Journey through the Desert

August 22, 2008

Contents

1 Marah in the Desert 1

1.1 Introduction Tom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.2 Reading Exodus 15:22-27 (Noe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2 Manna/Quails 2

2.1 Introduction Felicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2.2 Reading Numbers 11:1-9, 31+ (Tom) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

3 Water from the Rock 2

3.1 Introduction Marlon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

3.2 Reading Numbers 20:1-13 (Robert) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

3.3 Reading 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (Felicity) . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

4 Battle with the Amalekites 5

4.1 Introduction Carla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

4.2 Reading Exodus 17:8-16 (Marlon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

5 The Bronze Serpent 6

5.1 Introduction Noe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

5.2 Reading Numbers 21:4-9 (Carla) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

6 The Rebellion of Israel 6

6.1 Introduction Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

6.2 Reading Numbers 14:1-38 (Felicity) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

General Introduction Robert

Song: Mary

1 Marah in the Desert

1.1 Introduction Tom

1.2 Reading Exodus 15:22-27 (Noe)

Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously magnified, the horse and his riderhe hath thrown into the sea.

Marah1 Moses led Israel away from the Sea of Reeds, and they entered thedesert of Shur. They then travelled through the desert for three days withoutfinding water.2 When they reached Marah, they could not drink the Marahwater because it was bitter; this is why the place was named Marah.3 4 Thepeople complained to Moses saying, What are we to drink?5 Moses appealedto Yahweh for help, and Yahweh showed him a piece of wood. When Moses

11 Corinthians 10:3-5 And did all eat the same spiritual food, And all drank the samespiritual drink; (and they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock wasChrist.) But with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in thedesert.

2Genesis 16:7 And the angel of the Lord having found her, by a fountain of water inthe wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert

3Numbers 33:8 And departing from Phihahiroth, they passed through the midst of thesea into the wilderness: and having marched three days through the desert of Etham, theycamped in Mara.

4Ruth 1:20 But she said to them: Call me not Noemi, (that is, beautiful,) but call meMara, (that is, bitter,) for the Almighty hath quite filled me with bitterness.

5Exodus 14:11+ (duplicate reference)

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threw it into the water, the water became sweet.6 7 8 9

There he laid down a statute and law for them and there he put them tothe test.10

Then he said, If you listen carefully to the voice of Yahweh your God anddo what he regards as right, if you pay attention to his commandments andkeep all his laws, I shall never inflict on you any of the diseases that I inflictedon the Egyptians, for I am Yahweh your Healer.11 12

So they came to Elim where there were twelve springs and seventy palmtrees; and there they pitched camp beside the water.

2 Manna/Quails

2.1 Introduction Felicity

2.2 Reading Numbers 11:1-9, 31+ (Tom)

Taberah Now the people began to complain, which was offensive to Yah-wehs ears. When Yahweh heard, his anger was aroused and the fire of Yahwehbroke out among them; it devoured one end of the camp. The people appealedto Moses who interceded with Yahweh and the fire died down. So the placewas called Taberah, because the fire of Yahweh had broken out among them.

Kibroth-ha-Taavah. The people complain The rabble who had joinedthe people were feeling the pangs of hunger, and the Israelites began to weepagain. Who will give us meat to eat? they said. Think of the fish we used toeat free in Egypt, the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic! But nowwe are withering away; there is nothing wherever we look except this manna!

The manna was like coriander seed and had the appearance of bdellium.The people went round gathering it, and ground it in a mill or crushed it with

62 Kings 2:21 He went out to the spring of the waters, and cast the salt into it, andsaid: Thus saith the Lord: I have healed these waters, and there shall be no more in themdeath or barrenness.

7Sirach 38:5 Was not bitter water made sweet with wood?8Ezekiel 47:8 And he said to me: These waters that issue forth toward the hillocks of

sand to the east, and go down to the plains of the desert, shall go into the sea, and shallgo out, and the waters shall be healed.

91 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness;but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God.

10Joshua 24:25 Josue therefore on that day made a covenant, and set before the peoplecommandments and judgments in Sichem.

11Deuteronomy 7:15 Yahweh will deflect all illness from you; he will not aict you withthose evil plagues of Egypt which you have known, but will inflict them on all who hateyou.

12Psalms 103:3 He forgives all your offences, cures all your diseases

a pestle; it was then cooked in a pot and made into pancakes. It tasted likecake made with oil. When the dew fell on the camp at night*time, the mannafell with it.

The quails A wind, sent by Yahweh, started blowing from the sea bringingquails which it deposited on the camp. They lay for a distance of a daysmarch either side of the camp, two cubits thick on the ground.

32 The people were up all that day and night and all the next day collectingquails: the least gathered by anyone was ten homer; then they spread themout round the camp.

33 The meat was still between their teeth, not even chewed, when Yahwehsanger was aroused by the people. Yahweh struck them with a very greatplague.

34 The name given to this place was Kibroth*ha*Taavah, because it wasthere that they buried the people who had indulged their greed.

35 From Kibroth*ha*Taavah the people set out for Hazeroth, and at Haze-roth they pitched camp.

3 Water from the Rock

3.1 Introduction Marlon

3.2 Reading Numbers 20:1-13 (Robert)

[1] And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wildernessof Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam diedthere, and was buried there.

[2] Now there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled them-selves together against Moses and against Aaron. [3] And the people con-tended with Moses, and said, Would that we had died when our brethrendied before the LORD! [4] Why have you brought the assembly of the LORDinto this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? [5] Andwhy have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? Itis no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; and there is no waterto drink. [6] Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assemblyto the door of the tent of meeting, and fell on their faces. And the glory ofthe LORD appeared to them, [7] and the LORD said to Moses, Take therod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell therock before their eyes to yield its water; so you shall bring water out of therock for them; so you shall give drink to the congregation and their cattle.[9] And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

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[10] And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock,and he said to them, Hear now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for youout of this rock? [11] And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock withhis rod twice; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank,and their cattle. [12] And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, Becauseyou did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the people of Israel,therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have giventhem. [13] These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israelcontended with the LORD, and he showed himself holy among them.

Commentary from the Navarre Bible: Numbers 20:1-13 20:1-19.When the spies sent to explore the land of Canaan returned to base, peopleof Israel were in the desert of Paran, in Kadesh (13:26). The desert of Zin,which is referred to here, and which is different from that of a very similarname (Sin) mentioned in Exodus 16:1 and 17:1, was the north-west part ofthe wilderness of Paran, to which the cloud had led the Israelites from Sinai(cf. 10:12). Kadesh was not really a town but an area containing leafy oases.It was a key point of reference for the people of Israels route towards Canaan.From Kadesh they will leave for the plains of Moab (cf. 22:1). Kadesh marksthe end of the desert trek (cf. chaps. 33-38); from now on the land is inhabitedand the Israelites will have contact with those who live there.

As they make their way, the people encounter both external and internaldifficulties, but that does not stop their advance to the promised Land, be-cause God is their guide and he is helping them. In this sense the people ofIsrael prefigures the Church, for as Israel according to the flesh which wan-dered in the desert was already called the Church of God (cf. Num 20:4; etc.),so too, the new Israel which advances in this present era in search of a futureand permanent city (cf. Heb 13:14), is called also the Church of Christ (cf.Mt 16:1813). It is Christ indeed who had purchased it with his own blood (cf.Acts 20:28); he has filled it with his Spirit; he has provided means adaptedto its visible and social union (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 9).

20:2-13. Unlike Exodus 17:1-17, here it is Aaron who accompanies Moses,so that both of them share in the sin of mistrusting God (cf. v. 12). Thetext does not say what their sin was exactly: presumably it was because theystruck the rock twice due to lack of faith, instead of once (cf. vv. 11-12) orin the fact that they struck the rock whereas God had told them to speakto the rock (cf. v. 8)although in Exodus 17:6 Moses was in fact told tohit it. In v. 24 we are told it was a sin of rebellion, and in Psalm 106:32-

13[OrthJBC] Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Shimon Kefa [rock]and upon this rock I will build my Kehillah (the Community of Moshiach) and the shaareiSheol (gates of Sheol) shall not overpower it.

33 it says that Moses spoke words that were rash. In Deuteronomy 1:37and elsewhere, the punishment inflicted on Moses is, however, attributed tothe peoples disobedience. At any event, the event is recounted here, justbefore the narrating of the death of Aaron (as it will also be mentioned inDeuteronomy 32:51 before the account of Moses death). Here the episode isconnected with two place-namesKadesh, which means in fact holiness andwhich would remind people of the holiness of God (cf. v. 13), and Meribah,which means rebellion and would evoke Moses sin. The two names appearlinked (Meri-bath-kadesh) in Deuteronomy 32:51 and Exodus 47:19.

This rock prefigured Christ, according to 1 Corinthians 10:4-5. The Fathersgave an allegorical interpretation: the rock is Jesus, and the water the gracewhich flows from the open side of our Lord; the double strike stands for thetwo beams of the cross. Moses stands for the Jews, because just as Mosesdoubted and struck the rock, the Jewish people crucified Christ, not believingthat he was the Son of God (cf. St Augustine, Contra Faustum, 16, 15;Questiones In Heptateuchurn, 35).

3.3 Reading 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (Felicity)

[1] I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, andall passed through the sea, [2] and all were baptized into Moses in the cloudand in the sea, [3] and all ate the same supernatural food [4] and all drank thesame supernatural drink. For they drank them from the supernatural Rockwhich followed them, and the Rock was Christ. [5] Nevertheless with most ofthem God was not pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

[6] Now these things are warnings for us, not to desire evil as they did; [10]nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. [11]Now these things happened to them as a warning, but they were written downfor our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come. [12] Thereforelet any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

Commentary from the Navarre Bible: 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-121-33. St Paul now points to the lessons which the self-assured and proudCorinthians might draw from certain events in the history of Israel (vv. 1-13). He focuses mainly on the Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land:during this journey God worked many wonders (vv. 1-4), but because oftheir frequent infidelity most of the Israelites died before the journey wasover (vv. 5-10); this, the Apostle concludes, should serve as a lesson to us: ifwe rely too much on ourselves we run the risk of being unfaithful to God anddeserving rejection, like those Israelites (vv. 11- 13). St John Chrysostomsays that Gods gifts to the Hebrews were figures of the gifts of Baptism and

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the Eucharist which we were to be given. And the punishments meted out tothem are figures of the punishment which our ingratitude will deserve; hencehis reminder to be watchful (cf. Horn, on 1 Cor, 23).

In the second part of the chapter (vv. 14-33), St Paul gives the final partof his reply to the question about food offered to idols, with advice as to howto act in certain situations.

1-4. The Exodus of the Israelites was marked by many prodigies. St Paulrecalls some of theseGod leading the way by day in the form of a pillar ofcloud (cf. Ex 13:21-22), the crossing of the Red Sea (cf. Ex 14:15-31); thefeeding with manna (cf. Ex 16:13-15) and the drinking water which Mosescaused to flow out of a rock (cf. Ex 17:1-7; Num 20:2-13).

St Paul sees the land and the sea as symbolizing two basic elements in Chris-tian Baptismthe Holy Spirit and the water (cf. St Pius V Catechism, II,2, 9). By following Moses in the cloud and through the sea, the Israeliteswere some- how linked to him, into anticipating the way the Christian is fullyincorporated into Jesus through Baptism (cf. Rom 6:3-11).

St Paul calls the manna and the water from the rock supernatural foodand drink because these are symbols of the Eucharist (cf. Jn 6:48-51). TheFathers, in commenting on these verses, stress the superiority of the Eucharistover what prefigures it: Consider now which of the two foods is the moresublime [...]. The manna came down from heaven, it [the Eucharist] is to befound higher than heaven; the manna belonged to heaven, (the Eucharist)to the Lord of heaven; the manna rotted away if it was kept for anotherday, (the Eucharist) knows no corruption because whoever tastes it with theright dispositions will never experience corruption. For them [the Israelites]the water sprang up from the rock; for you blood flows from Christ. Thewater quenched the (Israelites) thirst for a short while; the blood cleansesyou forever. The Jews drank and were thirsty; you, once you have drunk, canno longer feel thirst. In their case everything that happened was symbolic;in yours it is real. If you are amazed by it and yet it was no more than ashadow, how much more awesome must that reality be whose mere shadowamazes you (St Ambrose, Treatise on the Mysteries, I, 8, 48).

The rock was Christ: in the Old Testament Yahweh was at times de-scribed as the rock (cf. Deut 32:4, 15, 18: 2 Sam 22:32; 23:3; Is 17:10; etc.);as he does elsewhere (cf., e.g.;Rom 9:33; 10:11-13; Eph 4:8). St Paul here ap-plies to Jesus Christ the prerogatives of Yahweh, thereby showing his divinity.Elsewhere in the New Testament our Lord is spoken of as the cornerstone (cf.Mt 21:42; Acts 4:11; Eph 2:20). By referring to the rock as following themSt Paul may be citing without accepting ita rabbinical legend which claimedthat the rod from which the water gushed continued to stay with the Israelitesin the desert.

5-10. In spite of all the marvels God kept doing for the Israelites during theExodus, only a few of those who left Egypt managed to enter the PromisedLand (cf. Num 26:65). St Paul lists some of the repeated infidelities of thepeople of Israel which brought Gods punishment upon themidolatry (cf. Ex32), sexual immorality (cf. Num 25), grumbling against God and Moses (cf.,for example, Ex 15:23- 25; 16:2-3; 17:2-7; Num 21:4-9; 17:6-15). 11-13. Theevents in the history of Israel mentioned in the Old Testament foretell thingswhich will happen when Christ comes (cf. note on 1 Cor 10:1-4); they arealso instructive for us. Here St Paul emphasizes that however many benefitsGod showers on us, no one should think that his eternal salvation is assured.The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself; so you will findfavor in the sight of the Lord (Sir 3:20); one must continually implore Godshelp and not rely on ones own strength.

At the same time St Paul recalls Gods faithfulness (cf. also Phil 1:6; 1Thess 5:24; 2 Thess 3:3): God never allows us to be tempted beyond ourstrength, he always gives us the graces we need to win out. If anyone pleadhuman weakness to excuse himself for not loving God, it should be explainedthat he who demands our love pours into our hearts by the Holy Spirit thefervor of his love (cf. Rom 5:5); and this good spirit our heavenly Fathergives to those that ask him (cf. Lk 9:13). With reason, therefore, did StAugustine pray: Give what thou commandest, and command what thoupleasest (Confessions, X, 29,31 and 37). As, then, God is ever ready tohelp us, especially since the death of Christ the Lord, by which the prince ofthis world was cast out, there is no reason why anyone should be disheartenedby the difficulty of the undertaking. To him who loves, nothing is difficult(St Pius V Catechism, III, 1, 7).

CCC 1094 - 1 Corinthians 10:1-6 1094 It is on this harmony of the twoTestaments that the Paschal catechesis of the Lord is built,14 and then, thatof the Apostles and the Fathers of the Church. This catechesis unveils whatlay hidden under the letter of the Old Testament: the mystery of Christ. Itis called typological because it reveals the newness of Christ on the basis ofthe figures (types) which announce him in the deeds, words, and symbolsof the first covenant. By this re-reading in the Spirit of Truth, starting fromChrist, the figures are unveiled.15 Thus the flood and Noahs ark prefigured

14Cf. DV 14-16; Lk 24:13-49.152 Corinthians 3:14-16 But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read

the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it takenaway. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their minds; but when a manturns to the Lord the veil is removed.

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salvation by Baptism,16 as did the cloud and the crossing of the Red Sea.Water from the rock was the figure of the spiritual gifts of Christ, and mannain the desert prefigured the Eucharist, the true bread from heaven.17

4 Battle with the Amalekites

4.1 Introduction Carla

4.2 Reading Exodus 17:8-16 (Marlon)

[8] Then came Amalek and fought with Israel at Rephidim. [9] And Mosessaid to Joshua18, Choose for us men, and go out, fight with Amalek; to-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.[10] So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses,Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.19 [11] Whenever Moses heldup his hand20, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalekprevailed.21 [12] But Moses hands grew weary; so they took a stone and putit under him, and he sat upon it, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, oneon one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until

161 Peter 3:21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal ofdirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrectionof Jesus Christ.

17John 6:32 Jesus then said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses whogave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

1 Corinthians 10:1-6 I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under thecloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud andin the sea, and all ate the same supernatural food and all drank the same supernaturaldrink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock wasChrist. Nevertheless with most of them God was not pleased; for they were overthrown inthe wilderness. Now these things are warnings for us, not to desire evil as they did.

18First mention of Joshua in the Pentateuch.Joshua 1:1-2 When Moses, servant of Yahweh, was dead, Yahweh spoke to Joshua son of

Nun, Moses adjutant. He said, Moses my servant is dead; go now and cross this Jordan,you and this whole people, into the country which I am giving to them (the Israelites).

19Exodus 24:14 He said to the elders, Wait here for us until we come back to you. Youhave Aaron and Hur with you; if anyone has any matter to settle, let him go to them.

20Psalms 44:4-7 You are my king, my God, who decreed Jacobs victories; through youwe conquered our opponents, in your name we trampled down those who rose up againstus. For my trust was not in my bow, my victory was not won by my sword; it was you whosaved us from our opponents, you who put to shame those who hate us.

21Joshua 8:18-19 Yahweh then said to Joshua, Point the sabre in your hand at Ai; forI am about to put the town at your mercy. Joshua pointed the sabre in his hand towardsthe town. No sooner had he stretched out his hand than the men in ambush burst fromtheir position, ran forward, entered the town, captured it and quickly set it on fire.

(Note f: Not a mere signal but a gesture effective in itself like that of Moses in Ex.17:9,11)

the going down of the sun. [13] And Joshua mowed down Amalek and hispeople with the edge of the sword.

Yahweh then said to Moses, Write this down in a book to commemorateit22, and repeat it over to Joshua, for I shall blot out all memory of Amalek un-der heaven.23 Moses then built an altar and named it Yahweh-Nissi meaning,Lay hold of Yahwehs banner! Yahweh will be at war with Amalek generationafter generation.

Commentary from the Navarre Bible: Exodus 17:8-13 In additionto the shortages of food and water the Israelites also had to cope with attacksfrom other groups in the desert over rights to wells and pas- tures. Theirconfrontation with the Amalekites shows that the same God as alleviatedtheir more pressing needs (hunger and thirst) will protect them from enemyattack.

The Amalekites were an ancient people (cf. Num 24:20; Gen 14:7; 36:12,16; Judg 1:16) who were spread all over the north of the Sinai peninsula,the Negeb, Seir and the south of Canaan; they controlled the caravan routesbetween Arabia and Egypt. In the Bible they appear as a perennial enemy ofIsrael (cf. Deut 25:17-18; 1 Sam 15:3; 27:8, 30) until in the time of Hezekiah (1Chron 4:41-43) the oracle about blotting out their memory finds fulfillment(v. 14). The mention of Joshua leading the battle and of Aaron and Hurhelping Moses to pray point to the fact that after Moses political-militaryand religious authority will be split, with the priests taking over the latter.

With the rod in his hand, Moses directs the battle from a distance, but hismain involvement is by interceding for his people, asking God to give themvictory. The Fathers read this episode as a figure of the action of Christ who,on the cross (symbolized by the rod), won victory over the devil and death(cf. Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem, 3, 18; St. Cyprian, Testimonia, 2, 21).

22Numbers 24:20 Balaam then looked at Amalek and declaimed his poem, as follows:Amalek, the earliest of nations! But his posterity will perish forever.

23Deuteronomy 25:17-19 Remember how Amalek treated you when you were on yourway out of Egypt. He met you on your way and, after you had gone by, he fell on you fromthe rear and cut off the stragglers; when you were faint and weary, he had no fear of God.When Yahweh your God has granted you peace from all the enemies surrounding you, inthe country given you by Yahweh your God to own as your heritage, you must blot out thememory of Amalek under heaven. Do not forget.

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5 The Bronze Serpent

5.1 Introduction Noe

5.2 Reading Numbers 21:4-9 (Carla)

And they marched from mount Hor, by the way that leadeth to the RedSea, to compass the land of Edom. And the people began to be weary oftheir journey and labour: 5 And speaking against God end Moses, they said:Why didst thou bring us out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness? There is nobread, nor have we any waters: our soul now loatheth this very light food.6 Wherefore the Lord sent among the people fiery serpents, which bit themand killed many of them. 7 Upon which they came to Moses, and said: Wehave sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and thee: pray thathe may take away these serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.8 And the Lord said to him: Make brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign:whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live. 9 Moses therefore made abrazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: which when they that were bittenlooked upon, they were healed

6 The Rebellion of Israel

6.1 Introduction Robert

6.2 Reading Numbers 14:1-38 (Felicity)

1 Wherefore the whole multitude crying wept that night. 2 And all the chil-dren of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying: 3 Would God thatwe had died in Egypt and would God we may die in this vast wilderness, andthat the Lord may not bring us into this land, lest we fall by the sword, andour wives and children be led away captives. Is it not better to return intoEgypt? 4 And they said one to another: Let us appoint a captain, and let usreturn into Egypt. 5 And when Moses and Aaron heard this, they fell downflat upon the ground before the multitude of the children of Israel. 6 ButJosue the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephone, who themselves also hadviewed the land, rent their garments, 7 And said to all the multitude of thechildren of Israel: The land which we have gone round is very good: 8 If theLord be favourable, he will bring us into it, and give us a land flowing withmilk and honey. 9 Be not rebellious against the Lord: and fear ye not thepeople of this land, for we are able to eat them up as bread. All aid is gonefrom them: the Lord is with us, fear ye not. 10 And when all the multitudecried out, and would have stoned them, the glory of the Lord appeared over

the tabernacle of the covenant to all the children of Israel. 11 And the Lordsaid to Moses: How long will this people detract me? how long will they notbelieve me for all the signs that I have wrought before them? 12 I will strikethem therefore with pestilence, and will consume them: but thee I will makea ruler over a great nation, and a mightier than this is. 13 And Moses saidto the Lord: That the Egyptians, from the midst of whom thou hast broughtforth this people, 14 And the inhabitants of this land, (who have heard thatthou, O Lord, art among this people, and art seen face to face, and thy cloudprotecteth them, and thou goest before them in a pillar of a cloud by day,and in a pillar of fire by night,) 15 May hear that thou hast killed so great amultitude as it were one man and may say: 16 He could not bring the peo-ple into the land for which he had sworn, therefore did he kill them in thewilderness. 17 Let their the strength of the Lord be magnified, as thou hastsworn, saying: 18 The Lord is patient and full of mercy, taking away iniquityand wickedness, and leaving no man clear, who visitest the sins of the fathersupon the children unto the third and fourth generation. 19 Forgive, I beseechthee, the sins of this people, according to the greatness of thy mercy, as thouhast been merciful to them from their going out of Egypt unto this place. 20And the Lord said: I have forgiven according to thy word. 21 As I live: andthe whole earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. 22 But yet all themen that have seen my majesty, and the signs that I have done in Egypt, andin the wilderness, and have tempted me now ten times, and have not obeyedmy voice, 23 Shall not see the land for which I aware to their fathers, neithershall any one of them that hath detracted me behold it. 24 My servant Caleb,who being full of another spirit hath followed me, I will bring into this landwhich he hath gone round: and his seed shall possess it. 25 For the Amaleciteand the Chanaanite dwell in the valleys. To morrow remove the camp, andreturn into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. 26 And the Lord spoketo Moses and Aaron, saying: 27 How long doth this wicked multitude murmuragainst me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. 28 Saytherefore to them: As I live, saith the Lord: According as you have spokenin my hearing, so will I do to you. 29 fin the wilderness shall your carcasseslie. All you that were numbered from twenty years old and upward, and havemurmured against me, 30 Shall not enter into the land, over which I liftedup my bend to make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephone,and Josue the son of Nun. 31 But your children, of whom you said, thatthey should be a prey to the enemies, will I bring in: that they may see theland which you have despised. 32 Your carcasses shall lie in the wilderness.33 Your children shall wander in the desert forty years, and shall bear yourfornication, until the carcasses of their fathers be consumed ill the desert, 34According to the number of the forty days, wherein you viewed the land: year

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shall be counted for a day. And forty years you shall receive your iniquities,and shall know my revenge: 35 For as I have spoken, so will I do to all thiswicked multitude, that hath risen up together against me: in this wildernessshall it faint away and die. 36 Therefore all the men, whom Moses had sentto view the land, and who at their return had made the whole multitude tomurmur against him, speaking ill of the land that it was naught, 37 Died andwere struck in the sight of the Lord. 38 But Josue .the son of Nun. and Calebthe son of Jephone lived, of all them that had gone to view the land.

Song: Bless Yahweh my soul

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1 Marah in the Desert1.1 Introduction -- Tom1.2 Reading -- Exodus 15:22-27 (Noe)

2 Manna/Quails2.1 Introduction -- Felicity2.2 Reading -- Numbers 11:1-9, 31+ (Tom)

3 Water from the Rock3.1 Introduction -- Marlon3.2 Reading -- Numbers 20:1-13 (Robert)3.3 Reading -- 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (Felicity)

4 Battle with the Amalekites4.1 Introduction -- Carla4.2 Reading -- Exodus 17:8-16 (Marlon)

5 The Bronze Serpent5.1 Introduction -- Noe5.2 Reading -- Numbers 21:4-9 (Carla)

6 The Rebellion of Israel6.1 Introduction -- Robert6.2 Reading -- Numbers 14:1-38 (Felicity)