On the third Sabbath, Israel, in part, camped at Yam Suph (Num. 33:10) on the shore of Arabia. By that time, wind drift and current conditions had carried the Egyptian army’s bloated carcasses to the shoreline about 39 miles south of their sea crossing¹. The Israelite contingency collected war booty and weapons. The reality of the scene reminded Israel of YHWH’s absolute power over all He had created, orchestrating Pharaoh and his army’s destruction in the Sea. Why was this Israelite encampment of collecting weaponry important?

Israel quickly recalled YHWH’s might over their enemy, bringing His purchased nation to Himself into the intimacy of His Holiness. Coming out of Egypt, Israel was unarmed, and this was one of the reasons YHWH did not take them by the near way of the land of the Philistines so that they would not encounter war and force them to return to Egypt (Exo. 13:17). YHWH overcame Pharaoh, the fully armed strong man, and took all his armor in which he trusted and divided it to Israel (Luk. 11:22). After setting them in military array at Elim, Israel’s Warrior King equipped His bride nation with His own armor of salvation (Isa. 59:17-20). Putting on the strength of God’s armor would serve as a constant reassurance for Israel in their future battles (Eph. 6:10-18).

No doubt, in these days of collecting plunder, Israel recounted YHWH’s providence and watchful care, keeping them from the grave, baptizing them in Yam Suph, and raising a new free nation. His loving care, engraved in their hearts, stirred their minds toward trusting obedience. A nation called by His name must stand for and uphold YHWH’s values. Recalling their recent history inspired and motivated them to walk in the plans of the Almighty Being leading them in the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night toward the mountain of His dwelling.

Contrasted to Egypt’s influence, barren and tossed restlessly in the sea, YHWH turned the wilderness of death into a place of fruitful life and rest through a relationship with Him (EBD; Wilderness). The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament describes the Red Sea, yam sûp, “Theologically, yam sûp reminds the believer of the goodness of God (Neh. 9:9) who has loosed his people from bondage (Jos. 24:6), leads his people in triumph over their enemies (Exo. 15:4,22), guides them through the wilderness experiences of life (Deu. 2:1) and has placed them in the land of promised inheritance (Jos. 4:23 ff)” (TWOT, OT 3220 Red Sea). God’s judgment always leads to fruitfulness, a victory seen in Israel’s collecting Egyptian army spoils at the Yam Suph Makna camp (Fritz, 2019, p. 389).

YHWH walled Israel’s armies into His statutes and judgments, equipping them at Makna with the sword of His Spirit, the breastplate of righteousness, girding them with truth, the helmet of salvation, and the shield of faith to quench rebellious thoughts, teaching single-mindedness and the need for continual cleansing from the “mixed multitude” spirit (Num. 11:4–6), sin’s leprous outbreak in the heart. For example, Miriam, struck with leprosy for gossiping against her brother Moses, was confined outside Israel’s camp for seven days in disgrace and re-entered the camp, cleansed and healed through the washing of baptism. God’s judgment illustrated acceptance and reinstatement through water immersion, acknowledging His supreme power to purge sin from His people, making them holy. His justice fostered turning to Him (repentance), conquering the effects of sin’s chaos and barrenness, and setting in military readiness, guarding the sanctuary of their minds. YHWH pleaded His case with His people face to face, and He admonished them to “Remember what YHWH your God did to Miriam along the way after you came out of Egypt” (Deu. 24:9). YHWH’s mercy and justice gave way to rest, the rest and fruitfulness of Elim.

Takeaway:
At Marah, Israel had no water, and YHWH torahed (instructed) the tree of obedience to His Word. At Elim, the seventy trees connected heaven and earth so that YHWH’s fruitfulness prevailed in Israel and flowed out from the twelve wells to the seventy nations. At the Yam Suph encampment, Israel’s army received weapons from the Warrior King’s victory in the Sea so that in Him they might also have victory. YHWH does not leave us weaponless but equips us with His own armor and strength.

Fun Factors:
Yam Suph (Hebrew) has a numeric value of 196, 14², 2² × 7², the 14^th square number, and the sum of two triangular numbers T₁₃ + T₁₄. It can be divided into two parts, 19 and 6, that add together to give a square 5² = 25. Fourteen recalls the Passover, and 7² is the seven-Sabbath walk.

Numbers 33:10 has 22 letters in 6 words, equaling 649, 11 × 59; 11 is the 5^th prime, and 59 is the 17^th prime, echoing “behold victory.” Multiplying 649’s digits, 6 × 4 × 9 = 216. Debiyr (216) is the innermost sanctuary of God’s Word (216), where He provides (216), while the sum of 649’s digits, 6 + 4 + 9 is 19, a complete lunar time cycle. The numbers tell us of His providing His Word (the sword of His mouth) from His sacred dwelling place (216) so that we see (5) victory (17).