Numbers 21:10-35

Numbers 21:10-35

The Israelites continue on their journey, and the text begins outlining some of the places they stopped along the way. Other than understanding the direction that they traveled, there is really not much mentioned in the middle portion of this chapter. But it is important to note the Israelite’s thankfulness for the water that they had been given. In the city of Beer, God blessed them with some water, and the Israelites made sure that they thanked God for His provisions. This is a fairly rare scene for the Israelites; they are typically found questioning God’s direction or complaining about their living situations. But there were those times in which they remembered who God was, what He had done for them, and they praised Him for it. We must never neglect to thank God for the blessings He gives us in life.

The Israelites had been denied passage through Edom and had to travel around that nation to continue on their journey. When they came to Sidon, they met the same fate; however, the king of Sidon took it one step further by bringing forces against them. God protected His people in this moment and allowed them to overthrow the king of Sidon. Now you might wonder why He would help them in this battle when He refused to help them when they fought against the Canaanites in Numbers 14. I believe the answer is in the nature of the battle. In Numbers 14 the Israelites took matters into their own hands and tried to conquer a land that God had not given them permission to take. He had just punished them, taking away their opportunity to inherit the land. So He allowed them to lose that battle in order to show that He was in control. In this instance in Numbers 21, another nation came up against Israel in battle. In order to show His power and control, God chose to allow Israel to have victory in this situation. Although He was still denying them access into the Promised Land, He was not denying them victory altogether. He still loved His children, even if He was upset with the choices they made. He still looked out for them, but notice that it was all for His glory. In this instance, it was obvious that God was the one who gave them the victory, and once again we see Israel praising God for what He had done for them.

The end of this chapter depicts another battle, this time with the king of Og. He too, like the king of Sidon, comes up against Israel. He threatens them, and so God allows Israel to have victory over him as well. Both of these battles are great pictures of God’s protection of His children. Forces will come against us in life, and not just in physical battles. We all face hard times; think about the early Christians in the book of Acts. But even in those tough times, even in the persecutions, God protects His children. He sometimes allows those persecutions in our lives, but even when they come, they teach us to depend on Him. We are never promised an easy life, but we are promised that He will never forsake us. Therefore, we must remain obedient to His commands, placing our trust in Him, knowing that whatever comes up in our lives, He is still in control. Finally, we must always give the praise and honor to Him, in the good times and the bad. May His name be praised in every area of our lives.

Matt