Review & Intro: This chapter begins the 3rd part of the book of Numbers. Miriam and Aaron died in our last chapter of reading and the high priest robes were put on Aaron's son, Eleazar by Moses when Aaron was laid to rest on Mount Hor. The rest of the book of Numbers will be the Israelites preparing to enter the Promised Land. Remember, God has said that only Joshua and Caleb would enter from the 12 that originally spied out the land because of their faith in His Word. After the grumbling following Korah's rebellion, God said that the older generation of the Israelites would all die off in the wilderness over the following 40 years. The process continues as the new generation will be made ready to enter.
Numbers Chapter 21 - Observation Questions
1. What did the king of Arad (the Canaanite), who lived in the Negev, do when he heard that Israel was coming by way of Atharim (a village there) ... ? vs. 1 -
Note: The country called Canaan had several kings. Each king ruled his own nation in the country called Canaan. The Israelites had to defeat these nations before they could live in the Promised Land. Arad was a town in the country called Canaan. The king of Arad attacked the Israelites as they travelled, most likely by surprise, because he took some of them away as his prisoners. The people needed the Lord's help and so they made a vow to Him. Have you ever made a vow or a deal with the Lord if He would deliver you from a situation?
2. Israel made a vow to the Lord that if He would deliver the people into their hand, they would destroy their cities. (vs.2) ..What did the Lord do in response to their prayer (spoken vow to Him)? - vs. 3
3. Did the Israelites keep their vow to the Lord? vs. 3
4. ‘To destroy completely’ meant to give to God completely. The Israelites could not keep any plunder for themselves. They could not gain any money or possessions as a result of the battle. Comment on the following verses:
- Leviticus 27:28-
- Deuteronomy 7:1-6 -
Note: The Canaanites did very wicked things. Their religion was very wicked, too. For example, they killed people as sacrifices. If the Israelites did not destroy those nations completely, these wicked acts would continue. And when the Israelites lived in the same country, they might start to do these things also.God helped them to defeat the Canaanites. Then the Israelites did what they had promised. They destroyed everything to show that it belonged to God completely.
4. What did they name the place because of this victory? vs. 3
5. From there, they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to "go around the land of Edom" because if you remember in chapter 20, Moses asked Edom if they could travel through the land (Numbers 20:14-21) ... and he was told if they tried, Edom would come at them with a sword. So ... they must go around the "long way". What happened to the people because of this long journey they had to continue to take? vs. 4
6. What did the people complain about to God and to Moses? vs. 5
7. They said they didn't have food, and then they said they "loated the miserable food". Obviously they had food, but not the food they craved for. (vs.5) They are no doubt still referring to the manna that fell from heaven for them to eat each day. Do we get "impatient" about the journey we are on? How do we react? .... Do we get "tired of the same old food at times"? How do we react ..... What are we told about the manna from heaven in the verse below?
- Psalm 78:14-25
8. What are we suppose to learn for our lives from these situations in the wilderness journeys of Israel?
- 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 -
9. What did the Lord send among the people that "bit" them, and many "died" from the bites? vs. 6
10. What did the people "confess" to Moses and "ask him" to do for them? vs.7-
11. Rather than "remove" the serpents, what did the Lord ask Moses to do and have the people do in order to "live"? vs. 8
12. Moses made the bronze serpent, and set it on the standard. Again, when a person was "bit", what were they to "do" in order to "live"? vs. 9
13.Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John Chapter 3 that this was a symbol or picture of Himself being lifted up for all mankind. Comment on the verses below:
- John 3:14-16 -
14. All the world has been "bitten" by the poison venom of "sin" and all are sentened to die, not only physically one day, but separated from God for enternity through the serpent's bite. Who is the serpent of old?
- Revelation 12:9
15. When did he introduce sin into the world and how did man's disobedience bring death by sin through listening to his lies? Comment on these verses.
- Genesis 3:1-12 -
- Romans 5:14-16 -
16. How was Jesus "like the serpent" lifted upon the pole? ... Moses made the replica of exactly what had "bitten" them so that they could look upon it, and see "what had bitten them". That look was confessing or agreeing that they had been bitten and that they had the death sentence on them. But look, what did Jesus take upon Himself to give us the cure? Exactly what had "bitten" us! Comment on the verse below:
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 -
17. Have you looked upon the sin that was laid upon Your Savior so that you could receive eternal life and be cured of the "poison of sin" that you inherited from your forefathers all the way back to the first Adam? What has the 2nd Adam done for you if you have looked and received the gift He has given you?
- 1 Corinthians 15:21,22 -
18. Back to Numbers 21. Verses 10-15 give us a travel log that take us all the way from Oboth, way south of the Dead Sea, all the way up to the border of Moab. It’s a travel log showing God guiding His people all the way to the land of Canaan. Name the places they traveled through between vs.10-15:
- vs.10 - they camped in _____
- vs.11 - they camed in ______, in the wilderness opposite Moab, eastward.
- vs.12 - they camped in ____ _____
- vs. 13 - they camped on the other side of _____, in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the ______, for the _____is the border of Moab, between Moab and the _______.
19. Where was all of this recorded in? vs. 14,15
20. From there, they continued to Beer. Why did the Lord have the people stop and assemble there? vs. 16
21. What did the people "sing" at this well? vs. 17
Note: This well had to be dug by the leaders and the nobles of the people with the scepter and with their staffs. (vs.18) - Yes, the Lord provided the water, but the people worked with Him to receive it. We are co-workers with the Lord in all that He provides to us to have responsiblity over. Amen.
22. After the water break, the journey continues. From the wilderness, they continued on:
- vs.18 - ___________ ... to:
- vs. 19 - __________ .... to:
- vs.19 - ___________ ... to:
- vs.20 - to the valley in the land of: ______, at the top of Mt. _____, which overlooks the wasteland.
23. At this point, Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites. (vs.21) ... They came to him with the same message (vs.22) .... they had sent to the king of Edom when asking to pass through his territory (Numbers ) .... The king of the Amorites (Sihon) answered the same way as the king of Edom did by saying they could not. Then, what did he do? vs. 23
24. Where did this fight (war) occur? vs. 23
25. What was the outcome of the battle against Israel? vs.24
26. What was the borders of the land that Israel possessed that day? vs. 24
27. Israel took all the cities and lived in the cities of the "Amorites" in Heshbon and in all her villages. (vs. 25) ..... Who did the city of Heshbon belong to? vs. 26
28. Who had the land belonged to before it beloned to Sihon, king of he Amorites? vs. 26-30 -
29. Moab was given a "woe" and called the people of "Chemosh". Use a Bible dictionary and share what you learn about "Chemosh".
30. Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. (vs.31) ... Moses sent to "spy out" Jazer and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. (vs.32) ... Where did they turn and go the way of after that? vs. 33
31. Og, the king of Bashan, went out with all his people, for battle at Edrei. (vs.33) ... What did the Lord assure Moses regarding him? vs. 34
32. Why would Moses need this reassurance? Comment on the following verses.
- Deuteronomy 3:8-11 -
33. Back to Numbers 21. What did Israel do to Og, king of Bashan, his sons, and all his people? What did they do concerning his land? vs. 35
34. Are there giants in your life that you fear? Do you believe the Lord will give you victory over the spiritual strongholds you face today?
Application:
35. We have all been bitten by the "poison" of sin. Through Jesus, who took our sin upon Himself and paid the wages of our sin with His death, we have the opportunity by "looking" to that sacrifice, believing that He is the Son of God, confessing with our mouths that He is Lord, and turning our lives to follow Him ... we will live eternally! If you have received this free gift of eternal life, who can you share this message with so that they can free of the poisonious venom of sin? Take time to ask God how you can share with them.
36. Another part of our lesson was the victories Israel had over 2 enemies of the land who came out against them. We saw that God told them He would fight for them. He did and they had victories. Comment on the following verses to encourage us in our spiritual battles today.
- 1 John 4:4 -
- Isaiah 54:17 -
- Romans 8:31-39 -
37. Summarize the lesson and post a prayer if you would like.
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