Numbers 33:17-36 (ESV)
And they set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. [18] And they set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. [19] And they set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. [20] And they set out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. [21] And they set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah. [22] And they set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. [23] And they set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. [24] And they set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. [25] And they set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. [26] And they set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. [27] And they set out from Tahath and camped at Terah. [28] And they set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. [29] And they set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. [30] And they set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. [31] And they set out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. [32] And they set out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. [33] And they set out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. [34] And they set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. [35] And they set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. [36] And they set out from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin (that is, Kadesh).
This passage shows the wanderings in the wilderness that Israel had to suffer for their rebellion in the wilderness of Paran when the 10 spies who were sent to Canaan brought back evil report to their brethren. Rithmah was perhaps the place that Moses sent the spies, since it was the place Israel pitched after Hazeroth, where Miriam was plagued with leprosy (Numbers 12:15-16). And from Rithmah there were 17 stations in the desert through which Israel wandered for 38 years before children of Israel reached the wilderness of Zin, the gates of Canaan.
Why did God make Israel wander 38 years in the desert? It was because they did not believe. They did not believe in God's promises to their fathers. They did not believe in Joshua and Caleb's faithful report, but chose instead to believe in the report of the faithless 10 spies. Israel chose to believe in the majority rather than the few who had the heart of God. Is this not what is happening with Israel even until today? Christ came to Israel 2000 years ago, and gave Israel a good report of the Kingdom of God. They disbelieved, and crucified the Lord of glory. After Christ rose again, His disciples declared the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, but they again resisted the Holy Spirit, and would not receive the Kingdom of God. They were not willing to be converted and become little children, but they were proud, and despised the good land which God had prepared for them through Christ. Therefore Stephen said to them:
Acts 7:51-53 (ESV)
"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. [52] Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, [53] you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it."
And Israel is now again wandering in the wilderness because of their unbelief in God. As it was with Joshua and Caleb, there is a small remnant that do believe in Christ, but heaven has been shut off for most of them, because they believe not in Jesus Christ:
Romans 11:25 (KJV)
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
But just as Israel did not wander in the wilderness forever, likewise Israel will not wander in unbelief forever. See how Paul gives a timeline: "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in", that is, until the Gospel is preached and believed on all the Gentile nations of the world. Just as Israel in the wilderness realized after that there is only one way to the promised land - by believing in God - Israel will one day realize that faith in Christ is the only one way to the Kingdom of God.
Just as Israel of old realized that they couldn't conquer Canaan by their own strength, Israel will realize that they can't get to heaven by their own righteousness. Remember when after Israel heard of God's judgment, Israel presumed to go into Canaan by themselves. But God was not with them, nor the Ark and nor Moses, and so they were defeated:
Numbers 14:44-45 (ESV)
But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp. [45] Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.
Israel likewise are to this day trying to conquer heaven by zeal, but not by faith. They realize not that it is by submitting to and trusting in God's righteousness. They must realize that Jesus Christ is the Ark of the New Covenant, and that without Him, they cannot take the Kingdom. And until they realize this truth, they will continue to wander in this wilderness of unbelief. But when they believe, they will be immediately transferred, from the domain of darkness, into the Kingdom of God. God is able to graft them in again through faith:
Romans 11:23 (ESV)
And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.
This journey of Israel shows the futile life of the unbeliever. See how Israel moves from station to station, but none of those names are recorded by Moses anywhere else. None of those names mean anything. In fact, from the transition from Numbers 19 to 20, there is just a blank, with no record of what happened during those 38 years. These are just forgotten and wasted years. These names of the stations are empty names that Israel gave to the same wilderness. Though they gave them different names, they were still in the same wilderness of unbelief. Likewise is the vain and meaningless life that God subjects to the unbeliever. The unbeliever tries to find meaning of the wilderness, giving different names to the things that he does and achieves, but there is no real change. There is nothing new under the sun, but all are endless recycling, repackaging and rehashing of the same garbage the last generation had thrown away:
Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 (ESV)
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. [10] Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"?It has been already in the ages before us. [11] There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembranceof later things yet to be among those who come after.
There is only new things ABOVE the sun. And these things must be given by God from heaven to us. And these new things, spiritual things, the hidden things of God, cannot be given to a man unless one believes in Christ. See the promises of God of new things towards those love and believe in Him:
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (ESV)
But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined,what God has prepared for those who love him"- [10] these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
Only God can take us out from this dreaded wilderness of endless repetitions and vanities of this life. Futility is the judgment that God has pronounced to those who do not glorify Him:
Romans 1:21 (ESV)
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Indeed the whole creation was cursed with futility and vanity because of Adam's sins:
Romans 8:20-21 (ESV)
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope [21] that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
But God can deliver us from this futility. He can rescue us from meaninglessness and emptiness and vain living. When we have Jesus Christ in our lives, everything becomes to be about Him, and everything that happens to us have a purpose, to bring glory to God. Even Israel's current blindness has a purpose under God's sovereignty:
Romans 11:11-12 (ESV)
So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. [12] Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
Though we are now wandering in the desert of futility, if we come to the Lord in faith, He can make even our past to have God-glorifying meaning for us. We don't see it at the time when we are going through the wilderness, but afterward, God can make it so that, when we look back to our past, we can glorify God through it no matter how horrible and wretched it was. Was our past lives ruined by sin, darkness and misery? If we come to God through faith in Christ, He can make our black past to be a useful backdrop for the glory of God's grace upon us.
As it is written:
Psalm 30:11 (ESV)
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
God is able to turn our failures, sorrows and our sins of our past into beautiful things, and useful things. God will do these for us, if we believe in Him for these things, and believe that He is able. In heaven, God will wipe away all our tears, and the tears we have shed in this world will turn out to magnify our joy there infinitely more. Praise be to God, who alone does new things, and makes a highway for us in the desert for us to walk in, that we may not be wanderers, nor walk winding roads, but that we may walk a straight path to Zion:
Isaiah 43:19-21 (ESV)
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 35:8-10 (ESV)
And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. [9] No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. [10] And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
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