What rich, what precious grace! In place of their finding a resting-place for Him, He would find a resting-place for them. What a thought! The mighty God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, going through the wilderness to look out for a suitable camping-ground for a people who were ready, at every turn in their path, to murmur and rebel against Him! Such is our God,—ever “patient, gracious, powerful, holy,”—ever rising, in the magnificence of His grace, above all our unbelief and failure, and proving Himself superior, in His love, to all the barriers which our unfaithfulness would erect. He most assuredly proved to Moses and to Israel that He was far better as a guide than ten thousand Hobabs. We are not told in this place whether Hobab went or not. He certainly refused the first appeal, and perhaps the second likewise. But we are told that the Lord went with them. “The cloud of the Lord was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.” Blessed shelter in the wilderness! Blessed, unfailing resource, in every thing! He went before His people to search them out a resting-place, and when He had found a spot suited to their need, He halted with them, and spread a sheltering wing over them, to protect them from every foe. “He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings; so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.” (Deut. xxxii. 10-12.) “He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light in the night.” (Ps. cv. 39.) Thus, then, all was provided for, according to the wisdom, power, and goodness of God. Nothing was or could be lacking, inasmuch as God Himself was there. “And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, ‘Rise up, Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee.’ And when it rested, he said, ‘Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel.’” CHAPTER XI.