Audio Download

Numbers 33:1-56  Recounting Israel’s Journey in the Wilderness

[Study Aired December 25, 2023]

Introduction

We are going to look at the journey of the Israelites from Egypt up to the land of Moab, where they were camping and getting ready to cross over the Jordan to engage the people of Jericho. Today’s study shows us our life as we leave the world (Egypt) and become part of Babylon, until the Lord starts preparing us to leave Babylon behind to possess our land, which is our bodies. This study highlights the spiritual significance of the names of various locations and how they apply to our walk in the past, present and the future. What we need to understand is that we all go through the same experience in this wilderness of life, although the details are different for each individual. This is what the scriptures tell us about this common experience we all go through:

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 
Ecc 9:3  This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 
Ecc 9:4  For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 
Ecc 9:5  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

These verses show us that we all go through the experience of evil resulting in our spiritual death until we are joined to all the living (Ecc 9:4). 

Ecc 1:13  And I gave my heart to seek and to investigate by wisdom concerning all which is done under the heavens. It is an evil task God has given to the sons of men, to be afflicted by it.

The living here is Christ, and it is when we are joined to all (not partially) of Christ that we are given hope of the joy that is set before us. It is in this sense that a living dog is better than a dead lion. That is to say that being in Christ is what makes us a living being, and that in Christ, even though we are the least among men (living dogs), we are far better than the princes of this world (dead lion) who are spiritually dead. 

In Ecclesiastes 9:5, we are shown that it is the living who are aware that they shall die. That is to say that it is those who are in Christ who are aware that they have to die to their flesh through the evil experience the Lord has given them. This is the experience of those who are in Christ:

Psa 107:4  They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
Psa 107:5  Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 
Psa 107:6  Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:7  And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. 
Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 
Psa 107:9  For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

As we go through Israel’s journey in the wilderness, as recounted in chapter 33, we are being shown what has happened to us in our journey in this life with the Lord and His mercies toward us. Our response to the Lord’s mercies is to offer our lives as living sacrifices to Him, which is our spiritual worship.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The Command by the Lord to Record the Journeys of Israel

Num 33:1  These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 
Num 33:2  And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD: and these are their journeys according to their goings out.
Num 33:3  And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. 
Num 33:4  For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments. 
Num 33:5  And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.

What is instructive about these verses is that it was at the command of the Lord that Moses decided to write down the journeys undertaken by the people of Israel in the wilderness. Why would the Lord ask Moses to record Israel’s journey from one station to another in the wilderness? It was because the Lord wanted us to understand how He had led us through this life in the past so that we can have confidence in Him that what He starts, He is able to bring to completion. That is why when the Lord appeared before Apostle John, the first thing He did was to show Him how He had led him in the past.

Rev 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 
Rev 1:11  Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 
Rev 1:12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 
Rev 1:13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 
1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Our journey with the Lord started in Rameses in verse 3. Rameses was in Egypt and therefore represents our life when we did not know Christ. We were just like the people of the world in all that we did. Rameses means ‘out of’ or ‘from.’ It was from or out of the world that the Lord called us to come to Him.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 
Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

In verse 3, it was on the fifteenth day of the first month that the Israelites left Rameses (Egypt). The number fifteen signifies being given a new life in Christ as shown in the following verses:

Isa 38:4  Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, 
Isa 38:5  Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. 
Isa 38:6  And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.

This means that it was when the Lord gave us a new life in Christ that we started our exit from Egypt. Leaving Egypt was possible because the Lord had dealt a blow to the firstborn of the Egyptians as they bury their firstborns in verse 4. The firstborns of the Egyptians represent our old man or our flesh to which the Lord had dealt a deadly wound and therefore could not influence our exit from the world (Egypt).

Rev 13:3  And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

In verse 5, the people of Israel left Rameses and came to Succoth which means ‘booths’ and is part of the land of Egypt. The word “booths” means tents. This implies that one of the first things we learned as we started our exit from the world is to walk by faith just like Abraham. Walking by faith is signified by living in tents as we look for the city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God. This was what happened to Abraham. 

Heb 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 
Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

A Summary of Our Journey in this wilderness of life

Num 33:6  And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness. 
Num 33:7  And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baalzephon: and they pitched before Migdol. 
Num 33:8  And they departed from before Pihahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.

From Succoth, the people of Israel came to Etham which means ‘with them’ or their ‘plowshares’ which are creative tools that benefit mankind. Etham was part of Egypt. At this stage in our walk, the Lord has given us the tools we need (the word of God) to leave the world. From Etham, the Israelites went to Pihahiroth which means a place where sedge grows. Sedge is a grass-like plant that grows in wet ground. As we are aware, all mankind is like grass. As His elect, we are like sedge that grows in a place where there is water in the ground, which is the word of the Lord. In other words, at this point of our walk with Christ, we have received little water from the earth. That is, we have started to hear very little of the truth of the word of the Lord from our brothers and sisters from Babylon (earth) to start our growth as we leave Egypt or the world completely. Pihahiroth faces Baalzephon which means ‘Lord of the north.’ This is to say that everything happening to us is under the supervision of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, everything is going according to the purpose of His counsel. Specifically, the people of Israel settled at Migdol, which was a fortified city on the Egyptian border and can be regarded as part of Pihahiroth. Migdol means ‘tower’ and therefore this is to show us that we have come to trust in the Lord as our tower of refuge as we were just about to exit the world (Egypt).

Isa 25:4 But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O LORD, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat. For the oppressive acts of ruthless people are like a storm beating against a wall, or like the relentless heat of the desert. (NLT)

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

From Pihahiroth, the people of Israel passed through the sea into the wilderness of Etham and after three days, they ended up at Marah which means ‘bitter water.’ Passing through the sea means that we are helped by our flesh during this early walk with the Lord just as Abraham was helped by his father Terah (flesh) when the Lord appeared to him for the first time.

Act 7:2  And he said, Brethren and fathers, hearken: The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
Act 7:3  and said unto him, Get thee out of thy land, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. 
Act 7:4  Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, God removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell:

Gen 11:31  And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

Isa 60:5  Then thou shalt see and be radiant, and thy heart shall thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned unto thee, the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee.

The people of Israel journeyed three days from the wilderness of Etham to Marah. Marah means ‘bitter’ (water). This signifies that the judgment of our old man or flesh as part of the process of becoming spiritually mature involves being given bitter water, that is, false doctrines, thus giving the Lord the occasion to come and judge us. 

Num 33:9  And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched there. 
Num 33:10  And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.

These verses are to point to us our destination (where we are supposed to end up) in this wilderness of life. Our final destination, after going through the famine of the word of the Lord and drinking polluted water in the churches of Babylon, is the church of the firstborn, signified by Elim which was an oasis of seventy palm trees and twelve springs of water. The number seventy is seven multiplied by ten (70=7×10). The number seven signifies completeness, and the number ten means the fullness of the flesh. Thus, the seventy palm trees represent the assembly of the complete number of the elect who recognize the fullness of their flesh and are being delivered through the Lord’s judgment. The number twelve is the number of Christ and so the twelve wells signify the whole counsel of the word of Christ. In other words, the church of the elect is where we have the pillar and ground of the truth!! That is where we are to encamp in this life.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 
Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Encamping by the Red Sea in verse 10 signifies that we are in the world but not of the world. That means we are part of this world just like others, but we are not to follow the world’s standards. 

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 
1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Our lives in Babylon

Num 33:11  And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
Num 33:12  And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
Num 33:13  And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.

The journey of the Israelites up to this point summarizes the path the Lord takes us through to become His sons. The rest of the verses show us the details of our journey. From the Red Sea, the Israelites came to the wilderness of Sin. Sin means ‘thorn.’ They came out of the wilderness of Sin and came to Dophkah which means ‘knocking’, and then they settled in Alush which signifies “I will knead bread.” The settlement in these three stations – wilderness of Sin (thorn), Dophkah and Alush – signifies that when we left the world (Egypt) we came to the physical churches of this world (Babylon) where what we hear causes us to focus on the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, thus, choking the word of the Lord from being effective in our lives. We end up using our strength (knocking) to serve the Lord instead of letting the Lord do His work in us (resting in Him). We therefore become worse off and end up kneading our own bread, that is, having our own gospel instead of Christ’s words. 

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Num 33:14  And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.
Num 33:15  And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.
Num 33:16  And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibrothhattaavah.
Num 33:17  And they departed from Kibrothhattaavah, and encamped at Hazeroth.
Num 33:18  And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah.
Num 33:19  And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmonparez.

From Alush, they encamped at Raphidim, which means ‘resting place’ where there was no water for the people to drink. From Raphidim they came to the wilderness of Sinai which means ‘thorny.’ The next four stops after Sinai were Kibrothhattaavah (Graves of lust), Hazeroth (Settlement), Rithmah (an area of open uncultivated land) and Rimmonparez (pomegranate of the breach). What these locations mean is that in Babylon, we think we have a resting place (Raphidim) but we do not know that the truth of the word of the Lord has eluded us. This is because what we hear are false doctrines (thorny) which rather energizes the lust of the flesh within. As a result, we become spiritually dead due to lust of the flesh (the meaning of graves of lust). We therefore settle down in Babylon in an uncultivated place with no defenses as we become the prey of the enemy. We therefore bear fruits of the evil one who is our father.

Eze 2:6  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

Num 33:20  And they departed from Rimmonparez, and pitched in Libnah.
Num 33:21  And they removed from Libnah, and pitched at Rissah. 
Num 33:22  And they journeyed from Rissah, and pitched in Kehelathah.
Num 33:23  And they went from Kehelathah, and pitched in mount Shapher.
Num 33:24  And they removed from mount Shapher, and encamped in Haradah.
Num 33:25  And they removed from Haradah, and pitched in Makheloth.
Num 33:26  And they removed from Makheloth, and encamped at Tahath.
Num 33:27  And they departed from Tahath, and pitched at Tarah.

From Rimmonperez, the Israelites came to Libnah (out of) and then to Rissah (Ruin). The next six stations that the Israelites encamped were Kehelathah (Assembly), Shapher (Beauty), Haradah (Fear), Makheloth (Place of assembly), Tahath (Station) and Tarah (Delay). Out of the fruits we produce in Babylon, we end up in ruin. We consider our assembly a beauty, but we do not know that we are poor, wretched and miserable. We do not have the fear of the Lord in our place of assembly, and because of our position or station, both the former and the latter rain (the truth of the word of the Lord) are held or delayed from us.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 

1Ki 8:35  When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:

Num 33:28  And they removed from Tarah, and pitched in Mithcah.
Num 33:29  And they went from Mithcah, and pitched in Hashmonah.
Num 33:30  And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth.
Num 33:31  And they departed from Moseroth, and pitched in Benejaakan.
Num 33:32  And they removed from Benejaakan, and encamped at Horhagidgad.
Num 33:33  And they went from Horhagidgad, and pitched in Jotbathah.
Num 33:34  And they removed from Jotbathah, and encamped at Ebronah.
Num 33:35  And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Eziongaber.
Num 33:36  And they removed from Eziongaber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh. 
Num 33:37  And they removed from Kadesh, and pitched in mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom.
Num 33:38  And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month. 
Num 33:39  And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor. 

From Tarah the people of Israel went to Mithcah (Sweetness), departed to Hashmonah (Fatness) and finally came to Moseroth (Bonds). What these locations suggest is that when we follow after the sweetness and fatness of this world, we end up being in bondage to this world. That was what happened to us in Babylon. The subsequent six stations in which the Israelites dwelt were Benejaakan (Sons of twisting), Horhagidgad (Cavern of Gidgad), Jotbathah (Pleasantness), Ebronah (Passage), Eziongaber (Backbone of a man) and Kadesh (Holy). Being sons of twisting the word of the Lord while we were in Babylon, we ended up hiding in our caverns (false doctrines) thinking we were in a pleasant place. We did not know that this broad passage or way is the way to destroying our very spiritual foundation (our backbone).  

Psa 11:3  If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

In spite of our failures, the Lord uses this experience of evil to teach us holiness later as we come to Kadesh. From Kadesh the Israelites came to Mount Hor. Hor means ‘mountain.’ This implies that as far as we were concerned when we were in Babylon, holiness had become a mountain which we cannot climb.  It is instructive to note that Aaron the High Priest died on Mount Hor. Aaron’s death on Mount Hor signifies the death of our Lord Jesus Christ to make holiness accessible to us.

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Num 33:40  And king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.
Num 33:41  And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.
Num 33:42  And they departed from Zalmonah, and pitched in Punon.
Num 33:43  And they departed from Punon, and pitched in Oboth. 
Num 33:44  And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in Ijeabarim, in the border of Moab.
Num 33:45  And they departed from Iim, and pitched in Dibongad.
Num 33:46  And they removed from Dibongad, and encamped in Almondiblathaim.
Num 33:47  And they removed from Almondiblathaim, and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.
Num 33:48  And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. 
Num 33:49  And they pitched by Jordan, from Bethjesimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab.

In verse 40, King Arad of Canaan heard of the coming of the Israelites. This implies that even when we were in Babylon, our flesh can sense that its time is short. From Mount Hor, the Israelites pitched in Zalmonah which means ‘shady.’ They then moved to Punon (Darkness) and ended at Oboth (Waterskins). Our inability to walk in holiness as we came to Kadesh implies that the devil has shaded (blocked) us from seeing the light of Christ. Over time, we are plunged into darkness as our vessels (waterskins) lack water or the word of the Lord in Babylon. From Oboth we came Ije-abarim (Ruins of Abarim) where our relationship with Christ was ruined.  

Amo 8:11  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
Amo 8:12  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

We end up being like our father, the devil, as we continue our walk with Christ and find ourselves in the land of Moab (of his father). 

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

The Israelites then moved from Iim (from) to Dibongad or Dibon (wasting away). From (Iim) our father, the devil, we waste away during our time in Babylon. As we continue our journey, we come to Almondiblathaim which means ‘concealing the two cakes.’ The cakes here represent the word of the Lord, and the number two means a witness. The concealing of the two cakes means that we are not given to know the principle that where two or three words of the Lord say the same thing, we have a witness and that what is being said is established.

2Co 13:1  This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established

From Almondiblathaim we proceed to Abarim (Regions beyond) facing Nebo (prophet of a Babylonian deity). Because we are not given to know the principles the Lord has given us in His words to guide us, we end up going beyond (Abarim – regions beyond) what is written, and in the process, we come to serve another Jesus (Nebo) without knowing it. 

2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Our final journey takes us from Bethjesimoth (from or out of) to Abel Shittim (Meadows of acacias). Meadows refers to pastures. What is instructive about Acacias is that it has about 160 species of trees and shrubs. This implies that out of serving another Jesus, we finally end up as sheep grazing from many different pastures (meadows of acacias) as we take in 200 million false doctrines in the land of Moab (Babylon). 

Rev 9:16  And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand (200 million false doctrines): and I heard the number of them.

The Need to Drive out the Inhabitants of Canaan

Num 33:50  And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, 
Num 33:51  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; 
Num 33:52  Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: 
Num 33:53  And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.
Num 33:54  And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit. 
Num 33:55  But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
Num 33:56  Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.

In verses 50–52, we are commanded by the Lord to ensure that our old man or our flesh, represented by the inhabitants of Canaan, is totally destroyed, or put to death in our lives. The fact is, we cannot do it in our strength. In verse 53, the Lord told Moses that because He has given them the land, they shall dispossess the inhabitants. This is to tell us that it is Christ who through us shall destroy the old man or the flesh within us. It is not the work of man. The Lord who has started this destruction of our old man or flesh shall see to its completion. However, we need to be patient as He does His work within us.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 
Heb 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

In verse 54, the land was to be divided among the families for an inheritance by lot. The lot here signifies that everything that we do to possess our inheritance is the work of the Lord. All we have to do is to believe that He is able to drag us to the finish line!!

Pro 16:33  The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

Joh 6:28  Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 
Joh 6:29  Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Verses 55 and 56 show us the consequences of not completely destroying the inhabitants of Canaan. The inhabitants of Canaan shall become pricks in our eyes and thorns in our sides. Pricks here in verse 55 are the same as thorns. What we are therefore being told is that if the old man or the flesh within us is not completely destroyed, it shall become a thorn in our lives. To understand a thorn in our lives, let’s take a look at what Jesus said about the parable of the Sower where some of the seeds fell on thorns:

Mat 13:3  And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

Mat 13:7  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:  

Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

The thorn in our eyes and on our sides if we do not destroy our old man or the flesh is that we shall focus on the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. These shall choke the word of the Lord sown in our hearts and mind from bearing fruits in our lives. In other words, we shall become worse off.

2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein (through the thorns in our eyes and on our sides), and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

May the Lord continue to be merciful to us as He destroys our old man or our flesh. Amen!!