Chapter 21

War From Without and From Within

1. DIVISION OF THE CHAPTER
1. War with the Canaanites (Numbers 21:1-3 [1] And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. [2] And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. [3] And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.
   See All...)
2. The Judgment of the Fiery Serpents (Numbers 21:4-9 [4] And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. [5] And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. [6] And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. [7] Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. [8] And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. [9] And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
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3. The Continued Journey of the Israelites (Numbers 21:10-16 [10] And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth. [11] And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising. [12] From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared. [13] From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. [14] Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon, [15] And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab. [16] And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
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4. Water from the Well (Numbers 21:16-18 [16] And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water. [17] Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it: [18] The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:
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5. The Continued Journey of the Israelites (Numbers 21:18-20 [18] The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah: [19] And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth: [20] And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.
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6. War with the Amorites (Numbers 21:21-31 [21] And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, [22] Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king's high way, until we be past thy borders. [23] And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel. [24] And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. [25] And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof. [26] For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon. [27] Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared: [28] For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon. [29] Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites. [30] We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba. [31] Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
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7. War with the Bashanites (Numbers 21:32-35 [32] And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there. [33] And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei. [34] And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. [35] So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.
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2. WAR WITH THE CANAANITES (Numbers 21:1-3 [1] And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. [2] And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. [3] And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.
   See All...)
1. Attack from King Arad (Numbers 21:1And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.
   See All...)
1. The Israelites went by the way of the spies.
2. King Arad fought against them.
3. Some Israelites were taken prisoners.
2. The Vow of the Israelites (Numbers 21:2And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
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1. If the Lord will deliver the people into their hand
2. They would destroy their cities.
3. The Lord Delivers (Numbers 21:3And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.
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1. The Lord delivered up the Canaanites.
2. They destroyed the cities.
3. The Lord called the place Hormah.
3. THE JUDGMENT OF THE FIERY SERPENTS (Numbers 21:4-9 [4] And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. [5] And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. [6] And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. [7] Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. [8] And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. [9] And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
   See All...)
1. The Problem of the People (Numbers 21:4-5 [4] And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. [5] And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
   See All...)
1. The path
1. They journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to compass the land of Edom.
2. The soul of the people was much discouraged.
3. Practical application:  We have a direction in mind that we believe the Lord ought to lead us.  God does not always follow our plans and often leads us in ways we would not choose and we too become discouraged because of the way.  We must not only turn our destination over to the Lord, but we must also turn our “way” over to the Lord.
2. The persons
1. They spake against God.
2. They spake against the man of God – Moses.
3. Practical application:  Most of our anger in this life is aimed at one person.  We would never admit it, but it is a fact.  When we are angry, we are angry with God.  Oftentimes we direct this toward the man of God over us but it is ultimately a problem we have with God.
3. The provision
1. No bread
2. No water
3. Our soul loatheth this light bread.
4. Practical application:  We believe we deserve good things from this life.  We deserve to always have the necessary funds to pay our bills.  We deserve to have our cabinets full.  We deserve to be able to have some of the finer things this world has to offer.  The fact is we do not deserve anything.  Those things that the Lord supplies for us are the best things we can have and these things ought to satisfy us.
5. No bread vs. light bread
1. Consider that the Israelites claimed to have no bread.  This is the statement of modern Christians, theologians and scholars.  They would say to you that the bread of God (His word) is not available to us today.  It is found in the originals and the originals are nowhere to be found.
2. Consider also that the Israelites claimed to loath the light bread.  Sounds like there was actually bread available but they detested the bread that the Lord provided.  No version on this planet bears the hatred as does the King James Bible.  They loath it as light bread that doesn’t meet the needs of the people.  The Israelites detested the bread from God and constantly longed for the food from Egypt.  So it is today.  The modern versions come from Egyptian manuscripts and people would rather get their food from Egypt than from heaven.
2. The Judgment from the Lord (Numbers 21:6And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
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1. The Lord sent fiery serpents.
2. They bit the people.
3. Much people died.
3. The Plea of the People (Numbers 21:7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
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1. The people came to Moses.
2. The people recognized their sin.
3. The people asked Moses to pray for their deliverance.
4. The Remedy from the Lord (Numbers 21:8-9 [8] And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. [9] And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
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1. The directions for the remedy (Numbers 21:8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
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1. Make a fiery serpent.
2. Set it upon a pole.
3. Every one that looks upon it shall live.
2. The performance of the instructions (Numbers 21:9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
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3. The worship of the brazen serpent (2 Kings 18:4He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
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1. The serpent began to be worshipped.
2. King Hezekiah broke it in pieces.
3. The children of Israel burnt incense unto it.
4. Hezekiah called it Nehushtan , which means the brazen thing or the thing of brass.
5. The Picture Presented (Numbers 21:6-9 [6] And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. [7] Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. [8] And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. [9] And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
   See All...; John 3:14-15 [14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: [15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
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1. Sin pictured (Numbers 21:6And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
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1. The serpents represented sin.
1. Sin entered the garden when the serpent deceived Eve (Genesis 3:1-6 [1] Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? [2] And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: [3] But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. [4] And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: [5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. [6] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
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2. The curse of the serpent is never said to have been removed (Genesis 3:14And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
   See All...; Isaiah 65:25The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.
   See All...) just as the curse of sin will send a soul to the lake of fire for eternity if they do not trust Christ.
3. The fiery or brazen appearance symbolizes judgment.
2. The serpents were not selective in their biting (Romans 3:23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
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3. The end effect of the serpent’s bite was death (Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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2. Salvation pictured (Numbers 21:7-8 [7] Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. [8] And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
   See All...)
1. Repentance (Numbers 21:7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
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1. The Israelites recognized their fallen condition.
2. They declared that they had sinned against God and against Moses.
3. The judgment of God had awakened their conscience to their sin.
4. Notice that this alone did not remove the curse from the snake bite.
2. Faith (Numbers 21:8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
   See All...; Isaiah 45:22Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
   See All...; John 1:29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
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1. Once the Israelites recognized their fallen condition, they still had to take God at His word and behold the serpent on the pole.
2. Repentance was not enough.  Faith was also required (Acts 20:21Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
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3. This had nothing to do with works.  It was based on their willingness to believe God’s word.  The upward look at the serpent was an outward recognition of their own helplessness.
3. The Saviour pictured
1. The method
1. The serpent was to be placed upon a pole and lifted up.
2. The Lord Jesus Christ spoke of his death and said that He must be lifted up (John 3:14-15 [14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: [15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
   See All...; John 12:32-33 [32] And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. [33] This he said, signifying what death he should die.
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2. The serpent
1. A special serpent
1. Moses had to make this serpent out of brass.
2. The Lord did not tell him to take one of the other serpents and put it upon a pole.
3. The whole purpose of this serpent was to be put upon a pole so those who believed God’s word would look to it.
4. The Lord could not redeem man with a normal man.  It took pure blood.  It had to be His own blood (Acts 20:28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
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5. The Lord’s purpose for coming was to seek and to save that which was lost because of the curse of sin (Luke 19:10For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
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2. The significance of the brass
1. The serpent was supposed to be made of brass.
2. The brass symbolized judgment.
3. Jesus Christ took the wrath of God on the cross and if we look to Him we escape that wrath (Romans 8:32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
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3. The significance of a serpent
1. The serpent is a picture of sin.  On the cross we find the scriptures declaring that Jesus Christ became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
   See All...; 1 Peter 2:24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
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2. The serpent is a picture of a curse.  Jesus Christ became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
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3. The serpent was like the other serpents but it was of a different material.  Jesus Christ was made like unto man, but without sin (Romans 8:3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
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4. The sting of death came upon all because of a serpent.  In like manner redemption came through the brazen serpent.  So sin entered by one man Adam and death passed upon all, but the last Adam provides life for all (Romans 5:19For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
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5. The Son of God as a serpent
1. Some people teach that the Son of God became a serpent on the cross.
2. Even if He did not become a serpent on the cross, He no doubt looked like a serpent on the cross.
3. Consider the following verses: (Psalm 22:1-6 [1] My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? [2] O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. [3] But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. [4] Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. [5] They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. [6] But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
   See All...; Isaiah 52:14As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
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6. Eternal judgment as a serpent
1. When we step into eternity we shall be like Christ (1 John 3:2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
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2. It is possible that those who are lost will take on the identity of the serpent.
3. Consider these verses: (Mark 9:44Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
   See All..., 46, 48).