Snakes Alive!
Numbers 21: 4-9
How quickly the tone changes. Verses ago they vanquish the enemy with the Lord's help, here they're back to complaining. The Israelites head toward the Red Sea in attempt to avoid Edom- which is interesting in itself. We'll ask for help to demolish entire cities, but these Edomites are a little too much for us.
But they got impatient on the long path, perhaps a bit grumpy from the realization of their own cowardice, and start shouting out things like- Are we there yet? Why did we leave Egypt? Just to die in the wilderness? Moab won't stop poking me! There's no bread or water! Can we take a bathroom break? This food is terrible!
God reaches His breaking point and does more than just pull the car over and take off His belt. He sends venomous snakes among them resulting in many Israelite deaths. It seems like most of them should be dead by now with all of this killing.
Not surprisingly, the Israelites change their tune. Umm, Moses- we might have been a little hasty with that whole we love Egypt bit. In fact, we've sinned. Could you maybe do something about these snakes? Put a good word in for us with that whole prayer thing?
So Moses prays, but instead of God removing the snakes, He tells Moses to make a snake and put it on a pole- and if you get bitten, look at the snake and you'll live. So Moses makes a bronze snake that serves as healing for the poisoned travelers.
This is a weird story. Why not just get rid of the snakes? Or the Israelites?
Perhaps God wants to cut down on the whining. Removing the snakes would allow them to quickly fall back into complain-mode but an occasional bite on the ankle and glance to the bronze reminder might just keep them in check.
And maybe our prayers work this way too. We pray for deliverance- but God may not end our problems. Instead, He may create a way for us to deal with them. And when we look at the snake, or the cross, or whatever balm has come our way we find peace and hopefully remember who supplied it.
Numbers 21: 4-9
How quickly the tone changes. Verses ago they vanquish the enemy with the Lord's help, here they're back to complaining. The Israelites head toward the Red Sea in attempt to avoid Edom- which is interesting in itself. We'll ask for help to demolish entire cities, but these Edomites are a little too much for us.
But they got impatient on the long path, perhaps a bit grumpy from the realization of their own cowardice, and start shouting out things like- Are we there yet? Why did we leave Egypt? Just to die in the wilderness? Moab won't stop poking me! There's no bread or water! Can we take a bathroom break? This food is terrible!
God reaches His breaking point and does more than just pull the car over and take off His belt. He sends venomous snakes among them resulting in many Israelite deaths. It seems like most of them should be dead by now with all of this killing.
Not surprisingly, the Israelites change their tune. Umm, Moses- we might have been a little hasty with that whole we love Egypt bit. In fact, we've sinned. Could you maybe do something about these snakes? Put a good word in for us with that whole prayer thing?
So Moses prays, but instead of God removing the snakes, He tells Moses to make a snake and put it on a pole- and if you get bitten, look at the snake and you'll live. So Moses makes a bronze snake that serves as healing for the poisoned travelers.
This is a weird story. Why not just get rid of the snakes? Or the Israelites?
Perhaps God wants to cut down on the whining. Removing the snakes would allow them to quickly fall back into complain-mode but an occasional bite on the ankle and glance to the bronze reminder might just keep them in check.
And maybe our prayers work this way too. We pray for deliverance- but God may not end our problems. Instead, He may create a way for us to deal with them. And when we look at the snake, or the cross, or whatever balm has come our way we find peace and hopefully remember who supplied it.
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