Things are at a low ebb for the Israelites. Can you imagine coming all this way to a new land, only to find that it’s peopled with your worst fears, and you daren’t go in there? What do you do? Where do you go?
From Mount Hor around Edom
Deuteronomy 21:1-12, Numbers 21:4, 33:41-2
The bronze snake
Numbers 21:5-9
To Oboth and Iye Abarim
Numbers 21:10-11, 33:43-44
Northward through Moab
Numbers 21: 12-20, Deuteronomy 2:13-18, Numbers 33:45
Victory over Amorites in Gilead (over Sihon)
Numbers 33:46-7, 21:21-32, Deuteronomy 2:19-37
In Bashan (over Og)
Deuteronomy 3:1-11, Numbers 21:33-35
The years are getting a bit vague here. Part of the story is told in Moses’ recollections at the end of his life, part in summary form as Numbers lists the placed they visited, part in a slightly more expanded way earlier in the book. There is the incident of the bronze snake - another example of the Israelites losing faith and complaining, and needing to turn to God for help. The sign of the snake, lifted up in their midst, brought them relief, and Jesus quoted this incident as he looked forward to his death: “I, when I am lifted up, will draw all people to myself.”
The wandering continues, the years pass, and at last the tide seems to be turning. Israel win some victories over Sihon and Og (immortalised in one of the Psalms, and I always smirk when I read Og’s name!) It seems that the time is nearly right to try again - most of the fighting men who had quailed before have died off, the new generation have some victories under their belt to give them confidence - perhaps the Promised Land isn’t so far away after all?
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