Read Numbers 20:14-21:9.

Note: The “Negev” spoken of in Numbers 21:1 is a reference to the southern extremity of the land of Canaan.

Introduction⤒🔗

Many years ago, a group of settlers was journeying west along the Oregon Trail. After some weeks of travel, they came to a very discouraging point in their journey. For several days water, and grass for their livestock, had been scarce. The heat of the day was stifling. Some of their wagons broke down, causing delay. Consequently, a spirit of fretfulness and complaining took the place of the cheer and high expectations that had marked the outset of their journey. The settlers decided to hold a meeting at the next night’s resting place and talk over their situation.

When they gathered around the campfire to discuss their problems, one of them stood up and said, “Before we do anything else, we should first thank God. Thank Him that we have come this far without any loss of life, that we have had no serious trouble with the Indians, that we still have the strength to continue our journey.” The settlers followed this man’s advice; one after another they stood and thanked God for His blessings.¹

That approach to discouraging circumstances stands in striking contrast to the way Old Testament Israel dealt with discouragement:

Then they traveled from Mount Hor along the route towards the Red Sea, in order to go around the land of Edom. The people became very discouraged in spirit because of the route. ⁵The people spoke against God and against Moses, saying, 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt in order to die in this wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!'Num. 21:4-5

When we experience severe disappointment or discouragement in our lives we, too, are tempted to lash out against God in a blasphemous way. But the LORD will not tolerate spiritual temper tantrums; therefore, we must learn how to handle discouragement in a godly manner.

The Way to Handle Discouragement: Don’t Be Surprised by It←⤒🔗

When Israel arrives at the border to the land of Edom, (located southeast of Canaan), Moses sends messengers to the Edomite king requesting permission to pass through his land:

This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come upon us. ¹⁵Our forefathers went down into Egypt, and we lived there for many years. The Egyptians mistreated us as well as our fathers. ¹⁶But when we cried out to the LORD, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. Now we are here in Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. ^17aPlease let us pass through your country. vs. 14-17a

Due to the steep mountain ranges that blocked entrance into Canaan from the south, Israel intended to enter Canaan from the east, crossing the Jordan River.² But this entailed passing through the land of Edom, along the King's Highway. So it was that Moses sent messengers to the King of Edom, requesting permission for passage through his land.

The Israelite messengers appeal to the blood relation that existed between themselves and the Edomites, identifying themselves as “your brother Israel;” and they appeal to Edom’s sympathy by recounting all the adversity they had suffered at the hands of the Egyptians (Num. 20:14-15). The messengers explain that the people of Israel are merely requesting permission to pass through Edom along the king’s highway, they have no intention of settling within Edomite territory or plundering the land (Num. 20:17).

But Edom refuses to grant permission, threatening to make war against Israel if they enter Edomite territory: “Edom answered, You may not pass through my country. If you attempt to do so, I will come out against you with the sword” (vs. 18). Despite Israel’s pleading, and even their promise to pay for the use of water, Edom adamantly refuses to allow the people to pass through their land (Num. 20:19-20). Consequently, Israel is forced to turn away.

To make matters worse, not only is Israel refused permission to pass through Edom, they are attacked by the Canaanite king of Arad (Num. 21:1). Feeling threatened by Israel’s presence, that king sends out a military expedition against them, taking some of the people captive. But Numbers 21:2-3 informs us that LORD granted Israel victory over the king of Arad, (and recovery of the captives).

We learn from Numbers 21:4 that in order to circumvent the land of Edom, Israel journeyed south, “by the way to the Red Sea.” The Red Sea, at its northern extremity, separates into two smaller inlets, the eastern one in ancient times was called, “the Elanitic Gulf,” today it is known as “the gulf of Akaba.” To avoid trespassing upon Edomite territory, the people of Israel had to travel all the way south to the head of the Elanitic Gulf. From there they would go east and, once past Edomite territory, resume their journey north, (with the ultimate goal of crossing the Jordan River to gain entrance into the Promised Land of Canaan).

So it was that the people became “very discouraged in spirit because of the route [they were obligated to take]” (Num. 21:4b). They have encountered Edom’s rejection, a Canaanite attack, and God’s mysterious providence—Israel must have wondered: Why did the LORD not cause Edom to take pity on them? Why did they now have to travel in a direction that led them away from their destination; indeed, a direction that was leading them toward the Red Sea, which was their original starting point? All of these occurrences took Israel by surprise, they were all contrary to the expectation of the people.

The way to handle discouragement: Don’t be surprised by it.

Don’t be surprised to encounter an unloving, unsympathetic response from those with whom you would expect to have brotherly relations—the kind of response Israel received from Edom. Consider the response David got from Nabal when he sought Nabal’s help and comfort after having protected Nabal’s shepherds in the wilderness:

Nabal answered David’s servants, Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. ¹¹Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?1 Sam. 25:10-11

Consider the response the Lord Jesus got in the days of His earthly ministry:

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, but the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to his own people, yet those who were his own did not receive him. Jn. 1:10-11

Don’t be surprised to encounter hostility, rejection, and opposition from a world that neither fears God nor is sympathetic to His purposes—the kind of response Israel received from the Canaanite king of Arad. Consider again the case of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb. 12:3).

Don’t be surprised to encounter God’s mysterious providence by which He even allows His people to be opposed and temporarily thwarted by the devil. Note the words of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonian church, “we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan hindered us” (1 Thess. 2:18). The hymn writer, Isaac Watts, asks, “Is this vile world a friend to grace, to help me on to God?” The answer he anticipates is “No.” Note the many times Scripture warns the Christian to expect opposition and trial in the present world:

Jesus testifies to His disciples and to us:

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation. But have courage; I have conquered the world. Jn. 16:33

...they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch, ²²strengthening the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and [teaching] that we must enter into the kingdom of God through many tribulations. Acts 14:21-22

The thoughts and prayers of a contemporary Christian writer are very apropos:

The other night, I stopped by the bank after hours and used the automatic teller machine. The whole transaction took less than a minute. As I walked the few steps back to the car, I thought, The trouble with American society is that it’s too convenient.

I find myself thinking that every aspect of life should be as easy as using an automatic teller machine. When it isn’t, I can easily become frustrated. In addition, there is the subtle assumption that God is somehow committed to making my life convenient, pleasant, and protected.

That Christian man then offered up this humble prayer to God: Lord, help me not to construct a theology of convenience that will not allow You to lead me through this life or call me home to heaven along a road of pain and personal loss.³

The Way to Handle Discouragement: Don’t Overlook God’s Faithful Mercies in the Midst of It←⤒🔗

Again the people of Israel blasphemously protest against the LORD and His servant Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt in order to die in this wilderness?” (Num. 21:5a) They totally lose sight of, and even deny, God’s acts of salvation and His good purpose. Let us never lose sight of the promise the LORD makes in Jeremiah 29:11, “’I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

They go on to protest, “There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” (Num. 21:5b) The LORD had been graciously and even miraculously keeping these people alive, yet they have the audacity to curse the very provision He has faithfully supplied. They also have lost sight of the fact that it was their unbelief and rebellion that has prevented them from already gaining access to the Promised Land of Canaan. The wisdom of Proverbs 19:3 well applies to the present situation: “A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD.”

Although Israel did not realize it at the time, (being pre-occupied with all the trials they were presently encountering), the victory the LORD gave them over the Canaanite king of Arad was a precursor and guarantee of their ultimate conquest of the Canaanites and their God-ordained possession of the Promised Land of Canaan: “The LORD...delivered the Canaanites to [Israel]. They completely destroyed them and their cities; so that place was named Hormah” (21:3). Here was a token of the LORD’s covenantal faithfulness in the midst of the trials they were presently experiencing.

In response to Israel’s attitude and behavior, the LORD demonstrates that He will not tolerate spiritual temper tantrums, and He will not allow His sacred Name to be blasphemed. Consequently, He sent venomous serpents among the people, “they bit the people and many Israelites died” (21:6). The wilderness was infested with venomous snakes and scorpions, as we learn from Moses’ testimony, “He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions” (Deut. 8:15). But Israel had been graciously spared—until now.

When we deny or curse God’s dealing with us, He may expose us to more terrible perils than we knew existed. Who can count or even know the dangers and demonic forces from which we have been spared by the mercy and covenant faithfulness of God? But curse God, deny His present goodness to you, and you are liable to be exposed to the very perils from which the LORD has been graciously sparing you.

As we read, these poisonous serpents “bit the people and many Israelites died” (Num. 21:6b). The terrors to which we expose ourselves when we blaspheme and forsake the protective care of Christ are very real and deadly; as the LORD warns rebellious Israel in the time of Jeremiah: “See, I will send venomous serpents among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you, declares the LORD” (Jer. 8:17).

The way to handle discouragement: Don’t overlook (and don’t forsake) God’s faithful mercies. May we bear in mind such Scripture passages as these:

Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you. Were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. Psl. 40:5

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. ²³They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lam. 3:22-23

Consider, too, the following testimony:

A man in Dundee, Scotland, who had fallen and broken his back, was confined to his bed for forty years. He never had a day without pain, but God gave him the grace and strength to keep going. His cheery disposition and great love for the LORD inspired all who visited him.

One day a friend asked, “Doesn’t the devil ever tempt you to doubt God?”

“Oh yes, he tries, especially when I have to lie here and see my old schoolmates driving by, having a good time with their families. At times it’s as if Satan whispers, ‘If the LORD is so good, why does He keep you here? Why did He allow you to break your back?’”

When the friend asked how he handled such attacks, the man replied, “I point him to Calvary and to the wounds of my Savior and say, ‘Doesn’t He love me!’ The devil can’t answer that, so he flees every time.”⁴

The Way to Handle Discouragement: Repent of Any Ungodly Response to It←⤒🔗

The people of Israel came back to Moses and confessed their sin: “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD would take the serpents away from us” (Num. 21:7). After having come to Moses in anger and accusation, and then having turned away from Moses and from the LORD in disappointment and sinful disgust, it took a great deal of humility for them to return. But they came to see that their plight was desperate, that there was no hope apart from the LORD, and they had to return. In returning, they confess their sin: there can be no forgiveness without the confessing and forsaking of sin. When they returned to the LORD, in humility and honest confession of their sin, they found the LORD to be merciful.

Let us be assured by the LORD’s own testimony given through the prophet Jeremiah:

Go, proclaim this message: Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD, I will frown upon you no longer, for I am merciful, declares the LORD. I will not be angry forever. ¹³Only acknowledge your guilt—you have rebelled against the LORD your God...and have not obeyed me, declares the LORD. ¹⁴Return, faithless people, declares the LORD, for I am your husband... ^22aReturn, faithless people; I will cure you of your backsliding.Jer. 3:12-14, 22a

Let us respond to the LORD with the words of Jeremiah: “Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God... ²³surely in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.” (Jer. 3:22b-23)

When the people return to the LORD, He is faithful to receive them back and to provide for their deliverance. Moses is instructed to make a bronze replica of the deadly, venomous serpents (Num. 21:8a). That bronze serpent was attached to a pole and prominently displayed for all to see (Num. 21:8b). In order to be saved, the bitten, perishing Israelites had to look at the bronze serpent, trusting that the LORD would save them (Num. 21:8c).

The bronze serpent attached to the pole was an Old Testament representation of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, in the same way must the Son of man be lifted up; ¹⁵so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (Jn. 3:14-15).

Because of their blasphemy and rejection of the LORD, they were delivered over to the deadly venomous serpents. The way of salvation the LORD provided was for them to look to the harmless replica of a serpent He appointed for their deliverance. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, speaking of Christ, the Apostle Paul declares, “Him who knew no sin God made to be sin on our behalf; so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.”

The way to handle discouragement: Repent of any and every ungodly response to it.

The Apostle Paul exhorts the Philippians, “Do all things without grumbling and arguing, ¹⁵so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without blemish, in the midst of a perverse and depraved generation, among whom you shine like stars in the universe” (Phil. 2:14-15).

When Paul here speaks of “grumbling and arguing,” he is not referring to that struggle that takes place in the Christian’s heart as we wrestle to accept the will of God. Even our Lord Jesus in His human nature experienced such struggles: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done... ⁴⁵and being in anguish, Jesus prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Lk. 22:42,44).

What Paul is referring to in Philippians 2:14 is that deep-seated resistance and rebellion against God, which refuses to accept His will and becomes hardened and embittered when its own will is disappointed. When he uses the phrase, “grumbling and arguing,” Paul has in mind Old Testament Israel and the attitude they habitually displayed in the wilderness, and especially as it was displayed when they refused to enter the land of Canaan (note Deuteronomy 1:26-27, printed below). It proved to be an attitude that brought condemnation upon those who remained unrepentant.

Moses declares to them:

...you were unwilling to go up [into Canaan]; you rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God. ²⁷You grumbled in your tents and said, The LORD hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. Deut. 1:26-27

Again, in the Song of Moses we read:

They (Israel) have dealt corruptly with the LORD, they are not his children, it is their blemish; they are a perverse and crooked generation. Deut. 32:5

Compare these words of Moses, (as he describes stubborn, defiant Israel,) with the Apostle Paul’s exhortation that the Philippian Christians “become blameless and pure, children of God without blemish, in the midst of a perverse and depraved generation.”

It is one thing to cry out, “O LORD, help me to trust and obey!” It is quite another to quietly seethe, “O LORD, I will not trust and obey!”

As Christians who have been born again by the Spirit of God, we are to do all things without grumbling and arguing, so that we may become “children of God without blemish.” What Paul means is that we are to increasingly become transformed into the character of Christ our Savior who trustingly accepted His Father’s will, confident that in the ultimate sense He would not be disappointed, note Isaiah 53:7,11-12,

He was oppressed and afflicted, but he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is being led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before her shearers, so he did not open his mouth... ¹¹He will see the fruit of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied... ¹² I will give him a portion with the great, and he will divide the spoil with the strong.

As Christians, we are not to be like Old Testament Israel who, because of their perpetual grumbling and arguing, are identified in these terms in Deuteronomy 32:5, “they are not his children, it is their blemish.” That is to say, their rebellious spirit is the blemish, the condemning mark against them. Note: This charge does not apply to that portion of Israel who did confess their sins and repent of them,

The people came to Moses and said, 'We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD would take the serpents away from us.' ⁸The LORD said to Moses, 'Make a replica of a venomous serpent and put it on a pole; when anyone who has been bitten looks at it, he shall live.' ⁹So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. And it happened that, if anyone was bitten by a serpent, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. Num. 21:7-9

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Christian, in this present world you may expect to encounter discouragements—sometimes of a very severe nature. If you respond to such times of discouragement and disappointment by lashing out against God in a blasphemous way, do not expect the LORD to tolerate such spiritual temper tantrums.

May we learn to avoid the sinful conduct exhibited by Old Testament Israel; may we learn to imitate the righteous conduct of Christ our Savior.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. What request does Moses ask of the king of Edom? See Num. 20:14, 17 What promise does Moses make? See Num. 20:17b As a Christian, how would you have responded to Moses’s request? How do you respond when someone in need requests your aid or assistance? Note Matt. 7:12,

Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying, 'This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come upon us... ¹⁷Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard; neither will we drink water from the wells. We will travel along the king’s highway; we will not veer off to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory. Num. 20:14, 17

...whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matt. 7:12

2. How does Moses describe Israel’s relationship to Edom? See Num. 20:14 How does he seek to solicit Edom’s sympathy? See Num. 20:14c, 15b How does the king of Edom respond? See Num. 20:18 How does the heart of the Edomites contrast with the kind of heart the LORD expects to find in His people? Note Deut. 15:7 and 1 Jn. 3:17-18,

Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come upon us. ¹⁵Our forefathers went down into Egypt, and we lived there for many years. The Egyptians mistreated us as well as our fathers. Num. 20:14-15

But Edom answered, 'You may not pass through my country. If you attempt to do so, I will come out against you with the sword.' Num. 20:18

If there is among you a poor man of his brethren...you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother. Deut. 15:7

...whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? ¹⁸My little children, let us not love in word...but in deed and in truth. 1 Jn. 3:17-18

3. Why is Aaron not permitted to enter the Promised Land of Canaan? See Num. 20:24 (Note Num. 20:10-12) What phrase in verse 24 indicates that Aaron’s sin was forgiven and that he did not forfeit entrance into the transcendent and eternal kingdom of heaven? Note Zech. 10:8 As a Christian, do you take comfort in the knowledge that, although your sinful choices may have caused you grief and loss, your repentance assures you of a restored relationship with the LORD? Note Isa. 44:22,

Aaron shall be gathered to his people; he shall not enter into the land I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. Num. 20:24

“The waters of Meribah” is referring to the occasion when Moses and Aaron disobeyed the LORD by striking the rock instead of speaking to it, that it should yield water.

Speaking of His people, the LORD declares,

I will whistle for them and gather them, for I will redeem them...Zech. 10:8

I have swept away your transgressions as though they were a thick cloud; and your sins, as though they were the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.Isa. 44:22

4. Upon Aaron’s death, who was appointed by the LORD to replace him? See Num. 20:25-26 What does this tell us about our need to perpetually have a high priest representing us before the LORD? What does Hebrews 7:25 tell us about the LORD Jesus Christ? Have you put your trust in Christ alone as the one and only High Priest who is able to represent you before God?

Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and bring them up to Mount Hor. ²⁶Remove Aaron’s priestly garments from him and put them on his son Eleazar. Num. 20:25-26

...[Christ] is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he ever lives to make intercession for them. Heb. 7:25

5. Edom’s refusal to grant safe passage through his territory has caused Israel to retrace their steps, so as to circumvent the land of Edom. How does Israel respond to this “detour”? See Num. 21:4-5 How do you respond to “detours” (trials) in your Christian life? How did our Lord respond to the trial appointed by the Father for Him? See Matt. 26:39,

...[he] fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. Matt. 26:39