30: They Started Talking with the Lord (Num 21:1-20)

Near the end of their journey, they learned how to communicate with the Lord.

πŸ‘‰ Read Numbers 21:1-20

As some of them were captured in the battle, they prayed to the Lord, “If you indeed deliver this people to our hands, we will utterly (              ) their cities.”

 

At people’s complaint, the Lord sent (               ) to bite the people. They came to Moses and said, ‘We have (                ). Pray to the Lord for us.’ According to the Lord’s command, Moses made a (               ) snake and put it on a pole. Anyone who (            ) at it was healed.

 

They detoured the territory of (                 ) and arrived at Beer. There, the Lord gave them (             ).

 

Answers and meditation

Destroy

Here, they prayed to the Lord with a vow. Utter destruction implies dedication to the Lord. They only wanted their prisoners back, not any property.

Hormah is the same city where they were defeated by the Canaanites in chapter 14.

 

Venomous snakes, sinned, bronze, looked

This is the first time they have confessed they have sinned. The Lord provided a way of salvation.

 

Moab, water

The long passage of verses 10 – 15 describes how they circumvented the border of Moab. They were not allowed to pass through Moab.

Here, interestingly, there is no mention of complaint. The Lord provided what they needed: the water. The Lord knows what you need and provides it.

 

Though they still complained, they learned how to interact with the Lord. It shows their righteous relationship with the Lord. Faith is not about not complaining but about continuing to communicate with the Lord.

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