Date	Version	Reading Plan
February 27, 2026	ESV (2016)	ESV Life Journal Plan – 2026

Numbers 21-23

Observation & Interpretation

These chapters convey the favor of God on His people in the defeat of kings (the king of Arad and Og the king of Bashan), patience in their insolence and Balaam’s first two oracles of blessing. Between the destruction of Arad and king Sihon is an account of the people once again speaking against God and Moses, questioning why they had been brought out of Egypt into the wilderness. In response, the LORD sent fiery serpents that bit the people. The people came to Moses in admission of their sins, asking Moses to pray to the LORD that He would take away the serpents. Moses prayed to the people and the LORD told Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole, that everyone who looks on this bronze serpent would live (Num. 21:9). Moses did so and among all who where bitten, if they looked at the bronze serpent, lived.

God demonstrated His grace in His responsiveness to this wicked and ungrateful people in providing a way of healing when no such provision was ultimately merited. It was the chorus of their sinful hearts—and ours all the same—to continuously return to a state of rebellion against the One who sustained them. May we see in this our own penchant for capriciousness and put such things to death, seeking instead to pursue our Lord in gratitude for all that He is and has done.

Resources

• J. I. Packer et. al, The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016)
• Colin Hansen (Editor in Chief), TGC Bible Commentary (Columbia, MO: The Gospel Coalition, 2022)
• Iain M. Duguid (Series Editor), ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018-2025)
• Faithlife Study Bible (Lexham Press, 2016)
• Believer’s Bible Commentary (Thomas Nelson, 2016)
• CSB Study Bible Notes (Holman Bible Publishers, 2017)
• The New American Commentary (Brentwood, TN: Holman Reference)
• Lane T. Dennis and Wayne Grudem (Editors), ESV Study Bible, Crossway, 2008.