"When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. 2 And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction.” 3 And the Lord heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah"
Numbers 21:1-3
The opening verses of this chapter record the encounter Israel had with king Arad, of Canaan. The context seems to be the onward movement of the people following the episode with Edom, recorded in the last chapter. Undeterred by Edom's refusal to let them pass, they resolve to find another way. Perhaps the most significant thing about what is told us here is the new spirit shown by the people. In the initial encounter with Arad, they experienced a setback, in which some were taken prisoner. They are undismayed, however, and betake themselves to the Lord in prayer with determination and firm resolve, and God wonderfully heard their prayer and gave them the victory. It is true that in the verses immediately follow- ing this, we again see the people discouraged and grumbling; but at least there is the beginning of a new attitude that 'paid dividends' in no uncertain way. By which we may learn that so often the Lord is just waiting for some sign of firmness and fortitude in His people, in order to bless them by His grace and enabling. Low-spiritedness is so seldom ever justified in face of such a willing God. If only we would realise that even a spark of spirit in us will be met with all the resources of the Godhead to help and prosper us! In this sense it is certainly true that God helps those who help themselves. Perhaps it is simply that we sometimes need time to become disenchanted with our own spinelessness in the spiritual life, and take a tumble to ourselves, and see just how 'fragile' and 'precious' we have all unconsciously become. Then, a new determination to be 'up and doing' will grip us and that is the context in which God delights to answer our prayers. Is this a lesson for us today: Are our prayers really so doleful that they are incapable of being answered?