2.

THE JOURNEY FROM HOREB TO KADESH

1:5–18 (PART I)
5 ¶On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses
to declare this law, saying,

The Word declare is the Hebrew word ba-er meaning, ―to expound‖ It
means that He made the Word of God clear to the Israelites.

This word occurs here and in 27:8 where it is translated as ―very plainly‖ –

“And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very
plainly.”

It occurs in Habakkuk 2:2,

“And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make
it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.”

The verb basically in Hebrew means to dig. The word for well in Hebrew
is beer.

In the course of these speeches Moses sought in various ways to instil an

obedient spirit in his audience. He used the threat of judgment, the
promise of reward, and appeals to God’s graciousness to seek to
accomplish that goal. The word translated Law actually means
‖instruction,― not merely a body of laws in the modern sense. It is
instruction in how to walk with God.1

They speak of two covenants, one at Horeb, and one in Moab; and the
latter, so far from being a mere repetition of the former, is as distinct from

1
Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
it as any two things can be. Of this we shall have the fullest and clearest
evidence in our study of the profound book which now lies open before
us. CHM

The details of the journey in Deuteronomy are different to that of

Numbers for there is no mention of the blowing of the silver trumpets, no
mention of the cloud and the pillar of fire but it is the details concerning
the people themselves that is highlighted in Deuteronomy.

GOD’S COMMAND TO MARCH TO THE PROMISED LAND AND

POSSESS IT (1:6-8)

6 ¶The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying,

Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount :

In fact in Deuteronomy the words ‖the Lord our God― occur almost 50
times. Yahweh is the sovereign Leader of Israel’s history. 2

"The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long
enough in this mount."
This is very beautiful. it reminds us somewhat of the lovely simplicity of
patriarchal times, when the Lord spake unto the fathers as a man speaketh
to his friend. It was not by the sound of a trumpet, or by the movement of
a cloud that the Lord communicated His mind to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. He was so very near to them that there was no need, no room for
an agency characterised by ceremony and distance. He visited them, sat
with them, partook of their hospitality, in all the intimacy of personal
friendship. CHM

Now, it has been already remarked, we shall find, in Deuteronomy,

comparatively little of rites and ceremonies. The Lord is seen more in
direct communication with the people; and even the priests, in their

2 Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
official capacity, come rarely before us; and, if they are referred to, it is
very much more in a moral than in a ceremonial way. Of this we shall have
ample proof as we pass along; it is a marked feature of this beautiful book.
CHM

Horeb was the name of the mountain range of which Sinai is a part.

The law cannot be any permanent resting place, for it points onward to
something far better, as the Book of Hebrews shows (Heb.6:1-2; 10:1-10).
(L M Grant)

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the
very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they
offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.”
(Hebrews 10:1)

7¶ Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount

of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in
the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and
by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto
Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

The boundaries (v. 7; cf. 11:24; Ex. 23:31) go beyond the territory that
Israel ever actually possessed. Though David’s and Solomon’s empires
extended to the Euphrates River (cf. 2 Sam. 8:3; 1 Kings 4:21), many of
the peoples in that territory were subjects only by paying tribute; they were
not conquered by Israelites so the land was not fully possessed by them.

The western foothills in Canaan were toward the Mediterranean Sea next
to the seacoast. The Negev was the extensive desert area west and
southwest of the Dead Sea. 3.

3 Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985
 DIVINE GUIDANCE
Thus it was with Israel, in their desert wanderings, and thus it is with us. It
is our most precious privilege to leave all our matters in the hands, not
merely of a covenant God, but of a loving Father. He arranges our
movements for us; He fixes the bounds of our habitation; He tells us how
long to stay in a place, and where to go next. He has charged Himself with
all our concerns, all our movements, all our wants. His gracious word to us
is, "Be careful far nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." And what
then? "The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." CHM

We see this guidance in the life of the Apostle Paul.

“Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of
Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in
Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into
Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by
Mysia came down to Troas.” (Acts 16:6-8)

HOW DOES GOD GUIDE HIS PEOPLE NOW?

We do not hear His voice speaking to us as He did to Moses and the
people.

We are guided by a number of means –

(1) The Word of God

(2) The Spirit of God
(3) The Instincts of the divine nature within us
(4) The Providence of God
(5) Wise Christian friends

All these have to harmonise otherwise it cannot be the will of the Lord for
He never contradicts His Word.
It is true that we will not find a text of Scripture for every decision we
must make but the Bible does promise God’s guidance if we please Him.

“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach
his way.” (Psalm 25:9)
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he
delighteth in his way.” (Psalm 37:23)

We must calmly weigh our impressions in the balances of the sanctuary,

and faithfully test them by the standard of the divine word. In this way, we
shall be preserved from error and delusion. It is a most dangerous thing to
trust impressions or act on impulse. We have seen the most disastrous
consequences produced by so doing. Facts may be reliable. Divine
authority is absolutely infallible. CHM

Jonah might have considered it a remarkable providence to find a ship

going to Tarshish; but had he been in communion with God, he would
not have needed a ship. CHM

Illustration: The Old Scottish Woman’s stick

Walter Knight told of an old Scottish woman who went from home to
home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings.
When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the
air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed.
One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. "Why
do you toss the stick more than once?" someone asked. "Because," replied
the woman, "it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on
the right." She then dutifully kept throwing the stick into the air until it
pointed the way she wanted to go!
From the life of Jehoshaphat we can see an example of making up one’s
mind to do something and then asking what God’s will us.

“And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt
thou go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I am as
thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in
the war. And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I
pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.” (2 Chronicles 18:3-4)

It was a near fatal decision which might have cost him his life on the
battlefield.

We see the same behaviour with the Jews in Jeremiah 42. They had already
made up their minds to go down to Egypt and wanted Jeremiah to tell
them the will of the Lord. When they found out God was forbidding them
for their own good they called Jeremiah a liar.

They even promised to do what God says even if it is evil in their eyes.

“Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of

the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with
us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.” (Jeremiah 42:6)

“And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of

speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God,
for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these
words, Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the
son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou
speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go
not into Egypt to sojourn there” (Jeremiah 43:1-2)
8 ¶Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and
possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their
seed after them.

These three patriarchs are mentioned 7 times in Deuteronomy (Deut. 1:8;

6:10; 9:5, 27; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4).

The command to ‖take possession― (which occurs 18 times in Deut.: 1:8,

21, 39; 2:24; etc.) directed Israel’s attention to more than the land. They
were to be encouraged to fight for the land, realizing that it was already
given to them through the Lord’s covenantal faithfulness. This emphasis
on the ‖land― is unusually strong in Deuteronomy, for this word occurs
almost 200 times. 4

SHARING ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY

Moses reviews firstly his own failure (vv. 9-18) before he reviews the
failure of the nation (vv. 19-46)

Some think that Jethro’s counsel was divinely given, that it urged a
sensible delegation of authority to others. Others remind us, however, that
God never assigns tasks without giving grace for them. Up to this time
God had been speaking to Moses as a man speaks with a friend, and had
not been using a go-between. Therefore Moses should have carried on
until God Himself made other arrangements.5

4 Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton,
Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

5 William MacDonald
9 ¶ And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not
able to bear you myself alone:

We are so glad that the One of whom Moses is a type never says such
words but rather we hear the Lord Jesus say:

“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he
shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and

supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
unto God.” (Philippians 4:6)

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we
are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of
grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Illustration: The Bird’s nest

A new road was being built. Trees had to be torn down to make way.
The superintendent on the job noted that one tree had a nest of birds that
couldn't yet fly, so ordered that tree be left standing for the present, and
then be cut down late at the end of the tree-cutting operation.
A few weeks later the superintendent came back to the tree. The birds
were gone. The tree was felled. The nest fell out, and several pieces of
materials which the birds had used to build the nest were scattered in a
heap. One such piece fluttered near the feet of the superintendent. He
picked it up. It was a piece of paper that had been torn from a Sunday
school paper.
On it were these words: HE CARETH FOR YOU.
“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not
fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your
head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value
than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

Concerning the Lord’s return we read in Luke 21:34

“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be

overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life,
and so that day come upon you unawares.”

With the love of Christ in our heart we are to bear one another’s burdens
as believers.

“That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members
should have the same care one for another.” (1 Corinthians 12:25)

“Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me
daily, the care of all the churches.” (2 Corinthians 11:28)

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

(Galatians 6:2)

In the Church too elder brethren can decide many things, but if anything
is too hard, these must be brought to the Lord in humble, dependent
prayer. (L M Grant)
10 ¶ The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and,
behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

As God promised Abraham, they were multiplying without number.

11 ¶(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand

times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath
promised you!)

12 ¶ How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and

your burden, and your strife?

We see a similar situation in the assembly at Corinth. Some believers who

had problems between each other went to the heathen courts rather than
to the assembly to judge.

“If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them
to judge who are least esteemed in the church.” (1 Corinthians 6:4)

“If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this

life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to
judge?” (NKJV)

do ye set them to judge who are of no account in the church?—that is to

say, ―do you go outside the assembly to obtain the verdict from those who
preside over Gentile courts, and who, being of the world, have no place in
the assembly?‖ That is the significance of the phrase rendered in the r.v.,
―are of no account.‖ The word is used here not in a contemptuous sense.
Men who are outside the Kingdom of God, and thus are themselves liable
to the judgment of the great Day, are not the men to decide matters of

R.V.Revised Version
difficulty among believers. The apostle is not speaking of any believers as
―least esteemed,‖ as in the a.v. The reference to ―a wise man‖ in the next
verse makes this clear. He is not making a command, he is asking a
question by way of remonstrance.6

13 ¶Take you wise men, and understanding, and known

among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

“And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads
over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of
fifties, and rulers of tens.” (Exodus 18:25)

As with the sending out of the spies we see that further information is
given in Deuteronomy that is not mentioned in Exodus. Here we are told
that Moses asked them to select the judges and v. 15 tells us Moses set
them in authority to judge.

In Exodus this choice of the people is not mentioned.

Also there is no mention of Jethro who advised Moses to do this.

“Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with
thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform
it thyself alone. Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee
counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-
ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God.” (Exodus 18:18-
19)

We note that God never gave Moses a commandment to chose men to

judge.

A.V.AuthorizedVersion
6
Vine, W. (1997, c1996). Collected writings of W.E. Vine. Nashville:
Thomas Nelson.
Jethro’s advice is summed up in v. 22, “so shall it be easier for thyself”

When God gave a work to Moses to do, He also gave him the grace and
strength to do it. Jethro’s advice though well meaning did not have any
sanction from God. God was not consulted about the matter.

Only when Moses did complain to the Lord later, the Lord told him to
appoint leaders.

“I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy
for me…And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy
men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of
the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the
tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the
spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall
bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself
alone.” (Numbers 11:14, 16-17)

We must not forget that all these men whom Moses and the people chose
perished in the wilderness because of unbelief.

As in the case of the people later wanting a king, though it was not the will
of the Lord, He never the less overruled it in that He chose Saul for them,
who was the kind of man they wanted and later He chose David to be
king who was after His own heart.

We have no allusion, here, to the fact recorded in Exodus 18, namely, that
the appointment of those rulers was at the suggestion of Jethro, Moses'
father-in-law Neither have we any reference to the scene in Numbers 11.
We call the reader's attention to this as one of the many proofs which lie
scattered along the pages of Deuteronomy, that it is very far indeed from
being a mere repetition of the preceding sections of the Pentateuch. CHM
14 ¶ And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou
hast spoken is good for us to do.

15 So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known,

and made them heads over you, captains over thousands,
and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and
captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear

the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously
between every man and his brother, and the stranger that
is with him.

17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall

hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of
the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause
that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

18 And I commanded you at that time all the things which

ye should do.