Numbers Chapter 21 Discussion Page 2

In this context serpent means salvation or medicine

In verse 6-9 we learn that God may punish you,so that you can remember Him.God will never punish youfor a long time,He is God of mercy.The verses also remind us that Jesus christ was crucified for our sins and in whatever difficulties we come across,we should look at the cross.

Counting on God to once again help Israel defeat enemies! I think in light of what we are witnessing with Israel it will be enough to raise the anger of the Lord and He will show the world no man will destroy His chosen people! I am hoping and praying the Lord comes soon!

This is very confusing to me. This verse suggests that there is another book. Is this a book for us Christians or is this truly a book that exists in heaven?

If gods children will trust him to supply all their needs they will over come all enemies. god is our strength and supplys our needs if we trust and love him. no doubt.

God keeps track of every event in HIS-STORY;wars included.He is a God of order and accountability,yet LOVE is His nature. The bible is a love story with JESUS as our champion and SAVIOR. Wars happen in our lives but love conquers all forever. P.T.L.

Dear Sir/Madam

Is it that the chapter might give the inside knowledge of the Dead Sea Scrolls and it's Teacher of Righteousness might have been?

Regards

John Stuart

The children of Isreal were faced with trouble at every junction, but God delivered them as they followed his word. He delivered the enemy into their hand each time as they went. They were able to posess the land because the Lord was their guide, sheild, and protector. He will be to us what we need if we listen and follow his word

I think number 21 is about how we sin against God and his words he sent to us, after we came out of Egypt and how we can depend upon his word to protect us by any means if we keep his commands. But we have to pray.

Angel, this is not a form of idol worshipping and is far from it. To worship is to bow down, reverence, give hommage to. In this case, God provided a way for his people to avoid death from the bite of the serpents by looking up. No one was to "bow before" the brass serpent. We, as Christians, are to look beyond the attacks of the enemy, regardless of it's form, and look up to our Lord and Savior for deliverance. Israel kept complaining and looking at their situation rather than looking to God to provide their every need. This was not only a punishment for the complaining that Israel did, but also an attention getter. It was God Who provided their way of escape from death then, and it is still God Who provides a way for our escape from death now, through the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ and Him being brasen upon the cross for all of our sins.

Is this not a form of idol worshiping... commanded by God?

The Canaanites are our everyday problems/enemies, which the Lord always destroys from our lives. Horma will then represent a place we praise God, the Church. It is imperative therefore that when we worship God we should worship him in spirit and in truth. In Psalm 50:5 God says “Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice ". This signifies a strong bond between God and His saints , but only to those that have made a sacrifice to him . To them he will hearken unto their voice, when they cry to him and so shall their enemies (Canaanites) be utterly destroyed. God has always promised to keep his word if we are prepared to walk in His path of righteousness, In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God says "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land". So here God promises us healing our land (which signifies any problems in our lives) but only after we have done four things:
1. Humble ourselves
2. Pray
3. Seek his face
4. Turn away from our wicked ways
Then God says He will do THREE things for us
1. First he will “HEAR". God wants to hear us pray and praise his name, at HORMA (Church) place of praise.
2. Only when He has heard us pray will he forgave, and then
3. Heal our land (deliver the Canaanites for destruction). It is now at this point that the Lord will seek His saints, those that have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice.

In the previous comment, I meant to say this was the process of freedom and possessions and it might be the way God decided to fulfill the promise he made to Abraham in the book of Genesis.

God that said thou shall not kill has ability to make people be killed if they refuse to obey him. The process of freedom and possession of properties. Remember God had promised Abraham in Genesis and this might ne the way to get it fulfilled as God had promised. So, you cannot querry God's actions regarding this. If he promised you victory, it means he will cause some people to be defeated. Bronze snake that was hung on the tree signified how Jesus would be hung on the tree in the new testament. Whoever looked upon the hung snake got healed so whoever looks unto Jesus got saved. In other words, Scriptures interprete Scriptures. May you received more revelation on his words. Amen.

I don't understand. God tells us in the Ten Commandments that we shalt not kill, and that we should worship no false idols. Moses built a brass serpent, and in the end of this chapter they killed the king of Bashan and his people. This is why it would probably be easier to just begin at the New Testament; however it is all encompassed in the Bible. So it must all have some significance.