The LORD makes a big deal about fulfilling our promises, because He wants us to count on His promises of our transformation of character and world made new through the Messiah. That’s an important lesson in the Torah double reading מטות Matot (“tribes”) and מסעי Massei (“journeys of”), covering Numbers 30:2–36:13.

But easy to miss in seemingly unending list of 40-plus place names in Numbers 33 are the critical lessons learned by the Exodus generations and each one to our current day about temptations “common to man” (1Cor. 10:13).

Apostle Paul riffs on the incidents behind the Egypt-to-Promised Land travelogue to show us we must trust that, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1Corinthians 10:13 NASB).

There are many simple yet profound lessons one can learn from Mattot/Massei:

When the LORD makes a vow or oath, you can count on it.

We must be careful when calling on the LORD to co-sign our vows or oaths.

Remember where we came from and where we’re going.

Remember why we left our way of life outside the Kingdom.

Remember Who took us out of the house of bondage and Who takes us into the Kingdom of God.

Remember that we can enter the Kingdom now, before we “cross over” on the Day of the LORD.

Our High Priest is our refuge for the avenger after us.

We will spend most of today in Numbers 33. Mattot/Massei is, in a sense, a travelogue of the children of Israel. But Moses does not merely talk about where they went. He also recalls all the lessons they learned through their travels.

The travelogue of Numbers 33 is not in chronological order. They are not recorded merely to reiterate history but to remind the children of Israel of the spiritual lessons they would need to internalize to live successfully in the Promised Land.

Each one of us is going through our own journey from the house of bondage to the promised land and to the kingdom. These curveballs come our way, too, and the problems that drug them down can drag us down as well if we aren’t paying attention.

So don’t just space out like another vacation slideshow.

“Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the word which the LORD has commanded. “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” (Numbers 30:1–2 NASB)

God knows the difference between a rash vow and a tough vow that one has decided is too hard to keep. Those of us who are followers of God need to be as faithful to keep our vows as our Master Yeshua is in keeping His vows.

A tale of two watersheds: Nile v. Jordan

One of the patriarch Joseph’s original water canals is still in active use in Egypt. You can almost set your watch to the timing of its floods. The Nile is a large river, and sometimes it’s large and sometimes it’s very large but its always formidable.

The land of Israel, on the other hand, depends on rain. There is no large river that irrigates the entire land to sustain its agriculture. The Jordan River is a small stream to muddy river. At various times, it goes up and then it goes down. It’s a good boundary but it is not a sufficient water source for the entire country.

The tribes are no interchangeable. Each one has a purpose just as each part of the human body has a purpose.

The Promised Land was sandwiched between Mitzraim and the Hittite Empire (modern day Turkey) and God cut out a place for His people separate from these superpowers.

Travelogue from the ‘house of bondage’ to the ...