Free group study handout
Numbers 21: Group Study Handout
How to use: read Numbers 21 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.
Overview
The Canaanite king of Arad fought against Israel and captured some of them. Israel vowed to Yahweh to destroy the Canaanites if He delivered them. Yahweh listened and gave Israel victory, leading to the destruction of the Canaanites and the naming of the place Hormah (vv.
Key verse
“Yahweh said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”
Numbers 21:8 (WEB)
Outline
- Numbers 21:1–3 Victory over King Arad
- Numbers 21:4–6 Discouragement and Judgment
- Numbers 21:7–9 Repentance and Healing
- Numbers 21:10–20 Continued Journey and Encampments
- Numbers 21:21–32 Confrontation with Sihon
- Numbers 21:33–35 Defeat of Og, King of Bashan
Discussion questions
- In v3, what action do the Israelites take after their victory over the Canaanites?
- What does the phrase 'venomous snakes' in v6 imply about the situation faced by the Israelites?
- God's response in v8: what does the command to make a serpent suggest about the nature of healing?
- In v24, why does the text emphasize Israel's victory over Sihon in this particular way?
- When has a complaint led you to seek help from someone like Moses did in v7?
Go deeper
Passages that echo Numbers 21: John 3, Deuteronomy 2, Jeremiah 48.
Before next time: read Numbers 22.