We Are Travelers and God Is Our Home (vv. 1-2). “For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, as were our fathers,” said King David (1 Chron. 29:15 nkjv). For all mortals, life is a pilgrimage from birth to death, and for believers, it is a journey from earth to heaven, but the road is not an easy one. Jacob called the 130 years of his pilgrimage “few and evil” (Gen. 47:9), and he was a pilgrim to the very end, for he died leaning on the top of his staff (Heb. 11:21). For eighty years, Moses had lived a somewhat settled life, first in Egypt and then in Midian, but after that he spent forty years in the wilderness, leading a nation of complaining former slaves who didn’t always want or appreciate his leadership. Numbers 33 names forty-two different places Israel camped during their journey, but no matter where Moses lived, God was always his home. He “lived in the Lord.” He knew how to “abide in the Lord” and find strength, comfort, encouragement, and help for each day’s demands. Moses pitched a special tent outside the camp, where he went to meet the Lord (Ex. 33:7-11). This is the Old Testament equivalent of the New Testament admonition, “Abide in me” (see John 15:1-11). We must all make the Lord our dwelling (91:9).

Moses addressed God as Elohim, the God of power and the God of creation. He described God “giving birth” to the mountains (v. 2; Job 15:7; 38:8, 28-29) and forming the world. To people in the ancient world, mountains symbolized that which was lasting and dependable, and to the Jews, mountains spoke of the everlasting God of Israel (93:1-2). There were six generations from Abraham to Moses–Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Moses–and the same God had guided and blessed them! Those of us who have godly ancestors certainly have a rich heritage and ought to be thankful. In the midst of a changing world, living as we do in a frail tent (2 Cor. 5:1-4), it is good to hear Moses say, “The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27 ab).