Numbers 33:3 And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the month; on the morrow after the Passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.
The Difference Between Confidence and Arrogance
I love to travel. Hence, I love travel logs, travel blogs, travel magazines, and epic stories of adventure travel. I just love travel. Numbers 33 is basically the travel log of the children of Israel. It was written at God‘s command by Moses, and it was to remind Israel of God’s provision for them in the land.
Most of the places mentioned in this travel log are not places that we would remember, because most of them are not cities but simply places where Israel temporarily pitched their tents.
The record of their travels starts in verse 3 with the words, “And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; the morrow after the Passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.” That is significant. They left Egypt “with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.”
The phrase, “with an high hand,” is the same phrase that is translated as “presumptuous” in Numbers 15. There it is talking about the difference between sins of arrogance and sins of ignorance. Here in Numbers 33, it is not talking about arrogance in Israel, but about their trust in God when they left Egypt. Israel did not sneak, slink, or cower out of Egypt. Instead, they got everyone’s attention. They said, “Pharaoh, we are leaving with a brass band, and we are going to parade right out of Egypt.” Egypt was the most powerful nation in the world, yet when Israel left, the Egyptians sent them away with spoil. Israel left with a confidence that God was leading them.
There is a big difference between that kind of confidence and presumptuous arrogance against God. The difference between confidence and arrogance is whether it is in or against God. The reason for Israel’s confidence is explained in verse 4, “For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.” God showed Himself strong over the wicked culture, wicked day, powerful people, and false gods of Egypt. He was more powerful than all of those things. And God is the same God today.
It is never right to live one’s life in arrogance. It is never right to live one’s life being presumptuous. It is right and not presumptuous to trust in a God Who can take care of us, part the Red Sea, rain food from heaven, provide, protect, and guide us if we will follow in humility and confidence.