Sermon Tone Analysis

Numbers 21-25 The Book of Wanderings

I don’t want to start off too difficult on a Wednesday night, but I have a Bible trivia question for you guys.

If you’ve been with us through the last 20 chapters in the Book of Numbers it should not be too difficult for you.

After a series of plagues and the hardening of Pharos’ heart, Israel is released from captivity in Egypt.

They are lead by Moses, under the direction of God, who is directing them by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, and they are heading from captivity to the Promised land.

Along the path, they are in the desert, and as you can see from our slide here this evening begin an extended time of wandering.

When we started this book, I said the the saddest thing about it, was that it never had to happen.

Already, in our reading we saw the children of Israel get right to the border of the promised land, send in some spies, and not enter in.

Bible trivia question, and if you have to look the answer is in chapter 14 at least twice.

How many years did the Israelites wander in the wilderness?

40 years!

Good job!

That is important to know for context of where we are in the book.

As we begin chapter 21 this evening, the Israelites have been wandering around in the wilderness for approximately 39 years, so even though they are in a relative sense ready to wrap this trip up, there is still much to come in this book.

Many of the ones that were age 20 and above when they left captivity have already died at this point.

Moses’ sister Miriam has died, his brother Aaron has died.

You might remember from our study last week, that Moses had sent some messengers from where they were in Kadesh, up to the King of Edom and asked permission to take their remaining caravan through the land of Edom, rather than having to take the long way around.

But the King refused to allow them to do so.

So the Israelites, rather than being able to enter into the southern portion of the land, they have to circle around to the east, way up toward the Golan Heights area, in fact when we read about them actually entering in in Joshua 3, it speaks of them crossing the Jordan river and heading toward Jericho.

Having to circle around was no easy task and was not without opposition.

Remember they wanted to cut through Edom and were denied, above Edom was Moab, and north of Moab were the Amorites.

They were a very visible target, its tough to hide over a million and a half people.

Lets look at chapter 21.

So the people turn to God and say Lord if you’ll help us, we can do this.

Deliver these people into our hands and we will destroy their cities.

God does, but it was tough going and the people get discouraged, and they go back to what they do best…verse 5

And just like that, the people once again complain against God, and complain against the one that God has chosen to lead them, and then complain about the miraculous provision, the manna, the bread from Heaven, that God provided for them so they didn’t starve to death.

Have you guys ever spent very much time with someone that is constantly down, constantly finds something to complain about?

Do you do it voluntarily?

I don’t want to give a real example because then the people that are the Debbie Downers in my life will think I’m talking about them…and have something else to complain about.

But you know what I mean, if there’s a dark cloud to be found, they are looking for rain, suggest doing something a different way, and there is something wrong with that!

Perfect picture of this group of Israelites.

I spent some time in the book of Philippians this afternoon and I don’t want to get side tracked by this, because Pastor Jim is teaching through the book, and will cover it, but I was blessed by this passage....

You want to rid yourself of anxiety, worry, and fear, make this your job.

Find the good, look for the good, mediate on the things that are lovely.

Isn’t so different to be around someone that no matter what horror story picture you paint, they say, yeah but at least this, or you’re not seeing this, and they encourage you and build you up.

Our world is in desperate need of Philippians 4:8-9 kind of people, the good news is that there are some of you here, and it’s contagious.

Catch it, don’t quarantine from it.

It would have saved the Israelites lives!

AND it is God’s will for your life!

I know that.

How can I know that, the Bible says it....

Because the people complained against Moses and God, God sent a painful judgement upon them....verse 6

Again, Moses intercedes on behalf of the people.

He doesn’t get offended and refuse to minister to them, he appeals to God on their behalf.

And this time, instead of just taking the snakes away, look what God did…verse 8

Now, this is amazing!

The Old Testament is full of what theologians call foreshadows or pictures of things to come.

Where something happens in the Old and it has significance in the moment, but it is also representative of what is to come.

Pretty simple here.

Moses obeys God and he makes a snake out of bronze and he puts it on a pole, and the people have to make a choice.

Look at the pole and live, or don’t and don’t live.

It can’t be that simple right?

If it was, why didn’t God just save all of them.

Have you ever been made to say you were sorry.

Say your sorry for pulling your sister’s hair, or say you’re sorry for beating up your brother.

Did you mean it?

Probably not.

God required them to do something, it was something small and simple, but it was His way that led to life, and if you wanted to rebel and try to develop natural immunity to the snake bite and do it your way, or put a cloth on your leg, get 2 or 3 shots, and do it your way and not look at it, you were welcome do die being your own Savior.

His way led to life, any other way to death.

There is a picture here of Jesus for us to see.

Remember in 1 Corinthians where Paul tells us that all of these Old Testament story’s were written as examples for us, this is one of them!

If you’ve been doing the chronological Bible reading plan with us this year, you’ll remember the serpent to be the one in the garden that deceived Eve and got her to eat the fruit, and now here we see fiery serpents.

The serpent in the Bible is always a symbol of sin....Brass is always a symbol of judgement, so if you picture what is going on here, the people confessed that they had sinned, remember back in verse 7 “we have sinned”, so God tells Moses to take the serpent, sin, and put it on the brass pole, or the brass serpent on the pole, showing judgement, that their sin had been judged and lift it up for the people to look to where their sin had been judged and live.

It is a picture of what we must do today.

The wages of sin is death, we are all sinners and are dying and going to hell, unless we look to Jesus.

What must we do to be saved?

We need to look to Jesus.

Who took our sin upon himself and was crucified on a cross, and we can look to that cross, believing and asking him to forgive us.

Or what must we do to not be saved and to die?

More specifically, die and go to Hell for eternity, do nothing.

Don’t look to Jesus.

Do anything else and you will find death.

Cool picture huh!

One more from the Gospel of John just in case you think I’m making stuff up…check this out!

Ok, back to Numbers 21 verse 10

If you read down through it talks about were they moved and different places that they camped.

Check out verse 14

Don’t you wish we had that book?

I’m sure you can go on line and get a copy of something claiming to be it, but it’s not.

It’s one of the books that we see referenced in the Bible that have been completely lost over history, but did you know that there was such a thing?

That the Lord had wars and there’s a book about it.

That’s on my list for when I get to Heaven!

They then dig a well and send messengers to the King of the Amorites to ask permission to go through their land, like they tried with the King of Edom.

Do you guys remember that I told you Moses was related to the King of Edom, like distant cousins.

So even though the King refused and sent his men out, they just backed off and went all the way around.

This goes down a little different.

Verse 24

So the tide begins to turn for the Israelites here and they take over all of the land of the Amorites, along with several of the major cities in that area…look down to verse 33

So if you have a map in your Bible, they are now beginning to possess the land in the northern section of Israel, along the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River.

Chapter 22 begins...

So God gives a pretty direct and clear command to Balaam.

Balaam is kind of an interesting character in Bible.

He wasn’t from Israel, but he was a prophet and clearly he heard from God.

back in that day if you went to see a prophet for something, you were looking for information or a word from God, it was custom that you would bring a gift for the prophet.

So Balak the King of Moab bring him what is called the diviner’s fee and say basically I know you have the power to bless and the power to curse, so curse this caravan of people that have come out of Egypt and God, says, no, don’t do it.

So bigger government thugs are sent with a bigger check book...

You name it, we’ll do it, but don’t let anything keep you from delivering the goods.

This is interesting because God already said to him, don’t do it.

But I’m guessing that the blank check, and the thoughts of the honor of men began to corrupt Balaam’s heart to where he begged and whined to God to let him go.