Charles Spurgeon Commentary Numbers 21
Charles Spurgeon Commentary
Numbers 21
Charles Spurgeon Commentary
Numbers 21
"And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. And Israel vowed a vow unto Jehovah, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. And Jehovah hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and the name of the place was called Hormah. And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." — Numbers 21:1-4 (ASV)
They were not allowed to go through the land of Edom. They therefore had to turn around and go directly away from the land where they one day hoped to dwell. The road was a particularly trying one, over hot and burning sand, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
Sometimes, God's own people, when they find that they are not as far advanced in the divine life as they thought they were, when they find old sins reviving, and when troubles multiply upon them, get discouraged because of the way.
If this is our experience, let us not fall into the sin into which these Israelites fell, but even in our discouragement let us turn to our God.
"And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this light bread." — Numbers 21:5 (ASV)
One gets tired, when reading about the wanderings of Israel in the wilderness, of this parrot cry, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt?" For nearly forty years, this was their cry whenever they met with any sort of difficulty. How weary God must have been of their cry, and how weary of them too! And now it was raised because they had been fed with "angels' food," which they called "light bread." It was easy to digest, healthful, and the very best kind of food for them in the wilderness; but they wanted something more substantial, something that had a coarser flavor about it, more of earth and less of heaven. There is no satisfying an unregenerate heart. If we had all the blessings of this life, we would still be craving more.
"And Jehovah sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, because we have spoken against Jehovah, and against thee; pray unto Jehovah, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people." — Numbers 21:6-7 (ASV)
Like a true mediator, he was always ready – even when they had most insulted him, and grieved his meek and quiet spirit – still to bow the knee, and intercede with the Lord on their behalf. The people implored him to ask that the serpents might be taken away from them; but, apparently, they still continued to trouble them.
However, if God does not answer prayer in one way, he does in another. The fervent prayer of a righteous man may not prevail in the particular direction in which it is offered, but it availeth much in some direction or other. Just as when the mists ascend they may not fall upon the very spot from which they rose, but they fall somewhere, and true prayer is never lost, it comes back in blessing, if not according to our mind, yet according to another mind that is kinder and wiser than our own.
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