SERIES E --- YHVH’S LAWS --- LESSON 22

TAUGHT TO TRUST

THE BRONZE SERPENT

From Numbers 21

The king of Arad, a Canaanite who ruled in the Negeb, soon heard that the people of Israel were approaching by way of Atharim. He sent men to attack Israel and took some of the Israelite men prisoner. Then Israel made a vow to Adonai. If You will let us conquer these people, we will utterly destroy their cities. Adonai granted Israel’s request and let them conquer the Canaanites of that region. They completely destroyed their cities. The place was called Hormah, which meant {Completely Destroyed.} But since the people had to go around Edom, they found it necessary to take a long, difficult route toward the Red Sea. Before long the people became impatient and began to speak against Adonai and Moses. Why have you brought us from Egypt to die in this wilderness? They complained. There is no good food or water here and we despise this tasteless manna. Because of their complaining, Adonai sent poisonous snakes among them. Many of the people died from snakebites. Those who survived rushed to Moses and cried out to him. We have sinned by speaking against Adonai and you, they said. Pray to Adonai to take the snakes from among us. Moses prayed for his people and Adonai gave him these Instructions. Make a bronze snake and place it upon a pole, He said. Whoever has been bitten by a poisonous snake will still live if he looks at this bronze snake. Moses made the bronze snake and placed it upon the pole. Whoever had been bitten by a poisonous snake was spared if he looked at the bronze snake. From there Israel moved on to Oboth and set up camp. Then they moved to Iye-abarim in the wilderness east of Moab. After that, they moved on to the valley of the Brook Zared, where they camped. Their next campsite was on the far side of the Arnon River, near the borders of the Amorites. At that time the Arnon River was the border between the Amorites and Moabites, as is described in the book called {The Wars of YAHVEH} where it tells us that the city of Waheb and the Arnon River are on the border between the Amorites and the Moabites. The next campsite was at Beer, which meant {A Well.} Here Adonai told Moses, Summon the people and I will give them water. From that miracle came this song:

Spring up, O well!
Sing you to it!
This is the well
Which the princes dug,
Which the nobles of the people
Hollowed with the sceptre
And with their staves.

At that point the people left the wilderness, proceeding to Mattanah and then to Nahaliel and finally to Bamoth. From Bamoth they went to the valley that could be seen from the top of Mount Pisgah. There Israel camped and sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites. Let us pass through your land, they asked. We will not turn from the road into any of your fields or vineyards. We will not drink water from your wells, but we will stay on the king’s highway until we have passed through your land. King Sihon however, refused to let Israel pass through his land. Instead, he assembled his army and went out against them at Jahaz. But Israel defeated Sihon’s forces and occupied the land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, as far as the Ammonite border. Israel captured the Amorite cities, in which they later settled, Heshbon and all the smaller towns. Heshbon was the capital of King Sihon, the Amorite king who had taken all the land as far as the Arnon River from a former king of Moab. Some of the ballad singers used to sing about King Sihon with a song like this:

Come to Heshbon
Let the city of Sihon
Be rebuilt,
And let it be restored.
For a fire went forth
From Heshbon,
A flame
From the city of Sihon.
It consumed Ar of Moab,
Rulers of the heights of the Arnon.
Woe to you, O Moab!
You are defeated
O people of Chemosh!
His sons are fugitives,
His daughters are captives,
To King Sihon of the Amorites.
He has destroyed all posterity
From Heshbon, as far as Dibon,
And laid waste
As far as Nophah,
Which reaches to Medeba.

While Israel was living in the Amorite lands, Moses sent spies to Jazer. Then Israel captured the area and drove out the Amorites who lived there. Israel next moved northward toward Bashan, but King Og of Bashan came to Edrei with his army to fight with Israel. Do not fear him, Adonai told Moses. I have already given you victory over him, his people and his land. The same thing will happen to him that happened to King Sihon at Heshbon. Israel killed Og, his sons and all his people. They did not leave a single survivor. Then Israel occupied his land also.

COMMENTARY

SERPENTS

At home or on the move, every child and adult in Bible times constantly faced the danger of poisonous snakes. They seemed to be everywhere. Serpents loitered around dusty roads, suddenly striking out at people’s feet and horses’ hooves. They lurked in old ruins. In buildings and homes, they lived in the walls, ready to strike. Because they were afraid, people believed that snakes ate dust, sharpened their tongues to use as fangs and stung with their tails. The Israelites saw them as creatures of YHVH, intelligent and subtle, although some thought of them as a sign of the devil. The Egyptians had a different attitude toward them. They considered one of their poisonous snakes, the cobra, to be sacred. They honoured it as their national symbol. Musicians {charmed} this snake with flutes and oboes. The snake was deaf; its {dance} was an imitation of the musicians’ swaying movements. The Egyptian cobra-goddess, named Wadjet or Udjet, symbolized immortality. She was believed to protect the pharaoh. A snake-like figure, called a {uraeus,} was attached to the pharaoh’s headdress and worn on his forehead. But snakes were no protection for the Israelites during the Exodus. The snakes that lived in the desert were particularly dangerous, like the sand viper. It buries itself in the sand up to its eyes and nostrils, invisible except for the moment it strikes. The most dangerous snake of all was the carpet viper. It grows to be two feet long and multiplies fast and in great numbers. It is very aggressive and attacks without provocation. The poison is more powerful than that of any other viper. A carpet viper’s bite might not cause much pain at all; in fact, victims usually feel better in a day or two. But the untreated bite and its venom cause massive internal bleeding and the person soon dies. In Psalm 58:4, the damage caused by evil gossip is compared to the slow workings of the carpet viper’s poison. YHVH sent a plague of serpents, possibly these carpet vipers, to punish the Israelites complaining in the desert. To cure the victims, Moses made a serpent of bronze and set it on top of a pole. When the victims gazed at this in obedience to YHVH, their bites were healed. The bronze snake was kept as a memorial in the temple at Jerusalem. But years later, the Israelites began to worship the object itself; they burned incense and made other sacrifices to it. King Hezekiah eventually broke it to pieces and recalled the Hebrews to the worship of YHVH.

On this date in history, 01/22/1783: Naval action near Chesapeake Bay, in which the French ship Sybille is captured by HMS Hussar. #otd #tdih #americanrevolution

Nitorina bi ẹnikẹni ba wà ninu Kristi, o di ẹda titun: ohun atijọ ti kọja lọ; kiyesi i, nwọn si di titun. Kọrinti Keji 5:17
(2 Corinthians 5:17) using "Yoruba & English Bible" app by Mobobi. #yorubabible #mobobi http://play.google.com/store/a....pps/details?id=com.m

God is in heaven, and you upon earth, therefore let your words be few.

#ecclesiastes 5:2b #bible #wisdombooks #verseoftheday #dailybread #scripture #scripturepictures #scriptureart

https://alittleperspective.com..../welcome-to-scriptur

#goodmorning and #happysunday! January 22 #biblestudy links to readings and study
resources:

https://alittleperspective.com..../january-22-bible-re

Today’s Hebrew Testament chronological reading is in Job 31 and 32.

The Psalms/ Proverbs reading is in Psalm 22.

No Greek Testament reading today.

Links to essential studies.

(All other previous studies are at the above link.)

Job 29:1-31:40, Chiastic structure
https://alittleperspective.com/job-31-and-32/

Psalm 22, He has not abhorred our affliction
https://alittleperspective.com/psalm-22/

January 2023 Bible Reading Schedule
https://alittleperspective.com..../january-2023-bible-

#bible #dailybread #scripturesunday

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THE TRUMPET by BILL BURNS
You must believe My love for you. Learn to live in and be empowered by My love. My love will sustain you in troubled times. My love will strengthen you when Satan comes against you. Learn to live in the power of My love! My love will provide a covering of protection for you. Wear My love and be victorious, says the Lord.

SMALL STRAWS by MARSHA BURNS
In a vision I saw what looked like a horizontal rainbow with layers of transparent color. And the Lord said that these colors represent different levels or expressions of glory. He also indicated that He would expand our understanding of His glory. 

“I have not stopped giving thanks for you. In my prayers I keep asking the God of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you will have full knowledge of him. I pray that he will give light to the eyes of your hearts, so that you will understand the hope to which he has called you, what rich glories there are in the inheritance he has promised his people, and how surpassingly great is his power working in us who trust him. It works with the same mighty strength he used”
‭‭Ephesians (Eph)‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬-‭19‬ ‭CJB‬‬

I'm not a teacher, I'm not a pastor, I'm not a prophet. Whatever Father tells me to say, I have to be obedient. I can be riding and messages just start hitting me, there's been times I've had to pull over to record.



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Thought for Today: Sunday January 22:

Too often, many people and even believers, are filled with regret and guilt because they have failed to reach out to someone with whom they had a problem – and then when death comes, it is too late to do something about it. Do not let this happen to you. If a broken relationship, argument or ill feeling comes to mind, know that the place to begin is within yourself. Make peace and let that person know that you care and that you love him/her in Yeshua Moshiach. Also never use words alone – back it up with action.

SERIES E --- YHVH’S LAWS --- LESSON 21

MOSES DISOBEYS

THE DEATH OF MIRIAM AND AARON

From Numbers 20

After many years of wandering in the wilderness, the people of Israel assembled again at Kadesh, passing first through the Wilderness of Zin. It was the first month, probably about April, when they arrived at Kadesh. While they were there, Moses’ sister Miriam died and was buried. After a while the water supply at Kadesh ran out and the people gathered together to complain against Moses and Aaron. If only we had died with our relatives who died before Adonai! They said: why have you brought all Adonai’s people; and our animals too; to die in this wilderness? Why have you brought us from Egypt to this evil place? There is no place to plant seeds or raise fig trees, vines or pomegranates. There is not even any drinking water! Moses and Aaron went to the tabernacle and fell with their faces to the ground at the doorway. The glory of Adonai appeared to them, and Adonai spoke to Moses. Take Aaron’s rod to that rock over there, He said. Summon the people and while they are with you, speak to the rock and tell it to give forth water. Then out of the rock will pour enough water for all of the people and their cattle. Moses took Aaron’s rod and went with Aaron to the rock. They summoned the people to the rock and spoke to them. Listen to me, you rebels; Moses said. Must we bring water from this rock for you? Moses lifted Aaron’s rod in his hand and struck the rock twice. Water poured from the rock, enough for all the people and the cattle to drink. But Adonai scolded Moses and Aaron for the way they had done this. You did not honour Me before the people of Israel, Adonai said. Therefore, you shall not enter the Promised Land with your people. The place where the rock was struck was named Meribah, which meant {Rebel Waters,} for this was the place where Israel rebelled against Adonai. But Adonai showed them His Holiness there. While the people camped at Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom. Greetings from the descendants of your brother Israel, the message said. You are aware of all of the problems we have had how our ancestors went to Egypt and stayed for a long time and how the Egyptians made slaves of our people. But when we pleaded with Adonai, He sent His Angel to lead us from Egypt. Now we are camped here at Kadesh, not far from the border of your land. Let us pass through your land. We will not go across a field or vineyard, nor will we drink water from any of your wells. We will stay on the king’s highway until we have passed through your land. No, you may not pass through our land, the king replied. If you do, we will come out and fight you. But we will stay on the king’s highway, Israel insisted. If we drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through your land. The king of Edom answered by sending an army to the border. When Israel saw that the king would not let them pass through Edom, they turned away from Kadesh and went to Mount Hor, which was near the border of Edom. While they camped near Mount Hor, Adonai spoke to Moses and Aaron. Aaron will soon die, for he will not enter the Promised Land with his people since the two of you rebelled against Me at the waters of Meribah, Adonai said. Take Aaron with his son Eleazar into Mount Hor. Take Aaron’s garments from him and put them on Eleazar. Then Aaron will die in the mountain. Moses did as Adonai Commanded and the three of them went up into Mount Hor, while all the people of Israel watched them. Moses took Aaron’s garments from him and put them on his son Eleazar. There, in the top of Mount Hor, Aaron died. Then Moses and Eleazar came down. When the people learned that Aaron was dead, they mourned for him for thirty days.

COMMENTS

{GATHERED TO ONE’S FATHERS}: BURIAL CUSTOMS

Israelites that died in the desert were simply buried in the sand, with the hope that the hole was deep enough not to attract hungry wild animals. Even important people like Miriam and Aaron were buried in this way. Even after the Hebrews settled in Canaan, their burial customs remained fairly simple. Because bodies were not embalmed and the climate was very hot, bodies were buried within twenty-four hours of death. Usually, the family and friends of the dead prepared the body by washing and anointing it. The body was then wrapped in a cloth for burial. Professional mourners and flute players joined the family in the required seven days of mourning. During the earliest years in Canaan, people buried loved ones beneath the house so the spirits would remain with the family. Samuel was buried in this way. Very poor people were simply put into the ground or their bodies covered with rocks in an unused cistern or shallow pit. The body might be wrapped in its cloak or an animal skin. Later on in Canaan, families who could afford it buried their members in caves. That is how Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah were buried. Others carved tombs in limestone hillsides or beneath hills. As time went on, rooms ringed with burial slots were added, leading in a semicircle back to the first room. As new bodies were buried in the tombs, the bones of the old skeletons were gathered and stored in special stone or pottery jars or boxes called {ossuaries.} These were shaped like chests or houses and were engraved with inscriptions. Sometimes however, the old bones were simply shoved aside to make room for the new body. After several burials, someone entered the tomb to gather each person’s bones for the ossuaries. But sometimes one person’s bones would be mistakenly gathered up and put in an ossuary with another’s, perhaps those of a parent or grandparent. Being {gathered to one’s fathers} in this way was considered an honour, because it symbolized the gathering with one’s ancestors beyond the grave.