Numbers 10:29—36 – Sharing God’s goodness

Numbers 10:29 tells us that Moses invited his brother-in-law, Hobab, to join him in their journey. The reason he gave the invitation was that the latter knew the wilderness of Sinai well. Since he knew the ground well, Moses knew that it would be useful to have him around. Verse 31 indicates so. Moses said, “Please do not leave us, since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will be as eyes for us.” Was this an indication of Moses' lack of trust in the Lord? Some felt this was so. But it was certainly not. Here was a case of him wanting someone dear to share in the goodness of God. This could be verified  by verse 32 when Moses said,  “So it will be if you go with us, that whatever good the Lord does for us, we will do for you.” Wouldn’t this be exactly something we would do also? When we have tasted of the goodness of God, we would want others to share in His goodness, especially those who are dear to us.  Having tasted of the goodness of Christ, are we sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others, especially our loved ones?  

One more truth to be learned from here. In their journey, battle and worship were both expected, but it was still a journey. Their goal was the promised land. A clear mind was to be expected so that the goal, the rest in the promised land, must be kept in the forefront of their mind constantly. If they do not, they could be tempted to abort their journey and chose to sit and whine in the wilderness when the going became tough. Or when they found a temporary good spot, they could be tempted to camp there and not move on in the journey. The people of Israel were made to know that the wilderness of Sinai was not their home, the promised land was. Like them we need to know that this world is not our home, we are just passing through. No matter how good or how tough the journey may be, the promise of rest awaits us. We must let the presence of God lead us forward. Let us allow Him to arise and scatter every enemy. Let us make it our aim to experience God’s rest forever. That’s when all toil and tear will cease!