This Week\’s Sunday School Lesson, \”Trust God For The Victory, Numbers 21:1-9, 3/8/2020

TRUST GOD FOR THE VICTORY

Num 21:1-9

When you consider the fact that God knows the end from the beginning,
this encounter with the Canaanite king may have been a set up by God
to teach the Israelites to value their relationship with Him and to humble
themselves before Him.

GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS
V:1 When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. 2 Then Israel made this vow to the Lord: \”If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will destroy their cities.\” 3 The Lord listened to Israel\’s plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.
A. God never told us that we would not have problems.

1. The conquest of the promised land created problems between the Israelites and countries they displaced to take over
   Promised land.
2. The word was out to all surrounding areas that Israel was
   successful in their conquest.
3. This put fear in the leaders when they heard that Israel was marching
   toward them.
4. Therefore it was natural that the countries would be ready for battle.
   B. The Canaanite king went to war against Israel to protect his land
   and was successful, capturing some of the Israelites.
5. When there is an immediate threat, God is quick to answer prayers.
6. From the context, it appears that the whole nation of Israelites
   went to God in prayer.
7. They were in trouble and made a one-sided vow to the Lord that if
   He gave them success, they would destroy Canaanites.
8. The Lord heard their vow and gave them success.
   C. Notice, their prayer was in the will of the Lord to take over the
   promise land.
9. When our prayers line up with the will of God, we can be sure
   that they will be answered.
10. The Israelites did as they vowed to the Lord.
11. We should always keep our vows to the Lord.
    D. What I do not read in this encounter is a praise and thank you Lord
    celebration.
12. When God has been good to us, our response ought to be an immediate
    praise.
13. To not praise God for His goodness is to take Him for granted.
14. This is a message to me!!
15. To get up in the morning complaining about my problems is to
    disregard the present goodness of the Lord.
16. His goodness always outweighs any complaints I have.
17. If I complain, I am complaining about something God has blessed
    me with.
18. I made a note, this a message to me!!

TRUST GOD WHETHER YOU LIKE YOUR SITUATION OR NOT

V:4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and Moses, and said, \”Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!\”
A. The Israelites got the “big head” after their success over the Canaanite
King.
1. They forgot that it was God who gave them success.
2. They may have thought they deserved more because of their success.
B. Trusting God is not an on again off again thing.
1. Israel trusted God to give them success over the Canaanite king.

2. Israel was in the desert with no food or water. 
    a. Up to this point, God had provided food and water. Why would
        He stop?
    b. What made Israel dissatisfied with God\'s provisions?
    c. Perhaps they saw more food and drinks in the land of the
        Canaanites and wanted what they saw.  

C. They became boldly disrespectable to Moses and God with their
complaint.

1. When you neglect to praise God, you can’t see the present good that
   He is doing.
2. To not praise God continuously is a trick of the mind that gives Satan
   control.
3. Psalms 22:3 says God inhabits the praise of Israel. It never said that
   God inhabits their complaints.
4. The text says they travel along the Red Sea
   a. That’s a reason for praise and a shout out to the Lord. b. It was the crossing of the Red Sea that the Egyptian Army,
   their enemy, was destroyed.
   c. Traveling along the Red Sea ought to have brought about memories
   of their salvation. They were once slaves, and now they are free.
   d. I made a note to me, to shout out to the Lord for my salvation!!
   D. The road in life is not always easy, but at least we on the road.
   1. The people grew impatient.
   2. The word impatient is the Hebrew word qatsar which means to
      dock off the harvest; cut down or grieve,
   3. The Red sea was a reminder of the blessing that God had given them.
      a. They docked off the harvest of praise
      b. Rather than praise the journey to freedom, they found fault in their
      salvation.
      c. They quickly forgot the blessings around them and went into a
      complaint.
   4. They complained about free manna and water that God provided daily.
      E. God showed up in their prayers.
5. But God can show up in your complaints.
6. No matter how bad you see your situation, it can get worst.
7. We are privileged to be on a journey with Christ.
8. To complain against Christ is to deny His authority over you.
9. To complain against Christ is to deny that His plan is best for you.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF COMPLAINING
V:6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, \”We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.\” So Moses prayed for the people.
A. God has a way of reminding us of how good He is.

1. He made what should have been a time of joy and praise, a time
   of sorrow and misery
2. God sent snakes to bite them to interrupt their complaining.
3. They quickly came to their senses confessed their sins and asked
   Moses to pray to God for them.
4. Notice the Israelites didn’t consult Moses or God when they complained
   about their blessing.
   B. I am sure God would have listened to their prayers.
   1. We have not because we ask not.
   2. We can express appreciation to God for what He is doing and
      ask for what we want.
   3. The worst thing we can do is complain about our blessings.

CONFESS YOUR SINS AND TURN TO JESUS
V:8 The Lord said to Moses, \”Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.\” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
A. We serve a tolerant God.
1. He is always ready to listen to our prayers
2. He gives us mercy when justice is due.

3. He gives us favor in the midst of our sins.

B. We are the cause of most of our tribulations.
1. To receive God’s grace, we have show faith in Him.
2. The bronze snake was a reminder of their sin, but most
importantly, a forerunner of Jesus on the cross.
3. The word look is the Hebrew is the word raah which is causative.
a. The looking upon the bronze snake was the cause of their healing.
b. God could have healed at His Word, but He wanted the people
act in faith.
c. It was not the bronze serpent that did the healing but God
acting on their faith and obedience.
d. The bronze serpent became the symbolic sin- bearer as Christ did on
the cross.

Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst. Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West Sam Houston Parkway North
Houston, Texas 77041

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