What is the meaning of Numbers 33:22?

They set out

• “They set out” speaks of forward movement under God’s command. Israel never broke camp on a whim; “At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out” (Numbers 9:23).

• Each departure reminded the people that redemption from Egypt was not the end but the beginning of a pilgrimage toward promise (Exodus 13:17-18).

• For believers today, the call to keep moving echoes Hebrews 11:13-16—strangers on earth pressing toward a better country.

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from Rissah

• Rissah is otherwise unknown, yet it mattered because God recorded it (Numbers 33:2). No stretch of the journey was insignificant.

• The stop between Libnah and Kehelathah shows how thoroughly God tracked their steps (Deuteronomy 2:7).

• Remembering every place fosters gratitude: “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you” (Deuteronomy 8:2).

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and camped

• Camping illustrates both rest and reliance. God provided daily manna, shade, and order in each camp (Exodus 16:35; Psalm 105:39).

• The rhythm of moving and resting pictures a life directed by divine timing, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14).

• For Christians, seasons of pause are ordained as surely as seasons of action (Psalm 23:2-3).

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at Kehelathah

• Kehelathah means the congregation halted together, reinforcing community identity (Numbers 27:17).

• Stopping there prepared the people for upcoming challenges, just as later stops would ready them for the plains of Moab (Numbers 33:48-49).

• God sets His people “in families” (Psalm 68:6); each campsite forged unity and discipline (Ephesians 4:3-4).

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summary

Numbers 33:22 may appear to be a simple travel note—“They set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah”—yet it declares God’s faithful guidance, the value He places on every step, the balance of movement and rest, and the forming of a covenant community. Recording this brief leg of the journey assures us that our own small obediences are seen, remembered, and woven into His grand redemptive itinerary.