Numbers 21:1-3
Setting - Israel fights against Canaan.
Content - Some of the Israelites are captured and they make a vow to God, that if He delivers them into their hands they will utterly destroy the people. God heard their voice and Israel destroyed the people.
Application - God can put situations in our lives in order for us to drawn back to Him. Israel relied on God to win over the Canaanites.
Numbers 21:4-9
Setting - God sends serpents against Israel because of their complained about their circumstances, no food or water and they hated where they where at.
Content - Israel realized their sin of complaining and asked Moses to intercede for them asking God to remove the serpents. God provided a way to prevent the death of those bitten with a bronze serpent that they were to look at. See John 3:14,15 where Jesus refers to this passage.
Application - Interesting that God didn’t remove the serpents, but rather provided a way that the people won’t die if they were bitten. I wonder if God let the serpents remain as a reminder to Israel to stop complaining. They were in the wilderness because of their lack of faith that God could bring them into the Promise Land (Canaan – in Numbers 15:22,23,30-31). I wonder if God would have provided for their needs instead of complaining?
Once again the issue is, do I trust that God is with me in the wilderness? Could I be here because of my own grumbling against God? In any and all cases, God wants a broken and contrite spirit, basically, humility no matter where I’m at, wilderness or Promise Land.
Numbers 21:10-20
Setting - Israel’s travels, from Atharim à Oboth à Iyeabarim à Wadi Zered à Arono (boarder of Moab, between Moab & Amorites) à Beer (“well”) à Mattanah à Nahaliel à Bamoth Pisgah (valley of Moab).
Content - Israel had covered a lot of land.
Application - God had kept Israel busy moving basically killing time waiting for a generation to pass so that He could bring Israel to the Promise Land. Caleb and Joshua were traveling with them this whole time, but we know that they were going to the Promise Land. They had to deal with the same wilderness despair as the rest of Israel because of Israel’s lack of trust in God (Numbers 15:22,23,30-31). So they suffered along with Israel as a nation even though believed God to be able to capture Canaan.
Numbers 21:21-35
Setting - Israel wins the battle against the Amorites, both king Sihon (Hesbon) and Og (Bashan).
Content - Israel wanted to pass through king Sihon land, but Sihon said no and decided to fight against Israel and lost. Israel then moved to capture Jazer and Bashan. God told Moses that they would be victorious over Og, which they were.
These victories might have occurred after the long journey that Israel just experienced. God still blessed Israel with a victor even though they had complained earlier in the chapter.
God is still fulfilling His promise to bring Israel into the Promise Land, even thought Israel seems not to be worthy of it.
Application - God is still one that blesses despite our sin. If we are repentant He will lead us into victory.
Numbers 22:1-22
Setting - Balak, king of Moad, was fearful of Israel, he heard what they did to the Amorites, and consulted Balaam to curse Israel.
Content - Israel was very numerous (v. 3, 11) and Balak probably knew the news about all of their victories. So he wanted Balaam to curse Israel. But God said to Balaam that Israel was to be blessed (v.12).
Application - When God is with His people; people will fear their God given strength. Also, Israel was multiplying as a people (v.11) while there were in the wilderness. So even though their circumstances were far from favorable, they were becoming a great nation. As just like Joseph being in jail for 13 years, God was preparing him for the great position that he was to take on, and God used him to save Israel and Egypt from starvation.
God maybe be preparing us for great things while we feel that we are in the wilderness. Our responsibility is to not complain about where we are at and await His purpose. If God can keep the world, as well as the complete universe, in order, He could keep my life in order as well. I need to be patient with what God has for me. Currently, He has blessed me immensely (salvation, wife, daughters, health, friends, where I now live, etc.). Getting the opportunity to move to Camino has been a long time coming, but the circumstances went right and I now can understand that God was holding us off for the right timing.
God thanks again for being one who is looking out for the best for me!
Numbers 22:22-41
Setting - Balaam travels with his donkey to see Balak.
Content - The Angel of the Lord thwarts Balaam three times on his journey by being showing himself to the donkey. Balaam gets frustrated and hits the donkey. God finally shows himself to Balaam, stating that if the donkey had not stopped, He would have killed Balaam. Even though God permitted Balaam to see Balak, God knew his motive/heart as seen in verse 32, “…because your way was contrary to me”. After His conversation with Balaam, God permitted Balaam to continue to see Balak, but only to provide the blessing that He stated to Balaalm (v. 35).
Application - Here we see that the motive is important to God. God permitted Balaam to see Balak, but because Balaam’s wrong motive, God intervened in his journey to right Balaam’s motive.
The direction of our journey (i.e. ‘life’) is not as important as the motive in our journey. God will impede our progress to right our motive. So even though we can be in the correction direction and a direction that God has permitted, He wants the correct motive and with our correct direction.
Setting - Israel fights against Canaan.
Content - Some of the Israelites are captured and they make a vow to God, that if He delivers them into their hands they will utterly destroy the people. God heard their voice and Israel destroyed the people.
Application - God can put situations in our lives in order for us to drawn back to Him. Israel relied on God to win over the Canaanites.
Numbers 21:4-9
Setting - God sends serpents against Israel because of their complained about their circumstances, no food or water and they hated where they where at.
Content - Israel realized their sin of complaining and asked Moses to intercede for them asking God to remove the serpents. God provided a way to prevent the death of those bitten with a bronze serpent that they were to look at. See John 3:14,15 where Jesus refers to this passage.
Application - Interesting that God didn’t remove the serpents, but rather provided a way that the people won’t die if they were bitten. I wonder if God let the serpents remain as a reminder to Israel to stop complaining. They were in the wilderness because of their lack of faith that God could bring them into the Promise Land (Canaan – in Numbers 15:22,23,30-31). I wonder if God would have provided for their needs instead of complaining?
Once again the issue is, do I trust that God is with me in the wilderness? Could I be here because of my own grumbling against God? In any and all cases, God wants a broken and contrite spirit, basically, humility no matter where I’m at, wilderness or Promise Land.
Numbers 21:10-20
Setting - Israel’s travels, from Atharim à Oboth à Iyeabarim à Wadi Zered à Arono (boarder of Moab, between Moab & Amorites) à Beer (“well”) à Mattanah à Nahaliel à Bamoth Pisgah (valley of Moab).
Content - Israel had covered a lot of land.
Application - God had kept Israel busy moving basically killing time waiting for a generation to pass so that He could bring Israel to the Promise Land. Caleb and Joshua were traveling with them this whole time, but we know that they were going to the Promise Land. They had to deal with the same wilderness despair as the rest of Israel because of Israel’s lack of trust in God (Numbers 15:22,23,30-31). So they suffered along with Israel as a nation even though believed God to be able to capture Canaan.
Numbers 21:21-35
Setting - Israel wins the battle against the Amorites, both king Sihon (Hesbon) and Og (Bashan).
Content - Israel wanted to pass through king Sihon land, but Sihon said no and decided to fight against Israel and lost. Israel then moved to capture Jazer and Bashan. God told Moses that they would be victorious over Og, which they were.
These victories might have occurred after the long journey that Israel just experienced. God still blessed Israel with a victor even though they had complained earlier in the chapter.
God is still fulfilling His promise to bring Israel into the Promise Land, even thought Israel seems not to be worthy of it.
Application - God is still one that blesses despite our sin. If we are repentant He will lead us into victory.
Numbers 22:1-22
Setting - Balak, king of Moad, was fearful of Israel, he heard what they did to the Amorites, and consulted Balaam to curse Israel.
Content - Israel was very numerous (v. 3, 11) and Balak probably knew the news about all of their victories. So he wanted Balaam to curse Israel. But God said to Balaam that Israel was to be blessed (v.12).
Application - When God is with His people; people will fear their God given strength. Also, Israel was multiplying as a people (v.11) while there were in the wilderness. So even though their circumstances were far from favorable, they were becoming a great nation. As just like Joseph being in jail for 13 years, God was preparing him for the great position that he was to take on, and God used him to save Israel and Egypt from starvation.
God maybe be preparing us for great things while we feel that we are in the wilderness. Our responsibility is to not complain about where we are at and await His purpose. If God can keep the world, as well as the complete universe, in order, He could keep my life in order as well. I need to be patient with what God has for me. Currently, He has blessed me immensely (salvation, wife, daughters, health, friends, where I now live, etc.). Getting the opportunity to move to Camino has been a long time coming, but the circumstances went right and I now can understand that God was holding us off for the right timing.
God thanks again for being one who is looking out for the best for me!
Numbers 22:22-41
Setting - Balaam travels with his donkey to see Balak.
Content - The Angel of the Lord thwarts Balaam three times on his journey by being showing himself to the donkey. Balaam gets frustrated and hits the donkey. God finally shows himself to Balaam, stating that if the donkey had not stopped, He would have killed Balaam. Even though God permitted Balaam to see Balak, God knew his motive/heart as seen in verse 32, “…because your way was contrary to me”. After His conversation with Balaam, God permitted Balaam to continue to see Balak, but only to provide the blessing that He stated to Balaalm (v. 35).
Application - Here we see that the motive is important to God. God permitted Balaam to see Balak, but because Balaam’s wrong motive, God intervened in his journey to right Balaam’s motive.
The direction of our journey (i.e. ‘life’) is not as important as the motive in our journey. God will impede our progress to right our motive. So even though we can be in the correction direction and a direction that God has permitted, He wants the correct motive and with our correct direction.
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