Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say, "Rise up, O LORD! May Your enemies be scattered; may those who hate You flee before You." Whenever the ark set outThis phrase marks a significant moment in the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness. The ark of the covenant was not merely a physical object but a profound symbol of God's presence among His people. In Hebrew, the word for "ark" is "aron," which signifies a chest or box, but in this context, it is the sacred chest containing the tablets of the covenant. The setting out of the ark indicates movement and guidance, emphasizing that the Israelites were not wandering aimlessly but were being led by God Himself. Historically, the ark was central to the camp, and its movement was a signal for the entire community to follow, underscoring the importance of divine leadership in their journey. Moses would say Moses, as the leader and prophet of Israel, had a unique relationship with God. His words here are not just a ritualistic chant but a prayerful invocation. The Hebrew root for "say" is "amar," which can mean to speak, declare, or command. This highlights Moses' role as an intermediary between God and the people, speaking words that were both a command and a prayer. Moses' utterance reflects his dependence on God for protection and guidance, setting an example for the Israelites to follow. Rise up, O LORD This phrase is a call to action directed towards God. The Hebrew word for "rise" is "qum," which means to arise, stand up, or become powerful. It is a plea for God to manifest His power and presence actively. The invocation "O LORD" uses the sacred name of God, Yahweh, which signifies His eternal and unchanging nature. This appeal is not just for physical movement but for divine intervention and leadership, acknowledging that without God's active presence, the journey would be in vain. may Your enemies be scattered Here, Moses prays for divine protection against adversaries. The Hebrew word for "enemies" is "oyeb," which refers to those who are hostile or opposed. The scattering of enemies is a common biblical theme, symbolizing God's power to protect His people and ensure their victory. This phrase reflects the belief that God fights on behalf of His people, and His presence is a deterrent to any opposition. It is a reminder of the spiritual warfare that accompanies the physical journey, where God is the ultimate defender. may those who hate You flee before You This part of the verse continues the theme of divine protection. The word "hate" in Hebrew is "sane," which implies intense aversion or hostility. Those who hate God are not just personal enemies of the Israelites but are opposed to God's purposes and plans. The imagery of fleeing suggests a complete and utter defeat, where the presence of God causes His adversaries to retreat in fear. This reflects the power and holiness of God, who cannot be opposed by any force. It serves as an assurance to the Israelites that with God leading them, no enemy can stand against them. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Moses is the one who speaks the invocation in this verse. 2. The Ark of the CovenantA sacred chest that held the tablets of the Ten Commandments, representing God's presence among His people. It was carried by the Levites and led the Israelites during their journeys. 3. The IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, who were on their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. They followed the Ark as it moved. 4. The Wilderness JourneyThe context of this verse is the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, guided by God through the Ark. 5. Enemies of GodThose who oppose God and His people. In this context, they are the nations and peoples who would resist the Israelites' progress to the Promised Land. Teaching Points God's Presence Leads UsJust as the Ark led the Israelites, God's presence should lead our lives. We must seek His guidance in all our endeavors. Prayer for Divine InterventionMoses' invocation is a model for us to pray for God's intervention against spiritual and physical adversaries in our lives. Trust in God's PowerThe scattering of enemies is a reminder of God's supreme power. We should trust that He can overcome any obstacle we face. Spiritual WarfareThe verse highlights the reality of spiritual warfare. Believers must be vigilant and rely on God's strength to overcome opposition. Unity in Following GodThe Israelites moved as one under God's guidance. Similarly, the church should be united in following Christ, our leader. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the invocation of Moses in Numbers 10:35 reflect the importance of God's presence in our daily lives? 2. In what ways can we apply the concept of God scattering our enemies to the spiritual battles we face today? 3. How does the role of the Ark of the Covenant as a symbol of God's presence relate to the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer? 4. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure that we are following God's lead, as the Israelites followed the Ark? 5. How can the unity of the Israelites in their journey inspire us to foster unity within our own faith communities? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 68:1This verse echoes the invocation of Moses, emphasizing God's power to scatter His enemies. It shows a continuity in the theme of God as a warrior who defends His people. Exodus 14:14This passage highlights God's role in fighting for Israel, reinforcing the idea that God is the one who scatters the enemies of His people. Deuteronomy 1:30This verse reassures the Israelites that God goes before them, fighting on their behalf, similar to the invocation in Numbers 10:35. People Aaron, Abidan, Ahiezer, Ahira, Ammihud, Amminadab, Ammishaddai, Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Deuel, Eliab, Eliasaph, Elishama, Elizur, Enan, Gad, Gamaliel, Gershon, Gershonites, Gideoni, Helon, Hobab, Issachar, Kohathites, Manasseh, Merari, Merarites, Moses, Nahshon, Naphtali, Nethaneel, Ocran, Pagiel, Pedahzur, Raguel, Reuben, Reuel, Shedeur, Shelumiel, Simeon, Zebulun, Zuar, ZurishaddaiPlaces Paran, SinaiTopics Arise, Ark, Armies, Broken, Enemies, Face, Flee, Flight, Foes, Forward, Hate, Haters, Hating, Journeying, Moved, O, Pass, Presence, Rise, Scattered, WheneverDictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 10:35 8728 enemies, of Israel and Judah Numbers 10:33-36 7021 church, OT anticipations Numbers 10:35-36 7328 ceremonies Library November 17. "The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord Went Before Them" (Num. x. 33). "The ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them" (Num. x. 33). God does give us impressions but not that we should act on them as impressions. If the impression be from God, He will Himself give sufficient evidence to establish it beyond the possibility of a doubt. How beautifully we read, in the story of Jeremiah, of the impression that came to him respecting the purchase of the field of Anathoth, but Jeremiah did not act upon this impression until after the following day, when his uncle's … Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth Hobab 'And Moses said unto Hobab ... Come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.'--NUM. x. 29. There is some doubt with regard to the identity of this Hobab. Probably he was a man of about the same age as Moses, his brother- in-law, and a son of Jethro, a wily Kenite, a Bedouin Arab. Moses begs him to join himself to his motley company, and to be to him in the wilderness 'instead of eyes.' What did Moses want a man for, when he had the cloud? What do we … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Hallowing of Work and of Rest 'And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee. 36. And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel.'--Num. x. 35, 36. The picture suggested by this text is a very striking and vivid one. We see the bustle of the morning's breaking up of the encampment of Israel. The pillar of cloud, which had lain diffused and motionless over the Tabernacle, gathers itself … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Publication of the Gospel The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it [or of the preachers] P erhaps no one Psalm has given greater exercise to the skill and patience of commentators and critics, than the sixty-eighth. I suppose the difficulties do not properly belong to the Psalm, but arise from our ignorance of various circumstances to which the Psalmist alludes; which probably were, at that time, generally known and understood. The first verse is the same with the stated form of benediction … John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 Letter Lv. Replies to Questions of Januarius. Or Book II. of Replies to Questions of Januarius. (a.d. 400.) Chap. I. 1. Having read the letter in which you have put me in mind of my obligation to give answers to the remainder of those questions which you submitted to me a long time ago, I cannot bear to defer any longer the gratification of that desire for instruction which it gives me so much pleasure and comfort to see in you; and although encompassed by an accumulation of engagements, I have given the first place to the work of supplying … St. Augustine—The Confessions and Letters of St How the Humble and the Haughty are to be Admonished. (Admonition 18.) Differently to be admonished are the humble and the haughty. To the former it is to be insinuated how true is that excellence which they hold in hoping for it; to the latter it is to be intimated how that temporal glory is as nothing which even when embracing it they hold not. Let the humble hear how eternal are the things that they long for, how transitory the things which they despise; let the haughty hear how transitory are the things they court, how eternal the things they … Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great The Second Coming of Christ. ^A Matt. XXIV. 29-51; ^B Mark XIII. 24-37; ^C Luke XXI. 25-36. ^b 24 But in those days, ^a immediately after the { ^b that} ^a tribulation of those days. [Since the coming of Christ did not follow close upon the destruction of Jerusalem, the word "immediately" used by Matthew is somewhat puzzling. There are, however, three ways in which it may be explained: 1. That Jesus reckons the time after his own divine, and not after our human, fashion. Viewing the word in this light, the passage at II. Pet. … J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Country of Jericho, and the Situation of the City. Here we will borrow Josephus' pencil, "Jericho is seated in a plain, yet a certain barren mountain hangs over it, narrow, indeed, but long; for it runs out northward to the country of Scythopolis,--and southward, to the country of Sodom, and the utmost coast of the Asphaltites." Of this mountain mention is made, Joshua 2:22, where the two spies, sent by Joshua, and received by Rahab, are said to "conceal themselves." "Opposite against this, lies a mountain on the other side Jordan, beginning from … John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah "And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth unto Me (one) [Pg 480] to be Ruler in Israel; and His goings forth are the times of old, the days of eternity." The close connection of this verse with what immediately precedes (Caspari is wrong in considering iv. 9-14 as an episode) is evident, not only from the [Hebrew: v] copulative, and from the analogy of the near relation of the announcement of salvation to the prophecy of disaster … Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Numbers Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution … John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Numbers 10:35 NIVNumbers 10:35 NLTNumbers 10:35 ESVNumbers 10:35 NASBNumbers 10:35 KJV
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