Chukat ~ Part 2
Numbers 21
We left off with the death of Aaron in the last chapter. We now pick up at “Arad’s destruction”. King Arad lived in Negeb, he had heard that the Israelites were traveling close to him. He fought against Israel and took some of the people captive. The Israelite people were surely sad and missed their brothers & sisters! I would like to think, they probably realized…they had really messed up. The people made a vow to God that said, “if you will give the people that took their own, into their hands, they would devote the cities to destruction. God heeded their voices and gave over the Canaanites. The cities were destroyed and they renamed the city, “Hormah”. The name Hormah means destruction, consecrated. This is in the southern part of Palestine. It became a symbolic reminder of disobedience to God and His judgement for those that don’t obey.
The people continued traveling by way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. Once again, we see the Israelite people becoming impatient. The spoke out against God and against Moses. They questioned, “why they were brought out of Egypt to ‘die in the wilderness’. They complained there was no food and no water (they weren’t happy with the ‘worthless’ food God provided. God quickly sends fiery serpents to the people. Many people were bitten and many of them died. Can you imagine? God doesn’t play and especially, when we question His will. The people quickly realized they had sinned, when they spoke against God. They ask Moses to go to The Lord and plead for Him to take away the serpents. Moses prayed for the people. What is Moses doing here? He is interceding on their behalf. Moses is standing in the gap for them. This is no different today, when we intercede for our loved ones. We stand in that gap and go to The Lord on their behalf, when they don’t or won’t do it themselves.
God tells Moses to “make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole and that everyone who is bitten and sees it, shall live”. Years later, some believe that the religious artifact was erected in the temple courtyard, where daily sacrifices were made. Years later, King Hezekiah destroys this bronze serpent, because, the Israelites had begun to worship it as not only an idol, but they treated it as a ‘god’ rather than a symbol of God’s power to heal.
The people continued their journey stopping and camping along the way. Once they got to the area of ‘Beer’, God asks Moses to gather the people, so He can give them water. As they continued traveling, they came to the land that king Sihon occupied. They sent messengers to the king and asked if they could pass through the land. They petitioned that they would not take from the land and not drink the water. They promised to stay along the King’s Highway until they had passed through his territory. Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through, so he gathered his people and went out against the Israelites. Israel defeated him and took possession of his land. Israel took all the cities and they settled in Heshbon and in all its villages.
King Og possessed the land of Bashan and he came against the Israelites to battle. Once again, The Lord assures Moses that He will deliver them into his hand. The Israelites rose up and defeated Sihon king of the Amorites. He, his sons and all the people, until there was not a sole survivor. They now had possession of the land.
So, what is the meaning and purpose of all of this destruction? The people that inhabited these lands, were full of wickedness and God didn’t want them to corrupt His people. It was a means to preserve Israel’s identity and faithfulness to the One True God!
Blessings & Shalom ~ Deena
