Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 21 - Part 5 of 5

    The next time the Israelites had a meltdown was in Numbers 21.  But this time it wasn't about the leadership, it was about their food. Eating manna three times a day every day without any leeks or garlic for seasonings was obviously trying their patience.

Deception Pass Beach

The soul of the people became impatient because of the way…spoke against God and against Moses, why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?   For there is no bread or water, and we loathe this contemptible bread. 
Numbers 21:4b-5

    When you look back at Numbers 20, you can tell that God was understanding and didn’t like that Moses had spoken harshly with them when they were thirsty.  But this time when the people complained, God stepped in to punish them. In chapter 31 of the Life-Study of Numbers Witness Lee points out that God didn’t promise the Israelites that their journey to Canaan was going to be easy.  Their complaints displeased God, and He sent fiery serpents into their camp that killed many of them.

     No doubt this was frightening to the people, and they quickly confessed that they had sinned against God.  They asked Moses to pray for them.  In answer to their prayer God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole.  When an Israelite was bitten, they were supposed to look at the brass serpent and that would heal them. 

     I learned from my reading that this account is full of spiritual meaning.  In John 3:14 when the Lord was talking to Nicodemus about being born again He said that He was going to be lifted up like the brass serpent. I really like the tie-in he gave on pages 233-234 of this chapter: 

My granddaughter checking out the water

The bronze serpent had the form of a serpent but not the poisonous nature of a serpent.  This is a full type of Christ coming in the likeness of the flesh of sin (Rom. 8:3) to be our replacement…..The bronze serpent was put on a pole, which signifies the cross. Long after Numbers 21 was written, Christ came, and in his conversation with Nicodemus He referred to the type of the bronze serpent. The Lord Jesus seemed to be saying to him, ‘Nicodemus, the picture of the bronze serpent on a pole signifies what I will be for you. That serpent was the replacement of your forefathers so that they could be saved from death and have life. I will do the same for you. I will die on the cross as your replacement so that you may have eternal life’ (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Numbers. Living Stream  Ministry: Anaheim. 1992, Print).

     What spoke to me in my reading of this chapter is we may not realize it but as fallen people we were all bitten by Satan who actually was the serpent in the  garden of Eden.  And because of that, the Bible tells us the poisonous nature of Satan got into all of us; even a good guy like Nicodemus had been bitten by this serpent.  This brings back to my mind the times the Lord in the Gospels called the Israelites a brood of vipers.  He wasn’t name calling here, He was trying to help them see what was within them wasn’t always good. 

     I like the way Witness Lee closes this section by saying whether we’re still serpents or not depends on if we drink  of Christ as the living water. It’s helped me to see that even though I’m regenerated, I still have a fallen nature within me  I can't fix it, but I can come to God every day and spiritually drink Him. And if I really drink Him, it's never boring! And drinking the Lord in His word actually ends up swallowing up a lot of my complaints, too.

 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Numbers on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Studies of Numbers and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other Posts on Numbers:

What is the Spiritual Meaning of the Book of Numbers
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 11 - Murmuring About Manna - Part 1 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 12 - Miriam Rebels Against Moses' Authority - Part 2 of 5 -
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 13 & 14 - The Evil Report of 10 Spies - Part 3 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 16 - The Rebellion of Korah, Dathan, & Abiram? Part 4 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers  21 - The Judgment of the Serpents in Numbers 21 - Part 5 of 5

Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 16- What Can We Learn from the Rebellion of Korah, Dathan, & Abiram? Part 4 of 5

What happened in Numbers 16 may seem a little far-fetched to you. In fact, you may be thinking, whoa, did the earth really open up and swallow people alive?  It's in the Bible, but what was really going on here that God had to do something this drastic?  I got from my Bible reading that it all started when Korah, Dathan, and Abiram started to complain that Moses and Aaron were taking on too much.  They felt Moses and Aaron should let other Levites do more. At the outset that might not sound insubordinate at all. But as God’s leader, Moses could sense the rebellious undercurrent in their speaking. Immediately Moses and Aaron fell down on their faces and were like who are we that you should say that?  Then Moses told the people if these men had reviled God then the earth would open up underneath them and take them, their families and everything that belonged to them alive into Sheol. Then Moses warned all the people to get away from their tents. And then  immediately the earth opened up beneath these men and their tents. After that God sent fire down on the 250 men who had joined Korah's rebellion.  This account shows us how serious rebellion is to God. I like how Witness Lee closes chapter 23 on page 174 he says: What should we do in this kind of situation?  In such a rebellious situation, it is better not to do anything. The Lord is still living. He is still on the throne and is still sovereign.  He is the sovereign Lord and the highest authority.  He is the Head of the Body today.  Thus, we must always refer these things to Him and let Him be what He is. This is all we can do, and this is what we must do  (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Numbers. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1990, Print).  You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Numbers on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Studies of Numbers and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website. Other Posts on Numbers: What is the Spiritual Meaning of the Book of Numbers Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 11 - Murmuring About Manna - Part 1 of 5 Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 12 - Miriam Rebels Against Moses' Authority - Part 2 of 5 - Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 13 & 14 - The Evil Report of 10 Spies - Part 3 of 5 Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 16 - The Rebellion of Korah, Dathan, & Abiram? Part 4 of 5 Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers  21 - The Judgment of the Serpents in Numbers 21 - Part 5 of 5

Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 13 & 14 - Part 3 of 5

    Who doesn’t like a good spy story?  In Numbers 13 Moses chose one man from each of the 12 tribes to spy out the land of Canaan. When they came back they gave the people two different kinds of reports. 

    Ten of them concentrated on the fact that there were giants in the land and next to them they felt like grasshoppers.  These spies forgot that God had brought ten plagues on Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and on top of all that destroyed Pharaoh’s army in it! 

    These 10 men focused on what they saw outwardly, and their fears of being destroyed by the giants governed their vision. 

   Then Jehovah spoke to  Moses, saying, 
    Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; one man from each of their fathers' tribes you shall send,...
   But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.
   But the men who went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.
   And they brought to the children of Israel an evil report of the land which they spied out, saying, "The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great size.

                                                                        Numbers 13:1-2, 30-31

      But Joshua and Caleb reminded the people what kind of God they served.  I like their bold statements of faith that these giants would be food for them. But sorry to say but most of the Israelites didn’t believe that God could safely bring them into the land He had promised Abraham over four hundred years before!

    What a sad moment in their history.  And I’m sure it made God’s heart sad that His people didn't have faith in God.  Because of that God sent a  plague that killed the 10 spies that gave an evil report (Numbers 14:37).  The people’s failure to believe Joshua and Caleb's report cost them dearly. All the Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, 1 year for each of the 40 days the spies were gone until everyone from that generation had died (Numbers 14:33-34).  

    This account touches me deeply because it's not always easy to believe God when you see giants everywhere. In chapter 21 Witness Lee shows on pages 149-151 there's something deeper going on here: 

Today, thirty-five hundred years later, we can realize from reading the biblical record that although God's bringing of the people into the good land was apparently for the people, it was actually to accomplish, to carry out, God's eternal plan, which is altogether centered on the all-inclusive Christ. This is on the positive side. On the negative side, God still has an enemy, Satan.  Apparently, it is man who occupies and usurps the earth; actually, the usurper is not man but Satan.....If they had thought even a little about God's interests, they would have said, 'God, as You have been so good to us, we just love You. We would like to sacrifice or future, our safety, our security, our existence, and everything for Your purpose...We care only that You accomplish Your purpose. For Your purpose, let us go and possess the land' (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Numbers. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry,  1990, Print). 

      You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Numbers on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Studies of Numbers and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other Posts on Numbers:

What is the Spiritual Meaning of the Book of Numbers
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 11 - Murmuring About Manna - Part 1 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 12 - Miriam Rebels Against Moses' Authority - Part 2 of 5 -
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 13 & 14 - The Evil Report of 10 Spies - Part 3 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 16 - The Rebellion of Korah, Dathan, & Abiram? Part 4 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers  21 - The Judgment of the Serpents in Numbers 21 - Part 5 of 5

Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 12 - Part 2 of 5

     Big sisters can get a bit bossy. I know because I have one.  And probably Miriam thought as the older sister she had the right to complain about Moses marrying a Cushite woman.  She even got Aaron to take sides with her. But I can tell from the Bible that God didn’t like it. 

    The Bible tells us because Moses was so humble, he fell on his face when he heard her speaking.  God was so unhappy with Miriam, that He paid them all a personal visit. 

   How many times do you see that happening in the Bible?  Miriam may have thought because she was a prophetess among the people she could put that authority over Moses.   But God wouldn't tolerate it. 


And Miriam and Aaron Spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he head married...And they said, Has Jehovah indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not also spoken through us? And Jehovah heard it.  Numbers 12:1-2 

     After He was done speaking with all of them, Miriam was completely leprous. In chapter 19 of the Life-Study of Numbers Witness Lee shares about the spiritual meaning of this account:

 All three of them were quite distinctive among the people. They were well-educated, they were close to God, they were knowledgeable in the things of God, and they were considered leaders among the people of Israel. Nevertheless, there were "germs" hidden within Miriam and Aaron that were stirred up by the "winds" blowing with the tide of the turmoil. From this we need to need to learn that in the service of the Lord we should not allow anything negative to remain hidden within us. Any such thing that is not rooted out of our being will come out sooner or later. We need to be alert and aware of any germs that may still be in us (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Numbers. Living Stream Ministry: Anaheim, 1990, Print). 

 In this next section Witness Lee points out that only Moses was God's representative and it had nothing to do with who was older.  Within Miriam and Aaron just like within us are the germs of rivalry and jealousy.   God said to Miriam in verse 8, Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?  This is a huge lesson to all of us.

   

  You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Numbers on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Studies of Numbers and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other Posts on Numbers:

What is the Spiritual Meaning of the Book of Numbers
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 11 - Murmuring About Manna - Part 1 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 12 - Part 2 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 13 & 14 - Part 3 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 16 - Part 4 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers  21 - Part 5 of 5

Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 11 - Part 1 of 5

     After receiving God’s law and then building the tabernacle, you would think that the children of Israel wouldn’t have any problems on their journey in the wilderness.  Hardly.   Actually the Israelites complained over and over against Moses and even rebelled against God.  But I saw as I read these chapters in the Life-Study of Numbers that God used all these trials to purify His people’s hearts.

    The first thing that happened on their journey was the mixed multitude that had joined them from Egypt began to murmur about the food. As you may recall, there was just manna for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And hey didn't have any onions and garlic to season it with. This caused the mixed multitude in Numbers 11:4b-15 to want some Egyptian food, and this stirred up the lust among God’s people.  Witness Lee says that this lust was already hidden within them, but the environment brought it out.  

And the mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly; and the children of Israel also wept again and said, Who shall give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic; But now our appetite has gone; there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.   Numbers 11:4-5

     God wasn't too happy with all these complaints. He sent quails to their camp for 30 days that were about 3 feet high and a day's journey on each side.  As they were biting into it, God sent a huge plague.

    So what lessons are in this account?  I learned from my reading that the foods in Egypt symbolize the worldly taste, and the manna they detested represented Christ as the heavenly  bread. We might experience this, too--the world may cool us down, and we may not always want to come to the Lord’s word and eat the spiritual bread.  This is brought out on pages 130-131 of chapter 18:

Manna signifies the heavenly Christ as the daily food for God's people. This is pointed out by the Lord Jesus Himself in John 6:29-35. In the wilderness the people became bored of eating manna. Day after day, they received the miraculous supply of manna. No matter where they were, there was enough manna in the morning to feed more than two million people. This surely was a miracle. But even though the children of Israel witness this miracle daily for forty years, they were not affected by it in a positive way. Instead they became tired of manna, even bored of eating it....If we are honest, we will admit that just as the children of Israel were bored of eating manna, we have sometimes become bored of eating Christ as our daily food (Lee. Witness.  Living Stream Ministry: Anaheim. 1990, Print).

   What's helped me not get bored is to come to God's word with a seeking heart and ask Him to speak to me in the word.  We can ask the Lord to never let us get bored of coming to the Bible.  I can honestly say He can do that.

 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Numbers on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Studies of Numbers and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other Posts on Numbers:

What is the Spiritual Meaning of the Book of Numbers
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 11 - Murmuring About Manna - Part 1 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 12 - Part 2 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 13 & 14 - Part 3 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 16 - Part 4 of 5

Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers  21 - Part 5 of 5

What is the Spiritual Meaning of the Book of Numbers?

The Old Testament tells an amazing story.  Although the plot has many twists and turns, God never gives up His intention. When I read through the Life-Studies of Genesis I saw that God called Abraham with an intention that He would have a people to express Him and represent Him on earth.  This intention is clearly seen  in Genesis 1:26-27, and Witness Lee's sharing on it has helped me to read the Old Testament with these verses in mind. 

Then when I read through the Life-Studies of Exodus, I saw that the children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt so that they would build God a dwelling place.  This was a further step.  God finally had a place on earth where He could descend and speak to His people.   

I learned when I read through the Life-Studies of Leviticus  that God has a precise way for His people to contact Him through many types of offerings.  Without these offerings sinful man could not worship a holy and righteous God. 

I just started reading the Life-Studies of Numbers, and I was touched to see that God is numbering His people so He can conquer His enemy on earth. In these  excerpts on pages 11-13 and16 in chapter two of the Life-Study of Numbers, Witness Lee Explains what God's intention is in this book:

Eventually, the picture in Numbers shows us God and His chosen people mingled together as one entity to conquer the enemy on earth. The enemy utilizes and usurps the entire earth, which God created for Himself and His purpose. How can God regain the earth? God will not regain the earth directly, by Himself as the mighty God, the Creator. In the New Testament economy, God would never do this by Himself....The children of Israel were formed into a body to fight for God as warriors and serve God as  priests for the carrying out of God's purpose....The formation of the children of Israel into a body to fight for God and to serve God typifies the New Testament believers being built up into the organic Body of Christ to fight for God for the carrying out, in its service to God, of God's eternal economy....The army of God protecting God's testimony is a matter of a formed assembly, not of individuals....God desires the formed, coordinated Body of Christ. The children of Israel were formed into a fighting army by being numbered by their families and leaders (vv. 1-16) and according to their age (vv. 20-46)....The fighting Israelites were the outward protection for the serving Levites, who were for the testimony of God. The Levites were encamped around the tabernacle, and they were surrounded by the twelve tribes, who protected them (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Numbers. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1990, Print).

 
I can see from this that in Numbers God is taking a further step to regain the earth for Himself. I like the way  Witness Lee shares the Old Testament types in light of New Testament realities!

 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Numbers on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Studies of Numbers and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other Posts on Numbers:

What is the Spiritual Meaning of the Book of Numbers
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 11 - Part 1 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 12 - Part 2 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 13 & 14 - Part 3 of 5
Lessons the Israelites Learned in Numbers 16 - Part 4 of 5