Observation: This is the last campsite for Israel, as they prepare to enter the promised land after 40 years of wandering. While they went a lot of places, seemingly randomly, they were not actually wandering day-by-day. There were 40 campsites, and some of these occurred in two times of rapid succession ... during the first few days and months after leaving Egypt, and again during the final year when they marched around Edom and through Moab. In most cases, they would stop for a year or two at a time.
That said, they were camping. When the cloud of Yahweh lifted from the holy of holies, they needed to be ready to move. They were living in tents, and taking with them only what they could carry and perhaps what a bull could pull on a relatively small cart. Any farm fields they had cultivated were left behind, and livestock must be in manageable herds.
In other words, Israel cannot collect stuff. Even when they have been in the same place for many months, they cannot acquire keepsakes or any person items that are not useful in their daily living. Even the useful items must be in manageable quantities, without redundancy. They can't have the "everyday" and "nice" version of anything, and they cannot hold onto older items because they are sentimental or might need the item in the future. In this way, they are more and more dependent on the Lord every day, for every provision, and not just for manna from heaven to eat or water from rocks to drink, but for even utensils and supplies they may need on a daily basis, but cannot just keep on hand for themselves.
Application: We have so much ... stuff. I have a three-car garage that is about 50 percent shelf space for decorations, tools, and old supplies I may need someday. I have a closet behind me stacked floor to ceiling with boxes I don't even know what they hold. Combined, my wife and I have a walk-closet with hanging space around it all, floor space below that, and three dressers/chest-of-drawers, all full of our clothes and shoes. We have put keepsakes in our attic space that we haven't even then looked at for a decade. In just one example of 'practical' items ... we have FIVE full sets of dishes ... an everyday set, a nice set, a winter set, a special Christmas set, and an antique glass set that was first owned by my wife's grandmother.
And we can have all this because we haven't moved in 23 years now. We have lived in this house that entire time, and thus when we have things we don't need today we can simply find a place to put the items. There will come a time in likely 5-10 years when we will move, and at that time we will make a lot of decisions and get rid of much of it, however that day has not come yet.
As a result, perhaps I am missing out on a connection to the Lord. I am missing out on the chance to have greater dependency upon him. I know I AM dependent upon him ... I have many of these things because he has blessed us so well, and allowed us joy and pleasure in life. However, when I need something, I just go get it.
Imagine how real the Lord's blessing would be if, when I wanted something, I had to pray and wait to see if it somehow just showed up in the desert. Or more likely ... imagine how real the Lord would be if ... I just couldn't 'want' stuff, and instead lived a life where all I wanted was to live with him.
Prayer: Lord, again today I thank you for your blessings. I have nothing that isn't from your hand, and from your heart, and I thank you with all that I am for the joys of my life. May I not allow those blessings to diminish my daily need for you, my Lord and my God. Heal my mind from its recent issues so I may be closer to you moment by moment. Amen.
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