Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast.
If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you.
Thank you for joining us today.
Father, we just pause Lord after our day and we just take a moment, Lord,
to dwell on your presence, God, and to just seek your spirit, Lord.
And we just, we welcome your presence here.
We welcome you.
We pray, Lord, you give us open hearts and open minds to receive your word tonight, Lord,
and to have deeper insight and revelation, Lord, into your scripture.
We thank you for this opportunity to gather together.
And we pray, Lord, you would be amongst us in our conversation, Lord,
and you would bless this time.
And for those who can't be here tonight, God, we pray for them as well.
Thank you, Lord, for your grace and your mercy and your goodness in our lives.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Okay, tonight we are in Numbers 21.
A relatively famous chapter that's quoted in many places, and we'll get to some of those parts.
But just as an introduction, so the Israelites are, they're nearing the end of their 40 years, right?
So it kind of went kind of fast for us.
I'm sure it didn't quite go as fast for them.
They're nearing the end of their 40 years in the wilderness.
And the generation that was prohibited from going into the Promised Land, they're passing away.
And the new ones are preparing to enter into that land.
And there's some really neat, pivotal things that happen in this chapter.
You know, they move from wandering in rebellion to warfare and victory.
And, you know, they really receive this repentance and faith in God's provision here.
So there's some neat things that happen here.
We'll start out with verses one through three.
So when the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in Negev, heard that Israel was coming along
the road to Ethereum, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them.
Then Israel made this vow to the Lord.
If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities.
The Lord listened to Israel's plea and gave the Canaanites over to them.
They completely destroyed them in their towns.
So the place was named Horma.
So Israel is attacked along their way, along their journey.
And instead of responding in typical Israelite fashion, like we've seen over the past few
chapters or in their eyes, past 40 years, they respond by seeking God and vowing obedience
to him.
And God grants them this victory.
And this show of dependence leads them to a level of deliverance that they probably had
not seen since the Exodus.
So this is a real lesson for us, and I'm sure it was a lesson for them, that faith, when they
put their faith before this, then comes the healing and the provision and the victory.
And one of the things that I liked in all of this, as you guys know, is I like to look at
how this is foreshadowing and looking towards the Gospels.
So the victory over the Canaanites really demonstrates God's victory over sin through
Jesus, and we're going to see a bit more of that as we go through this chapter.
So four through six reads, they traveled from Mount Hore along the route to the Red Sea
to go around Edom.
But the people grew impatient on the way.
They spoke against God and against Moses and said, why have you brought us out of Egypt
to die in the wilderness?
There is no bread, there is no water, and we detest this miserable food.
Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them.
They bit the people, and many of the Israelites died.
So we go from this transitional moment that they had back into this, oh, why did we ever
come out of Egypt mentality?
So they again get into this complaining mode about God's provision, the manna and the
water.
In fact, it even goes deeper than complaining.
It's this contempt now for the manna calling it a worthless food.
So God responds by sending venomous snakes, which bite them and calls death and all that.
So the snakes, obviously, as we know from other aspects of the scripture going even
all the way back to the Genesis, the snakes symbolize the enemy or sin as a curse, and
the reality of rebellion.
So God brings this down upon them for their complaining and their murmuring, and the contempt
for God's provision really is this parallel thinking that humanity has to reject God.
So when God, all throughout the ages, God has provided for mankind in so many ways, but people
reject it.
People reject God's provision for them.
So this is really kind of symbolic of that, and it's also symbolic of God's ultimate
provision in Jesus Christ Himself.
So the world and people have contempt for God's provision, as demonstrated here, just
as they have contempt for Christ, who is the ultimate provision.
Romans 1.21 says, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks.
John 3.19 says, light came into the world, but men loved the darkness.
So there's a theme throughout the Bible where God is the provider of things and where God
provides a way for people, but people reject that.
And that comes to its full fruition with Jesus.
So this judgment of the serpents, I mean, this is not, you know, judgment isn't arbitrary.
It's a consequence of rejecting God's grace.
So when judgment happens, it is because of the rejection of God's grace, God's provision.
So 7 through 9, the people came to Moses and said, we sinned when we spoke against the Lord
and against you.
Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.
So Moses prayed for the people.
The Lord said to Moses, make a snake and put it on a pole.
Anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.
So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole.
Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
So this is something that's quoted in the New Testament and will get to them.
So the people repented and asked Moses to intercede.
And I've lost count.
I don't know if you have over the past three books of how many times this has happened
where the people screw up, they repent, they go to Moses, and Moses does his thing.
He intercedes for the people.
So then God commands him to make this bronze serpent and set it on a pole.
So that as they look at it, they are healed.
So this is really one of the most powerful.
I mean, we've seen a lot of foreshadowing of Christ in the past few books and the symbolism
that goes along with it.
This is one of the most powerful foreshadowings of Christ and what he would go through in these
books.
The bronze serpent symbolizes faith and points to Jesus Christ, who was lifted up on a cross
for our salvation.
So this idea of holding up this bronze serpent and it bringing healing, John 3, 14, 15 says,
just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted
up that everyone who believes may have eternal life.
So I wonder how many, you know, without John recounting this, I wonder how many Jews connected
the dots with that, because that's one of these Old Testament prophetic words that came
to its full fruition through Jesus.
And you know, there's in between Jesus' time here on earth with the disciples and his death
and resurrection and, you know, the writing of the Gospels and the New Testament.
There was a fair amount of time that transpired.
And you better believe that these guys were doing their research to understand the fulfillment
because they were seeking to fully understand this.
There was a lot.
We were talking about this in our Life Group Monday night about, you know, what a struggle
it was for so many of the Jews that came into a saving knowledge of Jesus, how hard it was
for them to, you know, lay aside all of this that they had known, really, that had been
their tradition for thousands of years, and to put all of their hope and their faith,
you know, in Jesus and to understand how he was the fulfillment of all of this.
So it was difficult and challenging for them to really get that.
So when, you know, John gets this bit of revelation to look back, because they would
have all been very, very learned in Torah.
They would have, you know, had so much of this memorized in an understanding, but we
know how our own brains and memories work.
We don't always connect things, you know, at the right time.
And God and that knowledge would have been in there, but then God gives it to them via
revelation and via diligent study and going through it.
So when John writes that, he's reflecting immediately back to this scripture.
And just like with Jesus, you know, when Jesus prayed, you know,
Father, you know, if possible, remove this cup, remove this thing from me.
But just like then, and just like back in here, God doesn't remove the serpents,
but he provides a means of salvation amidst the judgment.
So the judgment is taking place amongst the people, but God is providing a way.
And how many times have we seen that?
In Numbers and in Leviticus and in Exodus, as we went through these books, where God
provides a way and provides access to himself.
So the bronze serpent is this paradox of the symbol of a curse that becomes an
instrument of healing just as Christ, you know, became a curse on the cross and
took on the sin of mankind for us.
Galatians 3.13 says that, that Christ became a curse when he hung there,
taking on our sins.
So it's this paradox of, you know, you've got this curse and you've got this
judgment going on, but yet it is the way, it is an instrument that brings healing and
salvation, and bronze often in the Old Testament is a symbol of judgment.
The bronze alder in the tabernacle was used, and you can look that up.
That's one of those things where you do a little research on what bronze really
symbolizes.
So let's go to verses 10 through 20.
So the Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth.
Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Il-Abram in the wilderness that faces Moab
towards the sunrise.
From there, they moved on and camped in the Zared Valley.
They sat out from there and camped alongside the Arnon, which is the
wilderness extending into Amorite territory.
The Arnon is the border of Moab between Moab and the Amorites.
That is why, so I'll just stop there for a second.
This is why Gail said, hey, did you get a map, Jamie, for all of this?
It would have been a great visual, but we're just going to have to kind of
visualize it in our mind.
That is why the Book of Wars of the Lord says, Zehab, and we'll get back, we'll
talk about that in a second, because we don't really know of any Book of War.
The Lord says, Zehab and Supeh and the Ravens and Arnon and the slopes of the
Ravens that lead to the settlement of Ar and lie along the border of Moab.
From there, they continued to beer the well where the Lord said to Moses,
gather the people together and I will give them water.
Then Israel sang this song.
Spring up a well, sing about it, about the well that the princess dug.
The nobles and the people sank, the nobles and the scepters and terrace.
Then they went from the wilderness to Matana, from Matana to Nahalil,
from Nahalil to Bamath and from Bamath to the Valley of Moab,
where the top of the fizga overlooks the wasteland.
So that's a lot, right?
That's a lot of names and that's a lot of traveling.
So after the serpent episode, Israel travels and experience,
you know, renewed provision from God, including the water from beer.
Not beer from, and Jack, he said, well, they were Hebrews.
So the water from Badantan, yeah.
And then they sang a song of praise for the water and it's a striking contrast,
isn't it, from just a few verses back when they were grumbling.
So quickly, verse 14 says, you know, mentions the book of wars of the Lord.
So I don't know about you, but I can't remember reading from that book in the Bible,
the book of wars.
Anybody, has anybody found that anywhere?
No.
So obviously it's not part of the Bible, but it is mentioned here.
And it's most likely, you know, an ancient anthology of military victories and hymns.
So it's an ancient, ancient book.
I did a little research.
There's, you know, it's never been found.
There's not anything out there that they can say, yeah, here it is.
Here's the book that they're referencing to.
But there's a lot of assumptions that go around it.
Some are saying that, you know, it was a documentation of like the military victories
and the military exploits from Exodus that they documented that God had delivered them through.
We don't know.
You can only speculate at this point.
But it's interesting that it's mentioned in Scripture, right?
I always try to take note of those things.
And I couldn't remember ever reading about it before.
I was hoping to find some really great stuff on it, but I didn't.
And there's nothing but speculation around it.
So interesting.
Maybe do some of your own research and see what you find out there.
So this water that they get, this is a symbolism of new life and refreshment and repentance.
You know, after the repentance and faith that they had, you know, this water is, again,
a foreshadowing of the living water of the Holy Spirit that Jesus provided for us.
In John 7.37, he says, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
Revelation 7.17 says, the lamb will lead them to springs of living water.
And I really love this hymn, this song that they're singing,
because the song is kind of this shift from, you know, rebellion to worship, right?
So there's some really neat stuff in that passage of this chapter.
And it's really awesome to see God bringing them along in this way.
So the last bit here is a little bit long, but I'll get through it.
21 through 35.
So Israel sent messengers to Sihan, king of the Amorites.
Let us pass through your country.
We will not turn aside into any fields or vineyards or drink water from any well.
We will travel along the king's highway until we have passed through your territory.
So they're basically saying, look, just let us pass through.
We're not going to do anything.
But Sihan would not let Israel pass through his territory.
He mustered his entire army and marched out into the wilderness against Israel.
When he reached Jehaz, he fought with Israel.
Israel, however, put him to the sword and took over his land from Arden to the Jabak.
But only as far as the Amorites, because their border was fortified.
Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshban and all the surrounding settlements.
Heshban was the city of Sihan, king of the Amorites, who fought against the former king of Moab and had taken him from all the land as far as Arden.
That is why the poets say, come to Heshban and let it be rebuilt.
Let Sihan's city be restored.
Fire went out from Heshban and ablaze from the city of Sihan.
It consumed Ar and Moab, and the citizens of Aronites woe to you, Moab.
You are destroyed, people of Chimash.
He has given up his sons as fugitives and his daughters as captives to Sihan, king of the Amorites.
But we have overwhelmed them. Heshban's dominion has been destroyed all the day, all the way to Dibban.
We have demolished them as far as Nabla, which extends to Mediba.
So Israel settled in the land of Amorites.
After Moses had sent spies to Jezar, the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there.
Then they turned and went up along the road towards Bashan and Og, king of Bashan,
and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle and injury.
The Lord said to Moses, do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into your hands along with his whole army and his land.
Due to him what you did to Sihan, king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshban.
So they struck him down together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors, and they took possession of his land.
So that's a much more powerful testimony than the last time they laid eyes on the Amorites, right?
That's a powerful, powerful testimony.
So Israelite now faces and defeats three enemies, Sihan, Og, and the Amorites.
And these victories are what paved the way for them to get into the Promised Land.
So one of the things that really, really stuck out to me here, you know, when you think about their plight over the past 40 years is
these victories really were a result of repentance and faith.
So these victories would not have happened without that.
So these battles also, as we look at them, they symbolize, you know, our victories that we have over sin,
our victories that we have over this world, our victories and our battles that we fight.
These are symbolic of the salvation that comes from that.
Romans 8, 31 says, if God is for us, who can be against us?
1 John 5, 4 says, everyone born of God overcomes the world.
So these enemies represent, they're symbolic when you think about it, of the strongholds of the flesh,
the strongholds that the enemies can have in us.
And when we take this position that the Israelites did, you know, of submitting to God and repenting to God
and putting our faith in God, he is going to deliver those victories to us.
So when it kind of reflected back over this chapter as a whole, you know, it's kind of,
to me, is almost this mirror of the gospel story, you know, and, you know, where we have, you know, humanity,
you know, rebelling against God, you know, God's judgment upon humanity, you know,
but yet he provides a way, he provides salvation through faith and through his Son who was lifted up and held high
and who bore the curse for us.
So the very thing that symbolized death, you know, his death on a cross becomes this source of life for us.
So when you think about the cross, which was a Roman instrument of death and torture, what is it now to us?
It's a symbol of salvation. So you took what was a symbol in that time of the most brutal way of dying.
It was a symbol of judgment for sure. And now God has redeemed that as doorway to eternal life.
Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church as we praise God and discuss his word.
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Be blessed and have a great day!