Old Testament - Numbers 20-21 - May 11, 2022

5/11/2022 – Numbers 20-21

Numbers 20

The Israelites moved on after what one would hope to be a well learned lesson. Their journey took them into “the desert of Zin”. It must have been a difficult time. Miriam died and was buried there. (v 1) And then there was the significant problem of no water at all. Instead of going to the Lord in prayer, the Israelites fell back on their previous behavior as they “gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron, and the people chode [contended] with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died…why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?” (v’s 2-3) They then went on to wish they were back in Egypt, forgetting the hardships of being slaves, and forgetting the miracles the Lord had used in helping them to leave, and also forgetting to live the in the ways He had instructed them to live.

But Moses, who has always relied on the Lord, took Aaron and they went together into the tabernacle where the Lord instructed Moses to gather the Israelites, take his rod, strike a rock, and water would come forth. (v’s 6-10)

Moses was so terribly tired of dealing with all the murmurings of the Israelites, and he was angry with them as he went down. Moses’ words were: “Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?” and then, with his rod he struck the rock. The water flowed out of the rock. The problem now was that instead of explaining to all the Israelites that this was another miracle from the Lord, Moses had neglected to remind them that this was the Lord’s power, not Moses’s….Moses was following the Lord directions---which was good---but he was not acknowledging the Lord’s help and power.


Numbers 21

The Canaanites had sent spies to monitor what this huge body of Israelites was doing. Their king caused his armies to go to war against the Israelites, which they did, and they also captured some of the Israelites and put them into the Canaanite prisons.  And once again, as their situation became more difficult, the Israelites “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.” (v 5)

The Israelites were a slow to learn people. The Lord didn’t speak to them—instead He “sent fiery serpents among the people which bit the people; and many people of Israel died.” (v 6) Finally, the Israelites are beginning to remember, and to learn, for they came to Moses saying: “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…” (v 7). They are learning the cause and effect of following (and not following) the Lord’s commands, but they have yet to learn about self-disciple and faith. There were many who looked and were healed, and there were many who felt too tired to step out of their tent and look-- these were not healed and they died.

The Lord brought the poisonous serpents to, once again, try to help them understand His ways. Basically, the poisonous serpents = sin and its consequences, the metal serpent placed high on a pole where all could see it = Christ, His suffering and His atonement. Thus, if they would look to Christ, He would heal them (and us) from our sins, our pains, our sicknesses.

And just as it is in our times, those who looked toward the brass serpent were healed.

Boyd K Packer spoke of this in more modern terms: “Jesus Christ has prescribed a very clear method for us to repent and find healing in our lives. The cure for most mistakes can be found by seeking forgiveness through personal prayer. However, there are certain spiritual illnesses, particularly those dealing with violations of the moral law, which absolutely require the assistance and treatment of a qualified spiritual physician. . . . If you . . . wish to return to full spiritual health, see your bishop. He holds the keys and can help you along the pathway of repentance.” 

It’s up to us to determine just how WE look to Christ, and then work to be cognizant enough to look and learn just how Christ has helped us, and then to express our thanks, and our determination to keep going in the directions He has given us. That is what brings us closer to Him, and what brings Him closer to us.

 

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