Numbers

Numbers 21:1-3

There is a Arad in the time of Abraham and in the time of Judges – these are the same place.  This Arad appears to be a different place than these.  This is a city in the Negev that saw this mass of people coming toward him and felt threatened.  He fought and took some prisoners.  The Lord delivered the Canaanites into their hand and they destroyed them and their cities. 

Hormah means destruction.  The promise and action is similar to ‘herem’ which we see as a holy war when declared against Jericho.  The idea was that the place was devoted to the Lord for destruction.

Numbers 21:4-9

The difficulties of their travels brought the people to discouragement; this didn’t bring them to deeper faith but to grumbling and rebellion.  They spoke against God and Moses.  The Lord sent fiery serpents among them, some where bitten, some of those bitten died.  The people realized their error and repented of their sin.  The remedy was to put a bronze serpent on a pole and look upon it to be saved.

The serpents were ‘seraph’ apparently for their copper color.  There is an association of seraph as winged creatures.  Some think this is the cobra-like characteristic of the snake.

This is the first use of this word ‘fiery’ in the scripture.  It is used by Isaiah in the throne room scene (Isaiah 6:2 and 6:6; again in Isaiah 14:29, Isaiah 30:6).

Numbers 21:10-20

The children of Israel were now on the other side of Edom.  The Lord’s way isn’t always the easy way, sometimes we get to take tours we don’t like or agree with.  They moved on a camped at Oboth.  This is NE of Edom, just prior to Moab. The travel itinerary is given in further detail in chapter 33.  Many of these locations are hard to pinpoint.

The ‘Book of Wars’ was an apparent compilation of victory songs about the Lord’s victories as well as the tales of His might acts.  The book has not survived the ages, though a few fragments have.  The book is mentioned a few times in scripture.

The entry in the Book of Wars celebrated the arrival at the river Arnon, the border of Moab and the Amorite territory east of the Jordan.  The Arnon was a deep gorge forming a natural and somewhat fixed boundary. 

From there they went to Beer, which means well.  They wrote a song of celebration. 

The next several locations are quickly mentioned.  Bamoth means high place and is likely a religious center for pagan worship.  They finally come to Pisgah overlooking the wasteland (Jeshimon).  Pisgah is thought to be a mountain range including Mt Nebo and Mt Peor.

Numbers 21:21-32

The Israelites sent message to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, requesting passage through the land.  They refused and came out to war with Israel, to their own demise.  This area is north of the Arnon to the Jabbok rivers.

The approach was similar to that of Edom, however, Edom was called ‘my brother’ because of the association with Esau.  Sihon had no such association and was conquered. 

The proverb written is a taunt song of Sihon against Moab – the land from Arnon to Jabbok apparently belonged to Moab at one time.  Chemosh was the patron deity of Moab.  Look at 2 kings 3:27 – the king of Moab sacrifices his eldest son.  Israel had no intention of taking possession of the land until Sihon came to war against them. 

Numbers 21:33-35

Og is the last of the Rephaim.  Israel went up to Bashan, north of the Jabbok up to the plains east of Mt Hermon called Bashan.  Deuteronomy 3 tells us that Og was a giant.  The Lord said do not fear this man – for he must have struck fear in any normal man.  Imagine facing an army of giants.  They were defeated by the Lord and there were no survivors.

The defeat of Sihon and Og are celebrated in many passages through scripture as great victories granted to them by the Lod, examples of the Lord’s work. 

Who are the cows of Bashan in Psalm 22:12 and Amos 4:1-3? 

© 2023 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater