and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. But when we cried out to the LORDThis phrase highlights the Israelites' act of calling upon God in their distress. The Hebrew root for "cried out" is "צָעַק" (tsa'aq), which conveys a sense of desperation and urgency. Historically, this reflects the Israelites' frequent reliance on God during their wilderness journey. It underscores the importance of prayer and dependence on God, reminding believers that in times of trouble, turning to the Lord is a powerful act of faith. He heard our voice
The phrase emphasizes God's responsiveness to His people's pleas. The Hebrew word for "heard" is "שָׁמַע" (shama), which implies not just hearing but also understanding and acting upon what is heard. This reassures believers of God's attentiveness and willingness to intervene in their lives. It is a testament to God's faithfulness and His intimate relationship with His people, encouraging Christians to trust that their prayers are not in vain. and sent an angel
Here, the term "angel" is derived from the Hebrew "מַלְאָךְ" (mal'akh), meaning messenger. In the biblical context, angels are often seen as divine agents carrying out God's will. This phrase indicates God's direct intervention in human affairs through His messengers. It serves as a reminder of the spiritual realm's active role in the lives of believers and God's sovereignty in orchestrating events for His purposes. and brought us out of Egypt
This phrase recalls the pivotal event of the Exodus, where God delivered the Israelites from slavery. The act of bringing them "out of Egypt" is a central theme in the Old Testament, symbolizing salvation and liberation. It serves as a powerful reminder of God's deliverance and His ability to rescue His people from bondage. For Christians, it foreshadows the ultimate deliverance through Jesus Christ, encouraging believers to reflect on their own spiritual journey from sin to salvation. Now here we are at Kadesh
Kadesh is a significant location in the Israelites' journey, often associated with testing and decision-making. The mention of "Kadesh" situates the narrative in a historical and geographical context, reminding readers of the real places and events that shaped the biblical story. It serves as a metaphor for the crossroads in life where believers must choose to trust in God's promises despite challenges. a city on the edge of your territory
This phrase highlights the proximity of the Israelites to the Promised Land, yet still outside its borders. It symbolizes the tension between the promise and its fulfillment, a common theme in the Christian journey. The "edge of your territory" suggests a place of waiting and anticipation, encouraging believers to remain faithful and patient as they await God's timing for the fulfillment of His promises. Persons / Places / Events 1. The IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were delivered from slavery in Egypt. 2. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant-keeping God of Israel who hears the cries of His people and acts on their behalf. 3. The AngelA divine messenger sent by God to lead and protect the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. 4. EgyptThe land of bondage from which the Israelites were delivered by God's mighty hand. 5. KadeshA significant location in the wilderness journey of the Israelites, situated on the edge of the Promised Land. Teaching Points God Hears Our CriesJust as God heard the cries of the Israelites, He hears us today. We can be confident that our prayers reach Him, and He is attentive to our needs. Divine DeliveranceThe sending of an angel to lead Israel out of Egypt is a reminder of God's power to deliver us from our own "Egypts"—situations of bondage or distress. Faithfulness in the WildernessKadesh represents a place of decision and waiting. In our own wilderness experiences, we must trust in God's timing and guidance. God's Presence in TransitionAs the Israelites stood on the edge of the Promised Land, they were reminded of God's past faithfulness. We too should remember God's past works as we face new challenges. The Role of Divine MessengersAngels played a crucial role in the exodus. We should be open to the various ways God might send help or guidance in our lives. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the experience of the Israelites crying out to God in Egypt encourage you in your own prayer life? 2. In what ways have you experienced God's deliverance in your life, and how can you use those experiences to encourage others? 3. What are some "wilderness" situations you are currently facing, and how can you apply the lessons from Kadesh to your circumstances? 4. How can remembering God's past faithfulness help you trust Him with your future? 5. In what ways might God be sending "angels" or messengers into your life today, and how can you be more attentive to their presence? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 3:7-10This passage describes God's response to the cries of the Israelites in Egypt, highlighting His compassion and plan for deliverance. Psalm 34:17This verse emphasizes that the LORD hears the cries of the righteous and delivers them from their troubles, reinforcing the theme of divine intervention. Acts 7:30-36Stephen recounts the account of Moses and the exodus, mentioning the angel who appeared to Moses, connecting the Old Testament deliverance to the New Testament understanding of God's salvation plan. People Aaron, Egyptians, Eleazar, Israelites, Miriam, MosesPlaces Edom, Egypt, Kadesh-barnea, King's Highway, Meribah, Mount Hor, ZinTopics Angel, Behold, Border, Bringing, Cried, Cry, Ear, Edge, Egypt, Extremity, Forth, Heareth, Kadesh, Messenger, Territory, Town, Uttermost, VoiceDictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 20:16 4111 angels, servants
5196 voice
8614 prayer, answers Numbers 20:15-16 8610 prayer, asking God Library August 17. "Speak Ye unto the Rock" (Num. xx. 8).
"Speak ye unto the Rock" (Num. xx. 8). The Holy Ghost is very sensitive, as love always is. You can conquer a wild beast by blows and chains, but you cannot conquer a woman's heart that way, or win the love of a sensitive nature; that must be wooed by the delicate touches of trust and affection. So the Holy Ghost has to be taken by a faith as delicate and sensitive as the gentle heart with whom it is coming in touch. One thought of unbelief, one expression of impatient distrust or fear, will instantly …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth The Waters of Meribah
'Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2. And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3. And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4. And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Kadesh. Rekam, and that Double. Inquiry is Made, Whether the Doubling it in the Maps is Well Done.
The readers of the eastern interpreters will observe, that Kadesh is rendered by all Rekam, or in a sound very near it. In the Chaldee, it is 'Rekam': in the Syriac, 'Rekem': in the Arabic, 'Rakim'... There are two places noted by the name Rekam in the very bounds of the land,--to wit, the southern and eastern: that is, a double Kadesh. I. Of Kadesh, or Rekam, in the south part, there is no doubt. II. Of it, in the eastern part, there is this mention: "From Rekam to the east, and Rekam is as the …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Baptist's Inquiry and Jesus' Discourse Suggested Thereby.
(Galilee.) ^A Matt. XI. 2-30; ^C Luke VII. 18-35. ^c 18 And the disciples of John told him of all these things. ^a 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent by his disciples ^c 19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them unto the Lord [John had been cast into prison about December, a.d. 27, and it was now after the Passover, possibly in May or June, a.d. 28. Herod Antipas had cast John into prison because John had reproved him for taking his brother's wife. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Epistle xxviii. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [136] . Gregory to Augustine, &c. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14); because a grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign in heaven alone; even He by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are made strong, by whose suffering we are rescued from suffering, through whose love we seek in Britain for brethren whom we knew not, by whose gift we find those whom without knowing them we sought. …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
It was the very busiest road in Palestine, on which the publican Levi Matthew sat at the receipt of "custom," when our Lord called him to the fellowship of the Gospel, and he then made that great feast to which he invited his fellow-publicans, that they also might see and hear Him in Whom he had found life and peace (Luke 5:29). For, it was the only truly international road of all those which passed through Palestine; indeed, it formed one of the great highways of the world's commerce. At the time …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Peræa to Bethany. Raising of Lazarus.
^D John XI. 1-46. ^d 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [For Bethany and the sisters, see p. 478.] 2 And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair [John xii. 3 ], whose brother Lazarus was sick. [The anointing had not yet taken place, as John himself shows. For a similar anticipation see Matt. x. 4. There are five prominent Marys in the New Testament: those of Nazareth, Magdala and Bethany; the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6 Backsliding.
"I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away."--Hosea xiv. 4. There are two kinds of backsliders. Some have never been converted: they have gone through the form of joining a Christian community and claim to be backsliders; but they never have, if I may use the expression, "slid forward." They may talk of backsliding; but they have never really been born again. They need to be treated differently from real back-sliders--those who have been born of the incorruptible …
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Numbers 20:16 NIVNumbers 20:16 NLTNumbers 20:16 ESVNumbers 20:16 NASBNumbers 20:16 KJV
Numbers 20:16 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
