Tag: Disobedience Diminishes Rest - Numbers 33-36

Numbers 33:5-8

So the people of Israel set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth. And they set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. And they set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which is east of Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol. And they set out from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and they went a three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. 

Tag:  Disobedience Diminishes Rest. 

This chapter of Numbers is about all the “stages” of the people of Israel during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.   The key phrase in the above passage is, “set out from.”  The phrase appears over thirty times in this chapter.  It demonstrates both the care and guidance of God, but also the lack of rest afforded to the people of God.   God had promised them the land ... a place flowing with “milk and honey.”    They were to have “rest” in the land, but because of their failure to trust God completely, they had no rest.   Note what the writer of the Book of Hebrews in the New Testament tells us:

Hebrews 3:16 - 4:2

For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.

We can have “rest” if we put our complete faith and trust in God’s promises and God’s character.   It is when we live in unbelief that we fail to know the rest that God has provided for us.  But, He provides that rest via faith.  The nation of Israel had to break down camp, walk, set up camp and repeat the process over and over.   They could never have peace.  During this time the rebellious and unbelieving members of the community had to die, before the younger members of the community could enter into rest.   The unbelief of some, hindered the rest of the others.  Unbelief is never alone.