Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 252
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IMMERSE
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BEGINNINGS
20:22–21:9
The whole community of Israel left Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor.
There, on the border of the land of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and
Aaron, “The time has come for Aaron to join his ancestors in death. He
will not enter the land I am giving the people of Israel, because the two
of you rebelled against my instructions concerning the water at Meribah.
Now take Aaron and his son Eleazar up Mount Hor. There you will remove
Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron will die
there and join his ancestors.”
So Moses did as the Lord commanded. The three of them went up
Mount Hor together as the whole community watched. At the summit,
Moses removed the priestly garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar, Aaron’s son. Then Aaron died there on top of the mountain, and
Moses and Eleazar went back down. When the people realized that Aaron
had died, all Israel mourned for him thirty days.
The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were approaching on the road through Atharim. So he attacked the
Israelites and took some of them as prisoners. Then the people of Israel
made this vow to the Lord: “If you will hand these people over to us, we
will completely destroy all their towns.” The Lord heard the Israelites’ request and gave them victory over the Canaanites. The Israelites completely
destroyed them and their towns, and the place has been called Hormah
ever since.
Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the
Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient
with the long journey, and they began to speak against God and Moses.
“Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?”
they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And
we hate this horrible manna!”
So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were
bitten and died. Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have
sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord
will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people.
Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and
attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” So
Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone
who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!
