Towards, unto, into and in Theos

Speak unto the children of Yisra’el, that they turn and encamp before Py hahyroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Ba’al Tsephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. (Exodus 14.2)

and:

And they removed from ‘Etham, and turned again unto Py hahiroth, which is before Ba’al Tsephon: and they pitched before Migdol. And they departed from before Hahyroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness of ‘Etham, and pitched in Marah. (Numbers 33.7,8)

The people have left their encampment at ‘Etham which, it says in Numbers 33.6 is in the edge of the wilderness. These two stages, bisected by their crossing of the sea, are accomplished within the wilderness which is called, once they have traversed the sea, the wilderness of ‘Etham. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for wilderness is midbar (מדבר) which dervives from the stem dabar (דבר) which means ‘word’. We may ask the question, What is the relationship between a desert place and the word? We would assume that the relationship might be one of opposites. A quiet and deserted place is devoid of speech. However, this wilderness was not devoid of people and they were being led by ‘elohym so that we might infer that the word was ever present. Iesous resorted to deserted places to contemplate and also to be tempted at the outset of his ministry. It is clear that there was an abundance of the word in such apparently unpromising conditions. As the journey unfolds, and with it the revelation of Yahweh’s covenant we can see that the word is present where there is an absence of material distractions and abundance.

The first of the two stages dealt with here sees the people embarking from ‘Etham, the place which we have seen as being homographically descriptive of the creation of a people with Yahweh. They then travel to a place which is defined in relation to four geographical points: Py-hahyroth; Ba’al Tsephon; Migdol and the sea. They, the people, are by the sea and before the other three places.

The first place is called both Py Hahyroth and then just Hahyroth. The word Py (פי) is, straightforwardly, the word for ‘mouth’. This is used as a description of a person’s mouth and then, metaphorically by implication, an edge or rim or limit, such as in the mouth of a well or a sack or the edge of a sword. Because it is indicative of a mouth it is also used to describe speech or commandment. This is interesting as the demarcation of the camp is limited by juxtaposition with three places and the sea, so the ‘mouth’ could be the edge of Hahyroth. The second part of the name is preceded by the definite article (the) which is represented by the ‘ha’ part of the Hebrew, that is the Hebrew ה (h) – Hahyroth. The remainder of the word – hyroth – seems to derive from a Hebrew stem – hor (חור) – which is usually translated as ‘hole(s)’ or ‘cave(s)’. However, here the place name occurs as a feminine plural whereas the, apparently, related noun is a masculine singular or plural.

The next place name that identifies the location of the encampment is Ba’al Tsephon (בעל צפון). This is made up of two words. The first word is Ba’al (בעל) which is the name of the false ‘el that is regularly referred to in the Old Testament and appears to be a deity widely worshipped in the region where the children of Yisra’el would eventually inhabit. It is sometimes linked with a place name too, such as Ba’al beryth, whereby the deity is linked to another concept, in that case ‘covenant’. The deity Ba’al was a constant problem for Yisra’el as, over the ensuing centuries, many turned aside to him instead of remaining faithful to Yahweh. A number of the kings of Yisra’el were devotees of Ba’al and built altars and shrines to him. It is also translated as ‘man’, ‘husband’ and ‘master’. The second word in the place name is Tsephon (צפון) and is usually translated, in this form, as ‘north’ or ‘northward’. It comes from the stem tsaphan (צפן) meaning ‘to hide’. We might infer a possible translation for the place name as ‘man/Ba’al of the north’. Indeed, the notion of coming from the north often implies a judgment whether by an army or by a wind.

The third place name mentioned above is Migdol (מגדול) which occurs as a place name in Mitsraym not only in Exodus 14 and Numbers 33 but also in Yeremyahu 44 and 46 when referring to the Yehudym that dwelt in Mitsraym and who thought, mistakenly, that they would be safe there from any threat of captivity in Babel. It also occurs on a further three occasions, where it is translated as ‘tower’. This is probably because the word ‘tower’ in Hebrew is migdal (מגדל), differing only from migdol (מגדול) in the absence of the letter waw (ו) from the former. The word appears to stem from the Hebrew gadal (גדל) meaning ‘to grow/magnify or be great’. This idea of increasing greatness is obvious when we think of a tower. It is something that becomes great as it is built.

The name of Yahweh is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is safe. (Proverbs 18.10)

and:

And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. (Genesis 11.4,5)

The contrast here is clear. It is the difference between building the name/identity of Yahweh in ourselves, which creates true security, and the building of a name/identity of man’s thinking which Yahweh will frustrate and confuse.

The final point of defining the encampment is the sea. In this specific context the sea is referred to only as that. In previous and subsequent instances in both Exodus and Numbers the sea is called the Red Sea or yam suph (ים סוף). It would seem a reasonable inference that this is the geographical location being offered as the location of the camp before passing through the sea and, indeed, the actual sea passed through. The term suph (סוף), when not being used in the name of the sea, is translated as ‘flags’ or ‘reeds’ and is used, for example, in Exodus 2 to describe the water based vegetation by the side of the river where Mosheh’s ark was placed when he was a baby.

And ‘elohym called the dry land earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he seas: and ‘elohym saw that it was good (Genesis 1.10)

This is the first occurrence of the word sea (yam ים). In this verse, of course, it occurs in the plural ‘seas’ (yamym ימים). The seas are defined as being the gathering together of waters (maym מים), which appears, in the Hebrew, to be an inversion of the word for ‘seas’. The inversion strikes at a close relationship of meaning, not an antithesis.

Here in Exodus 14 and Numbers 33, therefore, we see that the children of Yisra’el are geographically contained by a place which may allude to the presence of caves or holes; a place which may allude to a northerly judgment; a place which alludes to a tower, greatness or growth and a considerable mass of waters.

The presence of caves or holes is a stretch to show as the place name is in the feminine plural, whereas the use of the term holes/caves would be expected to be in the masculine plural. Set against this may be the possibility that the language used to describe this place may not be Hebrew. The presence of caves/holes/dens of the earth is redolent of the fear of the children of Yisra’el in the future when they feared being overthrown by their enemies. The northerly judgment may be relevant as it is likely that the path of Phar’oh and his men may have come from the North to this point as it seems likely their journey took a similar route to the people they were pursuing. Northerly judgments from various nations, including ‘Aram, ‘Asshur, Babel, Greece and Rome speak to the repeated judgments upon a faithless Yisra’el. The magnitude or tower of the third place name could be seen as the name of Yahweh that they are fleeing towards. In the end this will require their pursuit of growth to be in righteousness. Although it could also speak to their own exaltation which would be brought low in judgment by Yahweh, as in the tower of Babel, where it was not his but their own name they were building. The final element is the sea, an overwhelming body of water which, at this time, is an impediment to the progression of their journey but, owing to the mercy of Yahweh and the work of Mosheh, on instruction from Yahweh, becomes salvation to them and judgment upon Phar’oh and his host.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of ‘elohym moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1.2)

Right from the beginning there is a relationship seen between the waters, sometimes also referred to as the deep, and the spirit of ‘elohym. The same language as that of Genesis 1 is used to describe the movement of the ark of Noah:

And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 7.18)

The waters in the flood were, on the one hand, a judgment against the wickedness of nearly the whole population of the earth and, on the other, the means of salvation for Noah and his household. The ark moved upon the face of the waters because those inside it, particularly Noah, were obedient to Yahweh, were manifesting the spirit of ‘elohym, which also moved upon the face of the waters. That which was of ‘elohym, a mind (spirit), was also of Noah. So, the overwhelming judgment of Yahweh was destruction to those of the carnal mind and life unto those of the spirit. The waters are the overwhelming judgment of Yahweh pronounced by his mouth. Salvation is to those who are willing to drown the carnal mind in spirit and emerge a new man.

We will be looking at these themes in an upcoming blog about baptism. The flood is relevant in this regard:

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of Theos waited in the days of Noe, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto baptism does also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward Theos, – εις θεον) by the resurrection of Iesous Anointed: (1 Petros 3.20,21)

and:

Moreover, brothers, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptised into (εις) Moses in the cloud and in the sea; (1 Corinthians 10.1,2)

Now, we see the coming together of two figurative baptisms that help us to a greater insight of the passage through the sea. The children of Yisra’el are brought to a point where they have no apparent escape. They are being chased down by the army of Phar’oh from the rear and ahead of them is the apparently unyielding mass of water that is the Red Sea. Yahweh, as he repeatedly does throughout the journey is testing them to see if they will be obedient and faithful to him when faced with apparently impossible odds. This same phenomenon appears to happen a number of times in the life of Iesous and his disciples with regard to water. Whether it be the storms crashing in on their boat while Iesous sleeps soundly through the maelstrom, the attempt by Petros to walk on the water after Iesous’ example or the apparently unyielding sea which yields a great catch at Iesous’ command. In all these incidents, as it is in the wilderness passage, his disciples are upbraided for either their littleness or lack of belief. Similarly, the same is occurring here. They are faced with the overwhelming presence of a body of water which is their only way out. They must move forward, towards the land, towards ‘el, as must we, but they are barred by water. The water, as a figure for spirit, is an impediment to the flesh but, because of the intervention of Yahweh in Mosheh (and figuratively in anointed) the faithful may pass through. When faced with the impending doom of the arrival of Phar’oh and his army, their response is:

And they said unto Mosheh, Because there were no graves in Mitsraym, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore have you dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Mitsraym? (Exodus 14.11)

Yahweh tells them, however, to move forward and, on instruction from Yahweh, Mosheh stretches out the rod in his hand over the waters to part them. The children of Yisra’el pass through on dry land while the Mitsraym, following after, are eventually overthrown in the midst of the sea once Yisra’el has passed through. The word is effectual to those believing in it and destruction to the disobedient and unrighteous. These things, as Paulos states in 1 Corinthians 10, happened as examples that we should take heed and not falter after the same pattern of unbelief. It is easy, when faced with apparently overwhelming carnal odds, to not see the path ahead which Yahweh opens up to us to pursue the journey towards the promised possession. In reality, however, the greater dangers are pursuing us and are in danger of catching up and overtaking us. The impediment ahead is only an impediment if we have a lack of belief. The journey is clear and salvation is only possible with the shepherd leading the way and opening up the spirit for us to be immersed in. Through Yahweh’s favour towards Mosheh and, through him, his people the other side of the sea is reached and the journey progresses.

From the sea they travel a further three days in the wilderness of ‘Etham and come unto Marah, where they make their next encampment. We will deal with Marah in the next blog about the stages of the journey. Suffice it to say, at this point, and to reiterate an earlier assertion, that the whole of these two stages – from ‘Etham to Migdol and from thence through the sea and unto Marah – have been conducted in the region (and wilderness) of ‘Etham. This area that, being absent of fruitfulness, has been filled with the symbols of the abundance of Yahweh’s word, set in the context of the testing of his people. This region, that is homographically linked with the creation of the object (his people) by the subject (Yahweh), has seen more evidence of the taking of Yisra’el unto himself by the creative sign of their baptism into the obedience of his servant Mosheh.