Word In Life Study Bible
KADESH: “VALLEY FORGE” FOR MOSES
Num.20:1
If Moses was the “George Washington of Israel,” the father of his country, then Kadesh was his Valley Forge. During the harsh winter of 1777–8, the Continental Army of the United States camped at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. The ordeal tested General Washington with severe problems of morale and discipline—not unlike what Moses had to contend with at Kadesh.
Consider the barrage of mishaps that challenged Moses’ leadership:
• Spies brought back a discouraging report from the Promised Land (Num. 13:26–33).
• The people complained, prompting a promise by God to let them die while they wandered in the wilderess for forty more years (14:1–4, 11–12, 22–38).
• A foolhardy attempt by some of the people to penetrate the land ended in disaster (14:39–44).
• A Levite named Korah led an unsuccessful rebellion of 250 leaders (16:1–35).
• An outbreak of plague killed 14,700 people (16:41–50).
• Moses’ sister Miriam died (20:1).
• A lack of water and complaints by the people led Moses into disobedience, for which he would forfeit entry into the Promised Land (20:2–13).
• Moses received word that the Edomites refused to let Israel pass through (20:14–21).
No wonder Moses would write, “We have been consumed by &(God’s&) anger, and by &(His&) wrath we are terrified” (Ps. 90:7). The stay at Kadesh must have been a low point in Moses’ career.
Today nothing remains of Kadesh except a green field and several small tombs. Except for the biblical record, no visitor to the site would know that it was a base camp for Israel and the scene of major defeats for Moses.
Study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible, copyright 1993,1996, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. The study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible appearing at this web site are for personal use only.
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