Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journeyThey traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. The soul of the people was very discouraged because of the journey.And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
3 sermons cite this verse
… on the way. See Numbers 21.4 And Jesus said, If we would follow Him, we must deny ourselves, we must surrender our self-serving expectations and follow Him. See Matthew 16.24-25 From the Christian perspective, there is some truth to this answer, that the path toward patience involves eliminating our expectations. However, the picture the Bible gives us is not a snuffed out candle, but a holy fire that bursts from hiding and can't wait to be found. That's what Moses saw when God met him on the mountain in the bush. The bush was on fire, but not burning up, not being consumed. It was an unextinguishable fire. Exodus chapter 3 tells us the fire was lit by God's own expectations for his good creation. God's world, where he wants to be found. In the Bible, the problem with the world is not expectations. It is the all-consuming self that tries to be God and won't make space for others. It is the fire we started when we rebelled against God, our Creator. We started treating each other like fuel for our own desires. But God met Moses as a holy fire that cannot be snuffed out so that we might find the God who can't wait to be found. In all of God's dealings with Moses, with the people of Israel, even with Pharaoh and all the enemies of God, repeatedly God shows himself patient. In the Hebrew language, patience doesn't mean acceptance, but rather slow to anger. God is slow to let his anger burn. See Exodus 34 verse 6. Slow to anger, …
… And verse 4 says, They set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient because of the journey. They didn't want to bypass the Edomites, but God didn't want them fighting the Edomites. So they had to bypass the Edomites. It was a rather long and difficult journey. The people spoke against God and Moses. Here's what they said. Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? Isn't it strange how short our memory is under the whips of the taskmasters of the Egyptians, and here they are free? God's provided for them. Listen to what they're complaining about. Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There's no food, no water, and we loathe this miserable food that you keep raining out of heaven. We're sick and tired of that. Oh, is that right? So what does God do? The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and bit the people, and many of them died. …
… In Numbers chapter 21, beginning at verse 4, Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom, and the soul of the people became very discouraged along the way. Does that sound familiar? That's the daily description of the attitude of the children of Israel during the wilderness experience. And so the people spoke against God and against Moses, saying, why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There's no food, no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread. And so the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died." You get the picture. God has delivered these people from slavery, from bondage. He's now provided for their physical needs supernaturally with the manna on the floor, And now these people are so ungrateful that they begin to speak against God and they speak against Moses and they say, why have you brought us out of Egypt? …