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Scripture Reading: Num. 10:11-36
In the foregoing message we considered the guidance given to the children of Israel. In this message we will cover the matter of their setting out.
Numbers 10:11-36 describes how the children of Israel set out, how they went forward on their journey.
The people set out according to the guidance of the cloud. On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year (v. 11a), the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the testimony, and the sons of Israel set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai (vv. 11b-12a). Verse 12b tells us that the cloud abode in the wilderness of Paran. This was their setting out the first time at the word of Jehovah by Moses (v. 13).
In verses 14 through 28 we have the sequence of the setting out. In this sequence, the standard of the camp of the sons of Judah took the lead (vv. 14-16), setting out first by their armies. They were followed, not by another camp, but by the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, the Levites who carried the tabernacle (v. 17). They were followed, in turn, by the second camp, the camp of Reuben (vv. 18-20). The Kohathites, the Levites who carried the sanctuary, set out next, and the tabernacle was set up before their arrival (v. 21). The camp of the sons of Ephraim set out third (vv. 22-24), and the camp of the sons of Dan, taking up the rear of all the camps, set out last.
Verses 29 through 32 give us a record of Moses asking his father-in-law, an older and more experienced Midianite, to go with them (v. 29). The father-in-law refused (v. 30). Then Moses besought him to go with them in order that he might be their eyes, for they were to encamp in the wilderness (vv. 31-32). Moses thought that his father-in-law would be a great help, but God's sovereignty would not allow any man to come in. Thus, Moses and the children of Israel had to put their trust in the Lord. This account of Moses' trusting in man is inserted here to compare man's leading with the leading of the ark in the subsequent verses.
The remaining verses in chapter ten reveal the leading of the ark — the crucified and resurrected Christ in His resurrection (vv. 33-36). Today, the leading One among the churches is the crucified and resurrected Christ, who is the ark.
"They set out from the mount of Jehovah three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah went before them three days' journey, to seek out a resting place for them" (v. 33). Here we see that the sons of Israel went three days' journey. The way was not paved, the oxen were slow, and travel for the wagons was difficult. However, the ark (Christ) of the covenant of Jehovah went before them to seek out a resting place. The ark, with all the contents of the tabernacle, including the altar, showbread table, lampstand, and incense altar, was the responsibility of the Kohathites and was borne by them. The Kohathites should have set out after the camp of Reuben; nevertheless, the ark came to the front to take the lead.
There is a difference between guidance and leading. The term guidance is used with respect to the cloud and the blowing of the trumpets, but concerning the ark we have used the term leading. Guidance is general; leading is particular. The cloud and the trumpet guided the children of Israel in a general way. However, the ark did not render a general guidance but a particular leading to the people. Thus, the ark became the leader, taking the lead to find a resting place.
During the forty years the children of Israel traveled in the wilderness, it was difficult to find a resting place for two million people. Today our Christian life is a long journey on a rugged, unpaved way. As we are journeying on this rugged way, it is not easy for us to rest. The Lord Jesus, the Forerunner, has cut the way (Heb. 6:20), but He did not pave the way. He passed through the rugged way, and now we are following His footsteps on this way. We have need of a resting place. Here no one, not even the older and more experienced ones, can help us. Concerning this, we should not put our trust in man. The unique One in whom we can trust is Christ as the ark. He is the Leader, and He leads us to the proper place of rest. He not only guides us in a general way but leads us in a particular way.
In Numbers 10 the real leader was not Moses. At that time, even Moses was inadequate. The ark led the children of Israel in a particular way, much like a small boat leads a large ship through a narrow strait and a swift current into the harbor.
Not only was the ark a living ark, but the rock that followed the Israelites was also living (Exo. 17:6; 1 Cor. 10:4). In the wilderness Christ followed the children of Israel as a rock to supply them with living water. As the ark, He was their Leader, taking the lead to find a resting place for them and to lead them through the hard part of their journey.
The children of Israel were led not by man (Moses' father-in-law) but by the ark (Christ) of God's covenant. This indicates that the leadership of Christ is faithful. This leadership is not according to emotion or affection but according to a covenant. God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants to bring them into the good land (Gen. 12). Eventually, God's covenant was placed in the ark, and thus the ark was called the ark of the covenant (Num. 10:33). Hence, Christ is the Christ of the covenant, the Christ of God's faithfulness. Christ must lead us into a resting place because He is the Christ of God's covenant.
Numbers 10:34 tells us that the cloud of Jehovah was over the children of Israel by day when they set out from the camp.
When the ark set out, Moses said, "Arise, O Jehovah, and let Your enemies be scattered; and let them that hate You flee before You" (v. 35). We are not the enemies of God or the haters of God; we are His army and His lovers. Judges 5:31 says, "Let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might." Because we love God, we do not flee before Him; rather, we are as the sun going forth in its might. We may be small in number, but we are here as His army and as His lovers.
When the ark rested, Moses said, "Return, O Jehovah, to the myriads of thousands of Israel" (Num. 10:36). What does this mean? In studying this verse, we need to realize that sometimes the Old Testament prophets did not know the full meaning of what they were saying. We may apply this principle to Moses' speaking here. It is not likely that, when he uttered this word, Moses was clear that the ark was a type of the incarnated Jehovah. Today we realize that the ark and Jehovah cannot be separated. Moses, however, might have felt that Jehovah was separate from the ark. Thus, when the ark rested, he said, "Return, O Jehovah." This is a logical application of this word spoken by Moses. But there should also be a greater meaning to Moses' word. In order to understand such a word, we need the whole Bible, because sometimes the speaking of the prophets was fulfilled much later.
Numbers 10:35 is quoted in Psalm 68:1. Then in Ephesians 4:8-10 Paul applied this word to the ascension of Christ. Ephesians 4:8 uses the word height. In the quotation of Psalm 68:18, height refers to Mount Zion (Psa. 68:15-16), symbolizing the third heaven, where God dwells (1 Kings 8:30). Psalm 68:1 implies that it was in the ark that God ascended to Mount Zion after the ark had won the victory. A quotation from Numbers 10:35, verse 1 of Psalm 68 indicates that the background of this psalm is God's move in the tabernacle with the ark as its center. Wherever the ark, a type of Christ, went, the victory was won. Eventually this ark ascended triumphantly to the top of Mount Zion. This portrays how Christ won the victory and ascended triumphantly to the heavens. Hence, the rising up in Numbers 10:35 refers to the rising up to the heavens in Christ's ascension.
This being the case, the word return spoken by Moses in verse 36 must refer to the second coming of Christ. If the arising in verse 35 refers to Christ's ascension, then the return in verse 36 must refer to His second coming. Christ left us by His ascension, and He will return to us by His second coming.
From this we see that this word spoken by a great prophet of God should be interpreted by the entire Bible, in particular by Psalm 68 and Ephesians 4. If we put the whole picture together, we will see a full view of God's economy.
God's economy is the Triune God incarnated to be the ark. The ark, therefore, implies the Trinity, Christ's incarnation, and Christ's living in His humanity. How much the ark speaks to us! In Numbers 10 the ark rose up. Moses' understanding might have been that when the ark set out, the God who was somewhat embodied in the ark rose up. However, Psalm 68 applies this rising up to Christ's ascension (see v. 18), as Paul does in Ephesians 4. The application of Numbers 10:35 in Psalm 68 and Ephesians 4 indicates that Moses' word in Numbers 10:36 must refer to Christ's second coming. Hence, concerning Moses' word in Numbers 10, there was an application at Moses' time, and there is also an application in God's economical plan.
When God's people went to war, the ark went out to fight. In Psalm 68 the ark went out to battle, and, after winning the victory, it came back to the top of Mount Zion. Paul interpreted this and applied it to Christ, who first descended by being incarnated and by entering into Hades, and who then ascended from Hades to earth in His resurrection and from earth to heaven in His ascension (Eph. 4:9-10). Today Christ is still in the heavens. One day He will return. Therefore, Moses prayed, "Return, O Jehovah." This surely refers to Christ's second coming. This is the way to understand this great word spoken by a great prophet of God. By this we can see a full picture of God's economy, from Christ's incarnation to His second coming.
