Text:  Numbers 21:4-9

Subject:  A Wilderness Tour

Introduction: The title of the book in the Hebrew Bible is not Numbers, instead it is called “In the Wilderness.”  This is the essence of the book, “Israel’s Wilderness Wanderings.”  History has it that they wandered there in the wilderness for 40 years.  What a repetitious number that runs throughout the canon.  During Noah’s life it rained 40 days/nights.  Moses was in Pharoah’s house for 40 years, in Midian for 40 years, in the Wilderness 40 years, and Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days/nights.  The wilderness was that area journeyed before entering the Promise Land.  In our lives, the wilderness is that moment before entering the where God wants us to be.  The purpose of the sermon today is to take a brief tour and peak into Israel’s Wilderness Experience and see what we can learn from it.

I.                  Reality (4)

·        Discourage means in the text to be short, impatient, vexed or grieved.

·        they might be distressed also with the badness and the roughness of the way, the borders of Edom being rocky; so the people of God travelling through the wilderness of this world are often discouraged, because of the difficulties, trials, and troubles they meet with in the way, from sin, Satan, and the world, and are fretful and impatient; but though they are led about and walk in a round about way, and in a rough way, yet in a right way to the city of their habitation

·        It is amazing how God can bring out of one thing and allow you to through something else.

II.               Rebellion (5-6)

·        Opposition to one in authority

·        Against God who led them with a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

·        Against Moses, the servant of the Lord, for obeying the orders of the Lord, and leading/guiding the people as God directed.

·        Their rebellion was indicative of a lack of appreciation.

·        (6) Rebellion leads to punishment-God sent fiery serpents to bite them (fiery from burning effect of the poison)

III.             Repentance (7)

·        Confession of their sin

·        Moses prayed for them (intercession)

Conclusion – Redemption (8-9)

·        The brass serpent was raised

·        When people looked up at the serpent he lived

·        Christ was lifted…He said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me.”