Moses Doesn’t Tell Us Every Detail

Tim Davis

Moses doesn’t tell us every detail.

In Numbers 33, he recounts Israel’s exhaustive travel journey from Egypt to Sinai, and then from Sinai toward the promised land. In this chapter, he tells us that Israel stopped to camp over forty times.

But here’s where things get interesting.

If you read the narratives that recounts Israel’s travels—both before and after Sinai (Exodus 12-19 and Numbers 10:10-32), you’ll only read about six campsites on either side of Sinai.

Here’s the point we’re going to address: Moses doesn’t tell us about every stop—he doesn’t tell us every detail.

What should we make of this?

HIGHLIGHT REEL

I went to Montana years ago with a group of friends. After the trip, my buddy and I put together a highlight reel of key moments that represented our adventures.

Moses does something similar in the Torah. He focuses on key stories—a highlight reel—that represents the totality of Israel’s travels. Again, first from Egypt to Sinai, and then from Sinai to the edge of the promised land.

So why does he pick these stories?

MIRROR IMAGE

Draw a large “X” across a piece of paper, then fold the paper in half. If you fold it perfectly, the lines will touch because the “X” is a mirror image.

The biblical authors use a literary technique called a chiasm that functions similarly. In this case, Israel’s time at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-Numbers 10) is the middle of the “X” and stories from their journey mirror one another. If we want to know why Moses chose these surrounding stories, it’s important to grasp this literary design.

Let me show you what I mean.

On their way to Sinai, God provides Israel with manna (Exodus 16). After they leave Sinai, we’re given another story about manna (Numbers 11). On the way to Sinai, Israel thirsts for water and on one occasion Moses strikes a rock (Exodus 17-1-7). After Sinai, Israel grumbles for water and Moses strikes a rock yet again (Numbers 20:1-16). There’s more. The angel of the Lord protects Israel both before and after Sinai (Exodus 14:19-20 and Numbers 22:22-35). The Israelites fight the Amalekites both before and after Sinai (Exodus 17:8-18 and Numbers 14:39-45). Moses connects with a Midianite family member both before and after Sinai (Exodus 18 and Numbers 10:29-32). Believe it or not, there are more similarities—these examples only scratch the surface.

So here’s why Moses included these stories into his highlight reel.

WARNING AND HOPE

First, the stories that mirror one another beg the question: did Israel learn to trust Yahweh while at Sinai? Unfortunately, the events in Numbers suggest a negative answer; the book tells us about the rebellion of the Sinai generation. In fact, Old Testament prophets and New Testament writers alike, use the wilderness generation as a key illustration to caution their contemporaries (Ezekiel 20 and Hebrews 4-5).

Listen to their warning.

But the rebellion stories lead us to ask another question: what kind of God would stay with this unfaithful people? The answer is found at the center of the chiasm in the middle of the Torah.

Despite Israel’s rebellion, there’s hope because God is faithful to his covenant promises. The center of the “X”—the focal point of the Torah—is all about God entering into a covenant with his people. In other words, God’s covenant faithfulness is at the heart of all these stories.

Moses doesn’t tell us every detail, but the details he provides serve a literary purpose to both warn and elicit hope.