Numbers 21:10-20 – Let a new song arise!

Israel was a people on a journey. It started with the generation that Moses led out of Egypt. God promised to take them to a fruitful land, with milk and honey flowing abundantly. Unfortunately, that generation defaulted it and perished in the wilderness because of unbelief. In Numbers 21, we see the journey of the Israelites continued with the next generation. There were some behaviors that were similar but there are, of course, areas where they were different. One similarity that they had with their forefathers was their grumbling.

Earlier verses in the chapter, we saw how God dealt with their grumbling. He sent fiery serpents and those bitten by the serpents died. But at Moses' intercession, He also gave them a remedy. He instructed him to make a bronze serpent and lift it up on a flagpole as a standard. Anyone bitten by the serpents could then gaze on it and receive their healing. What a merciful God! This incident was alluded to by Jesus in John 3:14-15 concerning the cross and the impact it would make for those who put faith in His finished work. So Jesus said,  “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him.   

In Numbers 21:10-20 we see another similarity that the two generations had. It was their frequent camping and moving. If we do not think much about it, we may just see a redundant record of their traveling from site to site and nothing specific. It may seem like the second generation was journeying and heading nowhere. Have you ever wondered what was God’s intention for this part of their journey? If we think about it, one thing is clear. God wanted them to experience His faithfulness. This was particularly seen when they reached the place called Beer. God in the middle of nowhere provided a well. Moses was then told to assemble the people and there through the well, the Lord gave them refreshing water.

What took place after it was telling. The people welled up with a song. There is a marked difference between grumbling and singing. The former made them view their journey in a negative light whereas the latter was an expression of delight. It was an indication of a grateful heart. This attitude of gratitude suggests that the new generation had learned to praise God for His faithful provision. So they burst forth with a song in place of grumbling. Whether we realize it or not, singing always makes us see that life is not just a mundane journey of a series of purposeless stops and starts. It helps us see that God has a purpose for every moment of our lives in the journey.  And that He can be trusted to take us to achieve our goal and reach our ultimate destination. Remember how the first generation left Egypt. They went forth with a song of victory which slowly faded from their jaded life of unbelief.  Now the rise of a new song in the new generation speaks of the rise of new hope.  

These ten verses help us see that Christian life is also a journey. And it is not a mundane and purposeless journey but a meaningful one with the Lord. He will faithfully walk with us like He did with the Israelites. We can journey with gratitude in our hearts and a song on our lips. The best indicator of our trust in Him will be when things don’t happen as we expect them to, do we still have a song? Or will only grumbling be heard? When we trust Him, we will sing! Our song is the best indicator of our faith in His faithfulness. Remember James 1:2 exhorts us to “consider it all joy, … when we encounter various trials.” So, “Spring up, O well, within my soul!”