John Calvin Commentary Numbers 33:1

"These are the journeys of the children of Israel, when they went forth out of the land of Egypt by their hosts under the hand of Moses and Aaron." — Numbers 33:1 (ASV)

These are the journeys of the children of Israel. Moses had not previously enumerated all the stations where the people had encamped, but hardly more than those where something memorable had occurred, especially after the passage of the Red Sea. This was because it was very important that the actual locations should be set, as it were, before their eyes, until they were not only rescued from impending death by God’s amazing power, but a way to life was opened to them through death and the lowest deep. In fact, in one passage he has as good as told us that he omitted certain stations, where he records that the people journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, to Rephidim (Exodus 17:1). Here, however, he more accurately states every place at which they stopped, as if he were painting a picture of their journey of forty years.

His purpose in this is, first, that the remembrance of their deliverance, and so many accompanying blessings, might be more deeply impressed on them, since local descriptions have no little effect in giving certainty to history. Secondly, that they might be reminded by the names of the places, how often and in how many ways they had provoked God’s anger against them. But especially, now that they were on the very threshold of the promised land, they might acknowledge that they had been kept back from it, and had been wandering by various tortuous routes, because of their own depravity and stubbornness, until they had received the reward of their vile ingratitude. At the same time, they might reflect that God had so tempered the severity of His punishment that He still preserved and sustained the despisers of His grace, despite their iniquity and unworthiness, and also that He continued the covenant He had made with Abraham for the children of the transgressors.

It is not without reason that Moses begins by saying, “these were the journeys of the children of Israel.” For, when they came out of the land of Goshen, they were filled with no ordinary fear and anxiety, seeing themselves buried, as it were, in the grave, as they were shut in on every side by the sea, or the defiles of two mountains, or the army of Pharaoh. Having entered the desert, they had seven stations before they arrived at Mount Sinai. In these, they must have perished a hundred times over from hunger and thirst, and a scarcity of everything, unless God had miraculously helped them.

And although they could have completed their whole journey in a relatively short time, their obstinate perversity even then began to cause delays. If the lack of bread and water beset them, they should have been more effectively stirred by it to turn humbly to God. However, they were so little inclined to that humility which would have led them to ask God through prayer and supplication for a remedy for their need, that they instead rebelled against Moses. Not only that, but they petulantly assailed God Himself with their impious taunts, as if He were a cruel executioner instead of their Redeemer. Thus, it came about that it was not before the fortieth day that they were finally brought to Mount Sinai.

Scarcely had the Law been proclaimed, and while the awesome voice of God by which He had bound them to Himself as His people was still ringing in their ears, when, suddenly, a base, indeed, a monstrous, falling away into idolatry occurred. Consequently, it was no credit to them that—having rejected God’s grace and, as far as it depended on them, having annulled the promise—they did not perish miserably as they deserved. By this obstacle they were again prevented from further progress. With the same obstinacy they constantly raged against God and, though warned by many examples of punishment, never came to their senses.

The climax of their insane stubborn disobedience was that when they arrived at the borders of the promised land, they repudiated God’s kindness and exhorted each other to return, as if God were hostile to them, and His priceless deliverance—which should have been a perpetual obligation to obedience—was utterly repulsive to them. The stations that then follow express in a more vivid manner how—like a ship driven from its port by a tempest and whirled around by various currents—they were carried away from approaching the land and wandered by circuitous routes, as if God were deservedly leading them about in mockery. It will be well for us to keep our eyes on this purpose of Moses, so that we may read the chapter profitably.

He calls the order of their marches “journeys” (profectiones), in contrast to their “stations.” This is because they did not strike their camp unless the signal was given—that is, when the cloud left the sanctuary and moved to another spot, as if God stretched out His hand from heaven to direct their way. And so it was more clearly apparent that they were kept in the desert by His power.