Numbers 20-21 & Acts 20

Well if you ever wondered why Moses was not the one to lead Israel into the Promised Land, Numbers 20 gives you your answer. As we referenced earlier in this blog, Israel has a tradition of murmuring or complaining and this is yet another example of such behavior. They have entered into a wilderness region just south of the Negeb, which is the southern region of modern day Israel. It is an arid region without much water. The people raise the issue with Moses and Aaron, and again seem to forget what God has already seen them through.

Moses and Aaron are left speechless and beseech the Lord. God sees this act, on not just the part of the Israelites, but of Moses and Aaron, as a lack of faith in God's own leadership and care. While God does provide water, miraculously, God also decides that Moses and Aaron must be sanctioned. They will not enter into the land that God has promised.

This punishment is broken up by story about the Israel's relationship with Edom. For some background, recall that the tribes of Israel descend from Jacob and Jacob had a brother Esau with whom he had a strained relationship. History records that Edom is the nation that descended from Esau so Israel and Edom have and will continue to have a contentious relationship. In this instance, Israel is denied access to the land of Edom to travel through, land that probably makes up the southern border region between modern day Israel and Jordan.

We then revisit the sanctions against Aaron, who dies, whether this is a direct consequence of the lack of faith at Meribah or that he was just old, we do not really know. However, we have the transition from Aaron to his son Eleazar. Aaron dies on the mountain top and now Moses is the only remainder of the leadership that brought Israel out of Egypt as both Aaron and Miriam have died.

Numbers 21 demonstrates how difficult Israel finds it to be faithful. First, they seek God's blessing who then leads them to victory over Arad, but then they continue to find faults with God. God's temper burns against Israel and poisonous serpents are loosed in the camp of Israel. In the creation of the bronze serpent, it would seem that God reminds Israel to look upon its own sin in order to be made well. Perhaps a reminder of our need to confess our sins and repent of our ways when we are not following God.

The Israelites proceed now to journey up the east side of the Dead Sea and defeat many nations as they prepare to enter into the Promised Land.

Acts 20

Paul is nearing the end of his second missionary journey. From Ephesus, in Asia Minor, he crosses over to Greece and then will journey back to Jerusalem. While in Troas we hear of the story of Eutychus who falls asleep while listening to Paul (so much for Paul being a great speaker) and proceeds to fall out a window and die. Paul resuscitates him, thereby joining a small group of those who have brought life from death (Elijah, Elisha, Jesus, Peter and now Paul.)

It would seem that a plot is underway to do harm to Paul and when he hears about it he changes his route back to Jerusalem. On the way, he again stops at Ephesus and offers his farewell speech and challenges the church to now live in faith and care for themselves.