UNROLL
The deep red-and-ochre gorge of the Arnon at sunset, a thin thread of water far below, and a camp of small dark tents on the far rim.

The Book of

Numbers 21

One more grumble brought snakes into the camp, and God’s cure was a bronze snake on a pole: look and live. Then came a well, a song, and the first lands Israel would ever hold.

35 verses≈ 6 min3 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–10Ready at SinaiCounted and ordered
  2. 11–14GrumblingTo Kadesh and refusal
  3. 15–21Forty yearsRebellion and mercyChapter 21
  4. 22–25BalaamA curse turned to blessing
  5. 26–36A new generationReady for the land

The Defeat of Arad

When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked Israel and captured some prisoners.

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So Israel made a vow to the LORD: “If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will devote their cities to destruction.”

And the LORD heard Israel’s plea and delivered up the Canaanites. Israel devoted them and their cities to destruction; so they named the place Hormah.

The Bronze Serpent

Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey

and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”

So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died.

The Israelites

Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.”

So Moses interceded for the people.

God

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.”

So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.

A metal snake raised high on a tall pole above a desert camp of tents in hard light, seen from a distance.

When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.

Numbers 21:8

Reflect

Look and live

God did not take the snakes away at once, and He did not hand out a medicine. He told Moses to lift up a bronze snake, and promised, “When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” The cure was a look of trust at what God Himself had provided. Jesus said He would be lifted up in the same way, so that everyone who believes in Him would have life. What are you looking to instead: your own effort, a feeling, someone else’s approval? Write it down, and write what it would mean to look to Him today.

The Journey to Moab

Mount Hor (site uncertain)Mount Nebo (Pisgah)Seir (Edom)Zered ValleyArnonMoabDead Sea

Stylised map · locations approximate

Where it happened

Around Edom

From Mount Hor Israel went south on “the route to the Red Sea” (toward the Gulf of Aqaba) to go around Edom, then north along the desert edge east of Moab and the Dead Sea, across the Zered and the Arnon, up to the heights of Pisgah. Most of the stopping places are uncertain.

The stages

Around Moab

  1. Camped at Oboth

    Then the Israelites set out and camped at Oboth.

  2. Iye-abarim, facing Moab

    They journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the wilderness opposite Moab to the east.

  3. The Valley of Zered

    From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered.

  4. Beyond the Arnon

    From there they moved on and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends into the Amorite territory.

  5. Moab’s border with the Amorites

    Now the Arnon is the border between the Moabites and the Amorites.

Therefore it is stated in the Book of the Wars of the LORD:

“Waheb in Suphah

and the wadis of the Arnon,

even the slopes of the wadis

that extend to the site of Ar

and lie along the border of Moab.”

The stages

On to Pisgah

  1. To Mattanah

    From the wilderness the Israelites went on to Mattanah,

  2. Nahaliel, then Bamoth

    and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

  3. The valley below Pisgah

    and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah overlooks the wasteland.

Question

Quick question

At Beer the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people so that I may give them water.” This time no one quarreled, and Israel sang.

What did the leaders dig the well at Beer with?

The Defeat of Sihon

ArnonJabbok RiverDead SeaJordan RiverBashanJahaz (site uncertain)HeshbonJazer (site uncertain)Edrei

Stylised map · locations approximate

Where it happened

Sihon and Og

Sihon’s kingdom ran from the Arnon north to the Jabbok, east of the Dead Sea and the Jordan, with Heshbon its city; Israel met him at Jahaz. Then Israel went north to Jazer and up “the road to Bashan” to meet Og at Edrei. Jahaz and Jazer are uncertain.

Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, “Let us pass through your land. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”

But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel. And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.

Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its villages. Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land as far as the Arnon.

Far off at sunset, the walled mound of Heshbon on its low hill above the high, bare tableland, a thin haze of smoke over the plain.

That is why the poets say:

“Come to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt;

let the city of Sihon be restored.

For a fire went out from Heshbon,

a blaze from the city of Sihon.

It consumed Ar of Moab,

the rulers of Arnon’s heights.

Woe to you, O Moab!

You are destroyed, O people of Chemosh!

He gave up his sons as refugees,

and his daughters into captivity

to Sihon king of the Amorites.

But we have overthrown them;

Heshbon is destroyed as far as Dibon.

We demolished them as far as Nophah,

which reaches to Medeba.”

0:36

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

The Defeat of Og

So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. After Moses had sent spies to Jazer, Israel captured its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.

Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet them in battle at Edrei.

But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”

So they struck down Og, along with his sons and his whole army, until no remnant was left. And they took possession of his land.

Pray

Lifted up

Israel was saved in the wilderness by looking at what God lifted up, and then walked on into battles they could not win alone. Thank Jesus, who was lifted up on the cross so that everyone who believes in Him may live. Then bring Him the fight in front of you, and ask Him for the courage of His word to Moses: “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand.”

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Numbers 21

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A verse to carry with you

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.

Numbers 21:8–9

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