On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the Testimony. Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.
This was the first time that the Israelites traveled as an ordered march; part of their instructions during their sojourn at Sinai included how to order the camp, both while they were stopped and while they were on the move, following the cloud. Before Sinai, they were a group of refugees; now they were a nation moving with purpose. We have one more mention of 'desert' in chapter 10; Moses asks his father-in-law to accompany them to their destination. At first, Jethro (aka Hobab) refused,
But Moses said, "Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the desert, and you can be our eyes. If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the LORD gives us." (10:31-32). There's no other reference to the conversation, so apparently Jethro/Hobab went with them. He knew the desert, and he would know where there was water...springs and cisterns.
I'm going to mention the little side quest here; the trip to the Desert of Paran was a struggle. In actuality, the word 'desert' only appears in three verses in the account of the journey. But something happens here that sets up a pattern that will influence a decision that will change the character of the desert sojourn. In chapter 11, the Israelites resort to grumbling again. They had been happy enough at Sinai, but once they were on the move again, well,
Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. (11:1).
They'd gone nearly a whole year without complaining or grumbling...but now it starts again (grumble count: 3) With the camp ordered as instructed, the 'outskirts' of the camp would be the folks who were not actual Israelites but who were tagging along with them; some had come with them from Egypt, and they caused some problems as we'll see in pretty short order. But verse 2 tells us that the people cried to Moses while the fire was burning; he prayed for them and the fire died down. But that didn't stop the grumbling.
The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost -- also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!" (11:4-6).
Grumble count: 4.
Even Moses picked up a lament; he was overwhelmed by the complaining of the people. The rest of chapter 11 describes God's provision for them...he gave Moses some help in governing the people, and he gave the people quail to eat...and a plague of judgment that killed enough that the place became known as 'Graves of Craving' -- Kibroth Hattaavah.
And it wasn't enough that the people were grumbling; chapter 12 relates that Miriam and Aaron picked up the complaining spirit and THEY began to talk behind Moses' back.
But, as has already been demonstrated, the LORD hears the complaints. There was a meeting with Moses, and the presence of God came down and scolded Aaron and Miriam...and when it was over, Miriam had been stricken with leprosy. Moses, of course, interceded and after Miriam had been excluded from the camp for 7 days; she was healed and allowed to return.
After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran. (12:16).
This should have been a relatively easy journey for the company, from Sinai to Paran. But they made it difficult by complaining. And I can't help but wonder if that complaining attitude didn't set the stage for what would happen at Kadesh Barnea, there in the desert of Paran. They were on the brink of their promise...and they had come through a struggle with folks dying in the desert as a result of their complaints. No enemies had attacked them, they had not had issues looking for water, all their problems on that trip were a direct result of their own complaining.
They were on very dangerous ground, but they didn't see it.
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