Week 6 Numbers
In chapter ten I need to reorient myself geographically and so I flip to the back of my bible.
The map of the Sinai Peninsula looks like a big V.
I lay a straightedge along the Gulf of Suez and it points north-west toward the Nile delta – the left side of the V. The right side of the V follows the Gulf of Aquaba north and east – eventually my ruler passes through the Dead Sea.
When the Hebrews left Egypt they walked south toward the tip of the V but before getting there they headed inland to Mount Sinai. They stayed in the vicinity of Sinai for almost a year. I’ve spent the last fifty-nine chapters reading about what happened there.
But in Numbers ten they left Sinai and went to Taberah & then Kibroth-Hattaavah & then Hazeroth. The cartographer showed that he was guessing locations by putting question marks after the three names. But the guesses are headed a bit east and a bit north and by the end of chapter twelve Israel is up and into the wilderness of Paran – quite a bit closer to the Promised Land.
Between Sinai and Paran – chapters ten-eleven-twelve – there are four not exactly happy incidents.
I think about them briefly but I’m hurrying to read through.
I wonder if it was a waste of time slowing down to look at the map.
But I doubt it. Taking time isn’t wasting it.
Note: dates are in Exodus 19:1, Numbers 10:11