The Book of Numbers sounds boring, but in truth it is a really cool book full of crazy stories about Israel’s 40-year residence in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land.
We’ve already followed the Israelites part way on their journey, but there’s a long way to go and much to learn about the character of God along the way.
We find out that the Israelites have not only placed God at the center of their lives at the start of this journey, but also desire to follow him no matter where he wants them to go — until they decide they know better.
One of the key takeaways from this book is that the journey is difficult, full of pitfalls, disagreements, doubts and drama — sounds a lot like life in 2022, right?
One thing that we learn about God in this book is that, while God is faithful, he does allow his children to make their own decisions — we can and often do disobey.
While God had been providing for his people all along the way, there was intense rebellion and mistrust among the Israelites — even to the point that many wanted to return to Egypt where they had been enslaved.
When the Israelites arrived in Moab, they caused such a stir that the King of Moab hired a sorcerer to curse them. Ultimately, Balaam (the sorcerer) could do no harm to the Israelites because they were protected by God even as they disobeyed. Each and every curse was turned into a blessing, and Balaam ultimately prophesied that out of Israel would rise a king.
The Israelites were left unaware that God had been protecting them from the Moab King, his army and the sorcerer.
There’s something we can learn here about our own journey of faith. As stated above, God does allow us to make choices — even bad ones. God wants what’s best for his people even when, at times, our actions seem to indicate that we don’t know what’s best for ourselves.
We have more to say! See you Sunday night!
The Pipe 