10:9 Neither let us
tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
So the ancient Israelites are weary of their journey and the
complaints start. Moses is incompetent. God has lead them to the desert to die.
In the middle of their ranting snakes start literally attacking them. First
it's just one, and then a few, and soon they seem to be everywhere. In fear and
desperation they cry out to Moses. They plead with him to ask God to save them
from the snakes. Moses prays but the answer is weird. I'm pretty sure Moses
hesitated. "Lord you want me to do what?!!"
"Make a serpent from brass and hang it on a pole. Tell
the people to look at it and anyone who looks at it will be healed from the venomous
bites."
"But You told us not to make any images or
idols..."
It's a weird story... or is it?
Serpent = Satan
Satan means accuser. The people allowed Satan into their
thoughts. He played on their feelings. Soon their voices became his voice. The
voice of accusation.
In Eden he accused God of being a liar. Now he is accusing
God of being incompetent and the people believe him just as Eve did. The same
God who freed them from Egypt is incompetent? The same God who opened and then
closed the Red Sea doesn't know what He is doing? The same God who rains down
food every morning and supplies water in the desert can't get them through the
desert? It's crazy talk but when we allow the combination of unpleasant
circumstances and the whisperings of the serpent to combine we end up talking
crazy. We end up embracing his lies which always lead to death.
In their desperation they cried out to the very One they had
just accused of not knowing what He was doing. His solution was to become a
devil worshipper?
On the surface it looks that way.
The Bible says "He who knew no sin became sin for
us." The One who never once fell for the whisperings of the serpent became
the serpent for us. All the venom we took in He took in. Then they lifted Him
up on a pole thinking He was defeated.
Jesus said "I, if I be lifted up, I will draw the whole
world to Myself."
The instruction in Numbers 21, as the snakes were attacking
them, was simple - "Look and live".
No one needed to die. There was a cure. The spotless One
became the very disease that was killing us. All we have to do is look and
live.
I believe God purposely made the cure strange so that
everyone would scratch their heads and wonder about it. It was just one more
way to tell the same Old Story. Look and live. Many sins. One Saviour. So
simple.
John 6:29
See you tomorrow :)
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