What is the meaning of Numbers 33:7? They set out from Etham • Numbers 33:7 begins, “They set out from Etham….” Exodus 13:20 tells us Etham lay “on the edge of the wilderness,” marking the boundary between cultivated Egypt and open desert. • God had just led Israel by the pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21-22), proving His guidance was not random but intentional. • Leaving Etham shows obedient progress; the people moved only when the LORD moved (cf. Numbers 9:17-23). Turned back to Pi-hahiroth • “…and turned back to Pi-hahiroth….” According to Exodus 14:2, God deliberately told Moses to reverse course. • Human strategy would march straight toward Canaan, yet the LORD directed a detour, setting up the Red Sea deliverance (Exodus 14:3-4). • This move teaches that divine guidance may appear illogical, but it is always purposeful (Proverbs 3:5-6). Opposite Baal-zephon • The verse adds they were “opposite Baal-zephon.” Exodus 14:2 repeats the detail, highlighting a location associated with a false Egyptian deity. • Camping opposite an idol’s shrine underscored the LORD’s supremacy; He would soon overthrow Pharaoh, exposing every rival god’s impotence (Exodus 12:12; Isaiah 46:9). • Believers today can trust that God positions His people where His glory confronts and conquers idolatry (1 Kings 18:21, 39). They camped near Migdol • Finally, Israel “camped near Migdol.” Exodus 14:2 again lists Migdol, a border fortress. Pharaoh assumed they were hemmed in (Exodus 14:3), giving him confidence to pursue. • What looked like a trap was God’s stage for the Red Sea miracle (Exodus 14:13-31). • The pattern echoes throughout Scripture: apparent dead ends become scenes of divine deliverance (2 Chronicles 20:15-17; 2 Corinthians 1:8-10). summary Numbers 33:7 records real geography and a real journey, underscoring God’s precise, sovereign leading. From Etham’s frontier, through the bewildering turn to Pi-hahiroth, facing Baal-zephon, and camping by Migdol’s walls, the LORD orchestrated every step to display His power and faithfulness. Trusting His guidance, even when it defies human logic, places believers exactly where His salvation and glory are revealed. |
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