We are in Numbers chapter three with our word for today which is a phrase. בְּמִדְבַּ֣ר סִינַ֔י in the wilderness of Sinai. It is used 9 times in the Old Testament, twice in our chapter. We see our phrase used in the context where Aaron’s sons died and where God instructed Moses to number the people. Numbers 3:4, 14-16 But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord בְּמִדְבַּ֣ר סִינַ֔י in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father … And the Lord spoke to Moses בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינַ֖י in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, “List the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward you shall list.” So Moses listed them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded. Numbers 1:19 as the Lord commanded Moses. So he listed them בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי in the wilderness of Sinai. Numbers 26:64 But among these there was not one of those listed by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had listed the people of Israel בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי in the wilderness of Sinai. We find our word used in the context of where the people were to bring their offerings to the Lord. Leviticus 7:38 which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day that he commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the Lord, בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי in the wilderness of Sinai. We find our word used in the context of where God spoke to Moses. Numbers 1:1 The Lord spoke to Moses בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינַ֖י in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt. Numbers 9:1, 5 And the Lord spoke to Moses בְמִדְבַּר־סִ֠ינַי in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt. We find our word used in the context of where the Passover was observed. Numbers 9:5 And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, בְּמִדְבַּ֣ר סִינָ֑י in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did. Our word is used in the context of where the people camped. Numbers 33:15 And they set out from Rephidim and camped בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי in the wilderness of Sinai. The wilderness of Sinai appears prominently in the opening chapters of Numbers, where the Israelites camped for nearly a year at the base of Mount Sinai. This location held theological significance as the place where Moses and the Israelites encountered God, received the law, and constructed the tabernacle. As we will see in the days to come in the book of Numbers that the Israelites wilderness experience is a real-life historical example of the consequences of sin. The Holy Spirit says this very same thing writing through Paul to the Corinthian Christians. I’ll close with this great passage. 1 Corinthians 10:5-13 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
