"Now in the seond year, in the second month, on the twentieth" (Nu 10:11) "they moved out for the first time" (:13). The tribes were referred to "according to their armies" (:14). Moses explained to his father-in-law that "'We are setting out to the place of which the Lord said, 'I will give it to you' . . . for the Lord has promised good concerning Israel'" (:29). They proceeded "with the ark of the covenant of the Lord journeying in front of them for the three days, to seek out a resting place" (:33). A concordance says it is a place providing comfort and security. But it is noted that "you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you" (Dt 12:9). The Hebrew word is used in a larger sense in "'Arise, O Lord, to your resting place'" (Ps 132:8) for "'This is My resting place forever'" (:14). "'If your sons will keep My covenant'" (:12) "'Her priests also I will clothe with salvation'" (:16). Nevetheless "now the people became like those who complain of adversity" (Nu 11:1).
Next the Lord told Moses, "'Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan'" (Nu 13"2). "They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days" (:25) and reported "'We are not able to go up against the people'" (:31) for it "'is a land that devours its inhabitants'" (:32). But God had promised "'I will completely destroy them'" (Ex 23:23) and "'drive them out before you little by little'" (:30). "'I will send My terror ahead of you'" (:27) and "'you will drive them out before you'" (:31).