The invasion begins

Numbers 21: the Israelites start stealing land

Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as I attempt to read the Bible with fresh eyes, as if I don’t know anything about it, and without consulting experts on what it “really” means.. Let’s see where this takes us!

I’m reading Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Numbers 21

Verses 1–3: Israel promises that if the LORD gives the Canaanites of the Negreb over to them, Israel will destroy them and their towns. It’s as if Israel knows the LORD wants them destroyed.

Verses 4–9: Israel has to avoid Edom (Chapter 20) and once again complained to Moses about the lack of food and water. The LORD sends poisonous serpents, apparently as punishment for the griping.

As I wrote regarding Genesis 3: “As one of the most ‘grounded’ of animals, a serpent might be an appropriate figure to represent the wisdom of the physical or natural world. This idea isn’t original with me.”

I wonder if the plague of serpents represents a lack of understanding. The LORD’s ways are not the world’s ways, and relying on an earthly understanding of, for example, where food and water come from, will only come back to bite…