The Life Spring

The Life Spring Text: Numbers 21:16-18

From there the Israelites traveled to Beer, which is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Assemble the people, and I will give them water.” 17 There the Israelites sang this song: “Spring up, O well! Yes, sing its praises! 18 Sing of this well, which princes dug, which great leaders hollowed out with their scepters and staffs.” Then the Israelites left the wilderness and proceeded on through Mattanah, (Living by faith is God design- Hebrew 11:1 Now faith is...)

In Numbers 21:14 Speaks about a book called, “The Book of the Wars of the Lord.” It was apparently a book of victory songs that was current at the time of Moses, possibly written by Moses.

*Kind of like the songs many churches song in the 40 & 50 “Prayer Bells of heaven”, or “Keep On the Firing Line,” however, presently as the Holy Spirit moves us along, now we might sing, “Spirit of the Living God, Fall Fresh On Me.”

These songs, bring help, peace and love, grace and protection. They stir up our faith, and in-return, our faith moves God!

In Numbers 21:5LB We read that Israel begin to murmur against God, and to complain against Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness? they whined. “There is nothing to eat here, and nothing to drink, and we hate this insipid (tasteless,uninspiring) manna.”

They were saying, “We hate this manna that is sent from heaven!” (Fresh daily)

One man said: “Rebellion is a lethal leaven in the human heart.”

These children of Israel remind me of this story about two caterpillars. Two caterpillars were plodding up a hill when they noticed a butterfly dipping and weaving overhead. Turning to his buddy, one said, “You’d never get me up there acting like that!”

Remember last week in the book of Luke 10, I showed you in just a few seconds how Martha (while fixing a meal) for Jesus Christ, spoke with frustration against Jesus, and with a true tone of anger against Mary her sister. (All because Martha wouldn’t sit first at the kings feet.)

Israel said they trusted God, and they even give Him mental asset sometimes, but their hearts were far removed from ‘Divine leadership.’ ( Say divine leadership!)

Therefore, God sent a plaque of poisonous snakes, the Bible say’s, many were bitten and died. Those alive, cried out, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against Jehovah and against Moses.”

Listen, “to stay alive, ‘one’ had to fix their gaze upon a bronze serpent, a definite act of ‘ones will’, if he or she wanted to be healed and live.” (Throughout the OT ‘bronze’ represents judgement)

We can see some great typological use of this incident in John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. (Think about this, to see Jesus as the bronze serpent is to see a picture of God’s judgement falling upon Jesus at the cross.) Jesus bore our sins, sickness’ etc!

Again going back, in Numbers 21, the children of Israel had been traveling over the desert’s barren sands, and they were desperate for water, but there was none in sight. Then God spoke to Moses and said, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.” Then the people gathered around with their rods. As they began to dig deeply into the burning sand, they sang, “Spring up, O well! Yes, sing it’s praises.”

As they dug, they tapped into the unseen stream. Can I tell you, as you dig and believe, you will tip into the unseen stream! (Right in the mist of a desert, God has a stream.)

Psalm 46:4-5NKJ There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

Again, how did the children of Israel reach the water of this well? While standing on the burning sand, they dug and sung.

Here’s Four key points: *1. Our praise will bring forth ‘water.’ (Word, washing)

John 7:37-38NLT On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

Second key point, “Nothing pleases the Lord as much as praise.”

There is no greater evidence of faith than the virtue of genuine thanksgiving.