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Memoirs of Moses
Part 7 - To the Promised Land |
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After all the work done at Sinai to get the Israelites organised and make the Tabernacle, install the Priests and Levites with their specific jobs and drill the army, we set out for the promised land of Canaan. This happened exactly 10 days under two years after arriving at the foot of the mountain, and 2 years 2½ months after leaving Egypt. We had the services of my brother-in-law, Jethro's son, as guide. He wanted to go back to his family, but I persuaded him to stay with us for a short time as he was familiar with that area. He had led the sheep in the southern approaches to Canaan whereas I had led my flock in the Sinai Peninsula.
I had hoped that the Israelites would be well disciplined after all the miracles they had seen, and the display which Yahweh had put on in Sinai, and also because Yahweh continued to guard us and guide us as a pillar of smoke during the day and fire at night. I was mistaken. First they complained about the hard going and the pillar of fire moved into the camp and burned some to death. Then they grumbled about the monotonous diet of Manna. They grumbled at me of course, and I grumbled at Yahweh. I tell you I was really fed up with their grumbles by this time. Yahweh sent more quails for them, but sent a plague as well. Will they ever learn not to displease Yahweh? It was at this time that the seventy elders of the Israelites were specially anointed with the Holy Spirit so that they could share my burdens of prayer and leadership. The last event before reaching the border of Canaan was the one I least expected. Aaron and Miriam turned against me and wanted to take over. Apart from the incident of the Golden Calf these two had been faithful allies all along; in fact it was Miriam who stood guard over me when I was a tiny baby in the rushes beside the River Nile and cleverly persuaded the princess to take my real mother to be my nanny. Yet here, just as we were about to finish the journey (I thought) they rebelled. However, I had an ally who superseded all others - Yahweh, himself. I had a special tent at the edge of the camp, which I called "the tent of meeting" because it was there I went to pray.
Yahweh came there as a cloud as I was praying about this last setback, called Aaron and Miriam to the tent and spoke to them in very angry tones. Then the cloud of His presence moved away from the tent and we saw that Miriam had suddenly become a leper.
After her healing and Miriam had returned to the camp, we made the final stage of the journey in relative peace. We camped in the desert of Paran while I sent spies out to survey the promised land.
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Aaron was thoroughly frightened, as I guess Miriam was also, and begged me to intercede for her healing, which I did. Yahweh agreed but insisted that she spent one week outside the camp as a leper.