaan by crossing the Jordan (Num. 20. 14). But the Edomites refused to permit such an army to pass through their land (Num. 20. 18-21). Hence the Israelites were compelled to go down the desert of Zin, past Edom, as far as the Red Sea, then east of Edom, a very long and toilsome journey (Num. 21. 4). Note with this journey: 10.) The brazen serpent (Num. 21. 6-9; John 3. 14, 15). 11.) The victory over the Amorites (Num. 21. 23, 24). This victory gave to the Israelites control of the country from Amon to Jabbok, and was the first campaign of the conquest. The long journey was now ended in the encampment of the Israelites at the foot of Mount Nebo, on the eastern bank of the Jordan, near the head of the Dead Sea. 12.) The last event of the period was the death of Moses (Deut. 34. 5-8) (B. C. 1451).
IV. THE RESULTS OF THE WANDERING. These forty years of wilderness life made a deep impress upon the Israelite people, and wrought great changes in their character.
1. It gave them certain Institutions. From the wilderness they brought their tabernacle and all its rites and services, out of which grew the magnificent ritual of the temple. The Feast of Passover commemorated the Exodus, the Feast of Pentecost, the giving of the law; the Feast of Tabernacles (during which for a week the people lived in huts and booths), the outdoor life in the desert.
2. Another result was National Unity. When the Israelites left Egypt they were twelve unorganized tribes, without a distinct national life. Forty years in the wilderness, meeting adversities together, fighting enemies, marching as one host, made them a nation. They emerged from the wilderness a distinct people, with one hope and aim, with patriotic self-respect, ready to take their place among the nations of the earth.
3. Individual Liberty. They had just been set free from the tyranny of the most complete governmental machine on the face of the earth. In Egypt the man was nothing, the state was every thing. The Israelite system was an absolute contrast to the Egyptian. For four centuries after the Exodus the Israelites lived with almost no government, each man doing what was right in his own eyes. They were the freest people on earth, far more so than the Greeks or the Romans during their republican epochs. Moses trained them not to look to the government for their care, but to be a self-reliant people, able to take care of themselves. If they had passed this initial stage of their history surrounded by kingdoms they would have become a kingdom. But they learned their first lessons of national life in the wilderness, untrammeled by environment and under a wise leader, who sought to train up a nation of kings instead of a kingdom.
4. Military Training. We trace in the history of those forty years a great advance in military discipline. After crossing the Red Sea Moses did not care to lead them by the direct route to Canaan, lest they should "see war" (Exod. 13. 17, 18). Attacked by the Amalekites soon after the Exodus, the Israelites were almost helpless (Exod. 17. 8-16; Deut. 25. 17-19). A year later they were the easy prey of the Canaanites at Hormah (Num. 14. 40-45). Forty years after they crossed the Jordan and entered Canaan, a drilled and trained host, a conquering army. This discipline and spirit of conquest they gained under Moses and Joshua in the wilderness.
5. Religious Education. This was the greatest of all the benefits gained in the wilderness. They were brought back from the idolatries of Egypt to the faith of their fathers. They received God's law, the system of worship, and the ritual which brought them by its services into a knowledge of God. Moreover, their experience of God's care taught them to trust in Jehovah, who had chosen them for his own people. Even though the mass of the people might worship idols, there was always from this time an Israel of the heart that sought and obeyed God.
Blackboard Outline.
I. Eve. le. Wan. 1. Opp. Isr.
2. Tra. Mos. 1.) Bir. 2.) Edu. 3.) Cho. 4.) Tra. 5.) Cal.
3. Ten Pla. 1.) Bl. 2.) Fr. 3.) Li. 4.) Fl. 5.) Mur. 6.) Boi. 7.) Hai. 8.) Loc. 9.) Dar. 10.) Dea. fir. bo.
4. Pass.
5. Exod.
II. Wil. Wan. 1. Seas. 1.) M. S. 2.) R. S. [G, S., G. A.] 3.) D. S.
2. Des. 1.) D. Sh. 2.) D. Par. 3.) D. Eth. 4.) D. Si. 5.) D. Zi.
3. Lan. 1.) Gos. 2.) Mid. 3.) Ed. 4.) Mo. 5.) Can.
4. Mts. 1.) Mt. Sin. 2.) Mt. H. 3.) Mt. Neb.
5. Pla. 1.) Ram. 2.) B.-zep. 3.) Mar. 4.) El. 5.) Rep. 6.) Kad.-bar 7.) Jah.
III. Jour. and Even. Jour. 1. Ram.—R. S., Ev. 1.) Cr. R. S.
Jour. 2. R. S.—Mt. Sin. 2.) Wat. Mar. 3.) Rep. Am. 4.) Giv. L. 5.) Wor. gol. cal.
Jour. 3. Mt. Sin.—Kad.-bar. 6.) Sen. Sp. 7.) Del. Hor.
Jour. 4. Kad.-bar.—Des. Par.—Ret. 8.) Wat. roc. Kad. 9.) Rep. Ar.
Jour. 5. Kad.-bar.—Ed.—Riv. Jor. 10.) Bra. Ser. 11.) Vic. ov. Amo. 12.) Dea. Mos.
IV. Res. Wan. 1. Ins. 2. Nat. Un. 3. Ind. Lib. 4. Mil. Tra. 5. Rel. Ed.
QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.
Name five events which were preparatory to the wandering.
What made the Israelites willing to leave Egypt?
How was their leader trained for his mission?
What were the ten plagues upon the Egyptians?
What three ideas were connected with the Passover?
What is meant by the Exodus?
What are the three seas of the map illustrating the wandering?
Name five deserts of this region.
In which desert were the most years passed?
What were the two deserts on the shore of the Red Sea?
Where was the desert of Zin?
Which desert was between Egypt and Palestine?
Name and locate five lands of this region.
Which land was nearest to Egypt?
Which land was on the eastern arm of the Red Sea?
Which land lay east of the Dead Sea?
Which land was south of the Dead Sea?
Name three mountains in this region.
What event look place on each of these mountains?
Name two places between Egypt and the Red Sea.
Name three places on the route between the Red Sea, and an event at each place.
What place was south of Canaan and near it?
What events occurred at this place?
What two places were battlefields?
State the route of the first journey.
What was the great event of this journey?
What was the second journey?
What four events are named with this journey?
What was the third journey?
What two events took place with this journey?
What was the longest journey?
Name four places of this journey.
Name two events near its close.
What was the last journey?
What events took place at this time?
Where was the last encampment of the Israelites?
What institutions originated during this period?
What was the political effect of this epoch upon the people?
How did it give them liberty?
What was the influence in military affairs?
What were its results upon the religion of the people?
Subjects for Special Papers.
The Pharaoh of the Oppression.
Mount Sinai.
The Greatness of Moses.
The Mosaic Legislation.
The Site of Kadesh-barnea.
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness.