Happy Valentine's Day! "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16b
In the 2nd year, 2nd month, 20th day the cloud lifted from the tabernacle, which meant it was time for the Israelites to "pull up stakes" and move. This was the first time they moved to a new location since the tabernacle was made. They moved out just as God had said. They followed the same order as when they presented their offerings to the altar. First Judah and Issachar went. Then the tabernacle was taken down and carried by the Gershonites and Merarites. After that came Reuben, Simeon and Gad followed by the Kohathites with the holy things from inside the tabernacle. (This way, the tabernacle would arrive and be set up so that the holy things could be placed inside immediately.) The Kohathites with the holy things were followed by Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin. Dan, Asher and Naphtali brought up the rear.
The son of Moses' father-in-law, Hobab wanted to return to his home. Moses begged him to stay and help them navigate in the desert since he knew the territory - sort of like a trail guide. It doesn't say so, but I guess Hobab did as Moses asked. Whenever the ark set out Moses asked God to protect them on their journey. Whenever it came to rest he asked God to come back and live with them. They traveled 3 days and the people started complaining. God was angry because He could hear them and He made His fire burn around the outskirts of the camp. They begged Moses to ask the Lord to make stop. And it did.
Chapter 11 also refers to "the rabble" which, in one version of the bible is defined as people who followed the Israelites out of Egypt. They began whining about the food. Manna from heaven just wasn't what they had a taste for, they wanted meat. They wanted the free fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic from back in Egypt. They remind me of the type of people who want a good solid get-rich-quick-scheme! Also, since they were not Israelites I wonder if they got mad about all the animals sacrificed? Apparently they were a bad influence, because soon everyone was wailing about the food. Moses asked the Lord why He had put him in charge since they weren't really his responsibility? He told the Lord that he couldn't carry them all and that the burden was too heavy. It's like he told God, just kill me now if this was how it is! So the Lord had Moses bring back the 70 elders of Israel (Jan 24) and He would put His Spirit on them so they could help Moses. Two of the 70 began prophesying in the camp and Joshua ran and told Moses to make them stop. But Moses told him that he wished everyone in the camp was a prophet.
God answered their meat demand with quail. He said they would have so much it would come out of their nostrils and they would soon hate it. Moses had doubts that the people would ever be satisfied no matter how much they were given. God told him to watch and see. The birds flew about 3 feet off the ground so the people could get all they wanted. As they were drying the meat God became angry and smote them with a plague.
Moses had married a Cushite woman (it doesn't say what happened to Zipporah) which angered Miriam and Aaron. They talked against Moses and God heard them. He summoned the three of them to the Tent of Meeting and spoke to them from the cloud and told them that He speaks to prophets in dreams and visions, but He speaks with Moses face to face, clearly, without riddles. When the cloud lifted from the tent Miriam had leprosy. She was white as a ghost. Then they were sorry! Moses being the humble guy that he was asked God to heal her and He did after 7 days. When she was healed they moved on to camp in the Wilderness of Paran.
God told Moses to send out a scouting expedition made up of members of each tribe to explore the land of Canaan, the land He had promised to Abraham. (Jan 4 entry)
Tomorrow read Numbers 13:17-15:21
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