Hobab is Moses' brother-in-law. You may remember that in Exodus 3, after Moses killed the Egyptian, he fled from Pharoah to Midian where he showed kindness to Reuel's daughters. In turn, Reuel invited Moses to live with his family and gave his daughter Zipporah as his wife.
As the account goes, Moses asks Hobab in Numbers 10 to come with the Israelites into the Promised Land. It seems that he had skill in navigating through the wildnerness, knowing where to camp and having the eyes to be on the look out for enemies.
When Moses first asks Hobab, he declines going with them so that he can return to his own relatives. But Moses persuades his bro-in-law to guide them, promising that whatever good the Lord shows Israel will also be shown to Hobab.
I think Hobab is a hero in his own right. He set out on a journey to claim the land even though he was not an Israelite. Hobab exercised faith in the promises of God through Moses. He left behind his relatives and was willing to brave the uncertainty of what might transpire before the land was secured. I had to ask myself, "Am I exercising faith and surrender in the circumstances God has me in today?" More on this in my next posting which is about belief and grumbling. There are a number of incidents in Numbers to choose from.
I also think, as one scholar observes, that God's guidance in our lives does include asking for human help at times. The help may come from a person who is already in our lives or may be someone we seek out because he or she has skill in an area where we need guidance.
I felt prompted to write a note to a friend this week. I have not talked to this person in 13 years. We were friends for a fairly short period of time and then our lives went separate ways. However, I remembered that she has experience in an area where I may need help. I can't say for sure that God is pointing her "to go with me" on my current stretch in the journey of faith. I am praying that God will guide my note to her and her response.
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