33:4-49
Then follows a list of all the places they passed through, with the odd comment here and there. These comments usually refer to incidents that are recounted elsewhere in Exodus-Deuteronomy. For example, 33:9 refers to Marah and Elim (Ex 15:22). 3:15 refers to Rephidim (Ex 17:1). Most stages are just mentioned by name, with no further details. Then we get to the death of Aaron (33:39). In 33:40 we are told that the Canaanite king heard that the Israelites were coming.
33:50-56
When they are near the Jordan God tells Moses to prepare the people for crossing into the Promised Land. Moses does this in much more detail in Deuteronomy. The key points given here are that they are to destroy all vestiges of idol worship in the land. All the carved images and high places. And all the inhabitants are to be driven out. The land was to be distributed by lot, with clans getting an allocation in accordance with their size.
Failure to fully drive out the inhabitants and to destroy all the high places would lead to them being a thorn in the side of Israel. We know that in 2 Cor 12:7 Paul speaks of a thorn in his flesh. I wonder if there is an allusion to 33:55? Most seriously, Israel would become subject to the same judgement as the inhabitants of the land. As we know, Israel failed to rid the land of its high places, there is constant reference to this in the rest of the Old Testament. And we see here that there is no favouritism with God (Rom 2:11).
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