Numbers 21

v1-3: Israel made a promise to God, that if He gave them the victory, they would destroy all the cities of the Canaanites, as devoted to Him, and not gain from this themselves. “When we want God’s help, we should recommit our lives to him… promising to faithfully do our duty to him… and give him all the honour when our prayer is answered.”

v4-9: The antidote against the snake was prescribed by God. “Our salvation in Christ was planned by infinite Wisdom.” The bitten Israelites “looked and lived, and we, if we believe” will too, eternally. “We must be aware of our wound and of the danger we are in because of it,” and “we must receive what God has given concerning his Son.”

v10-20: “At every stage of our lives, in fact at every step, we should take notice of what God has done for us,” recalling “what he did at certain times and in certain places.”

v21-35: These victories over Sihon and Og would have encouraged the Israelites that God would give them victory in Canaan under Joshua’s leadership. “Even though this was in comparison only the day of small things, it was still a sure promise of great things to come.”

Numbers 22

v1-14: “The enemies of the church never tire of trying to bring us down.” Sinners will stop at nothing, and “they do not care in the slightest how low they stoop to gratify their delights or their evil plans.” They will even “call God theirs,” when they are not His, and “pretend to be godly with their words.”

v22-41: God was not pleased with Balaam for going with the officials of Moab. “Nothing is more displeasing to God than evil intentions against his people.” Just “because God does not by his providence restrain people from sin,” does not mean that He “approves of it, or that he… does not detest it.”