Connect Numbers 20:16 with another instance of divine intervention in the Bible. The Cry and the Angel in the Wilderness “ ‘But when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt…’ ” (Numbers 20:16) • Israel’s situation: pinned under Pharaoh’s oppression, helpless to free themselves. • Israel’s action: a collective, desperate cry to God. • God’s response: immediate, personal, decisive—He “sent an angel” and orchestrated the entire Exodus. • Result: a nation that walked out of bondage because the living God stepped in. A Parallel Rescue in a Lion’s Den “ ‘My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions…’ ” (Daniel 6:22) • Daniel’s situation: sealed overnight in a pit designed for execution. • Daniel’s posture: unwavering trust, voiced in prayer (cf. Daniel 6:10–11). • God’s response: the same heavenly pattern—He “sent His angel,” physically intervening in a place where human help was impossible. • Result: Daniel emerged unharmed, and a pagan king proclaimed, “He is the living God, enduring forever” (Daniel 6:26). Shared Threads: Two Moments, One Deliverer • A cry goes up (Numbers 20:16; Daniel 6:10). • An angel arrives as God’s envoy (Exodus 14:19; Psalm 34:7 for Israel; Daniel 6:22 for Daniel). • Bondage or certain death is replaced by freedom and vindication. • God’s name is magnified among nations—Edom hears Israel’s testimony (Numbers 20:14–17); Persia witnesses Daniel’s deliverance (Daniel 6:25–27). Divine Intervention: Consistent and Literal • In both accounts God literally dispatched an angel, a personal messenger who alters physical circumstances. • Scripture’s record is straightforward history, not allegory; the same God who moved then still moves today. Living it Out Today • Remember: deliverance comes to those who call on Him (Psalm 50:15; Romans 10:13). • Rest: God’s methods may vary, but His character does not—He still hears and acts. • Recount: tell your own stories of rescue; testimony fuels faith just as Israel’s and Daniel’s stories do for us. The angel who led slaves out of Egypt and shut lions’ mouths in Babylon stands as proof: when God’s people cry out, He intervenes—personally, powerfully, and on time. |
    |