Numbers 21:4-9 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom… I. SIN. Its first characteristic was complaining against God and God's guidance. 1. The hardships that lie in the path of obedience are the daily stumbling-rocks and rocks of offence. 2. The next element in their sin was that they despised the gifts God gave them. There are many joys within our reach, many sources of strength and peace and gladness, all innocent and God-given — faculties to develop, friendships to cultivate, treasuries of wisdom and knowledge to ransack; yet how often are they stale and unprofitable to us — "miserable bread"! 3. Earthly and sensual desires. They ever carried Egypt with them. They rose to nothing noble or heroic. 4. And was not this sin of Israel just the sin of which they were always guilty? Their murmurings are always to the same tune, their rebellions on the same lines and from the same motives. Sin is persistent. It becomes habitual. Day by day our souls take on a bias either for good or evil. II. SUFFERING. 1. Sorrow ever trails in the wake of sin. 2. Sent by God. 3. For their good. III. SALVATION. (R. D. Shaw, B. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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