Numbers 22 - Summary

Starting point where Israel received the law and prepared for the journey

Site of Israel's failure to enter the Promised Land due to unbelief

Place of testing and wandering for 40 years due to disobedience

Final encampment before entering Canaan, where Moses gave his final addresses

Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world, was the first Canaanite city conquered by the Israelites after crossing the Jordan River. Its walls famously fell after the Israelites marched around it for seven days as commanded by God through Joshua. Jesus later passed through Jericho, healing blind Bartimaeus and dining with the tax collector Zacchaeus.

Moab was a region east of the Dead Sea, inhabited by the descendants of Lot's son Moab. Ruth was a Moabite who famously left her homeland to follow Naomi to Bethlehem. Israel often had conflict with Moab, though King David entrusted his parents to the king of Moab for protection.

Midian was a region in northwestern Arabia, east of the Gulf of Aqaba. Moses fled here after killing an Egyptian and spent 40 years as a shepherd, marrying Zipporah. God appeared to him in the burning bush here, calling him to deliver Israel from Egypt.

Egypt plays a significant role throughout the Bible, from the time of Abraham to the flight of the Holy Family. Joseph was sold into slavery there and rose to become second to Pharaoh, saving his family during famine. The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for 400 years before God delivered them through Moses in the Exodus. Jesus' family fled to Egypt to escape King Herod, fulfilling the prophecy "Out of Egypt I called my son."