Do you recall who Hobab was? From what I can deduce he was also called Jethro in earlier Scriptures. In addition to being a Midianite spiritual leader and owner of lots of land and livestock, he was also Moses' father-in-law, Zipporah's father. Numbers 10 finds him with Moses and the freshly liberated from Egypt: Israelites. Here's the storyline in the NASB:
29 Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out to the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you’; come with us and we will do you good, for the Lord has g]">[g]promised good concerning Israel.” 30 But he said to him, “I will not come, but rather will go to my own land and relatives.” 31 Then he said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will be as eyes for us. 32 So it will be, if you go with us, that h]">[h]whatever good the Lord i]">[i]does for us, we will j]">[j]do for you.”
The next verse suggests to me that Hobab WENT WITH MOSES! Maybe that doesn't seem like a "biggie" when you are rushing through all the census and other rather droll stuff in Numbers but it sure hit me when I read it recently. In fact, I take it as a bigger event than when Ruth went with Naomi or Lot went with Abram! Why? You can guess can't you?
First Moses appears out of nowhere in the dessert and wins the heart of his eldest daughter, Zipporah, then he gets the call from God out of a burning bush and before you know it he's taking his wife, Zipporah (and their family?) off to Egypt, away from Hobab/Jethro. Then, he's the leader of indentured Israel and is being guided by God to bring them to freedom from Egypt's Pharoh. Tell me that wouldn't be quite a life for the father (of any daughter) to hear/watch unfold. Can you imagine if they had cell phones the kind of texts that Hobab would be getting from Zipporah? News travelled slower, but it is no surprise to me that we find Hobab out in the wilderness checking in with Moses and company and giving him some great advice on leading.
What I think is spectacular is the fact that Hobab agrees to stay with Moses and Israel as they sojourn to the New Land, promised by God! What a testimony to what God was doing among them in the dessert!
29 Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out to the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you’; come with us and we will do you good, for the Lord has g]">[g]promised good concerning Israel.” 30 But he said to him, “I will not come, but rather will go to my own land and relatives.” 31 Then he said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will be as eyes for us. 32 So it will be, if you go with us, that h]">[h]whatever good the Lord i]">[i]does for us, we will j]">[j]do for you.”
The next verse suggests to me that Hobab WENT WITH MOSES! Maybe that doesn't seem like a "biggie" when you are rushing through all the census and other rather droll stuff in Numbers but it sure hit me when I read it recently. In fact, I take it as a bigger event than when Ruth went with Naomi or Lot went with Abram! Why? You can guess can't you?
First Moses appears out of nowhere in the dessert and wins the heart of his eldest daughter, Zipporah, then he gets the call from God out of a burning bush and before you know it he's taking his wife, Zipporah (and their family?) off to Egypt, away from Hobab/Jethro. Then, he's the leader of indentured Israel and is being guided by God to bring them to freedom from Egypt's Pharoh. Tell me that wouldn't be quite a life for the father (of any daughter) to hear/watch unfold. Can you imagine if they had cell phones the kind of texts that Hobab would be getting from Zipporah? News travelled slower, but it is no surprise to me that we find Hobab out in the wilderness checking in with Moses and company and giving him some great advice on leading.
What I think is spectacular is the fact that Hobab agrees to stay with Moses and Israel as they sojourn to the New Land, promised by God! What a testimony to what God was doing among them in the dessert!
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