Numbers 21:4-9
4From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” 6Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” 9So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
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How quickly the Israelites forget all that God, through Moses, has done from them! As soon as the going gets tough, the Israelites start complaining and rising up against Moses and God. The manna from heaven isn’t good enough, instead of remembering all that God has done and trusting him to do more, they rebel.
God see their unbelief and punishes them with poisonous serpents. Of course, this gets their attention and they quickly change their minds and ask Moses to intervene for them and ask God to take away the serpents.
Does God choose to make the serpents just disappear? No. Instead God takes asks Moses to make a bronze serpent and have the people look at it to live. The people have too look upon their own affliction/sin in order to be healed. People need to acknowledge the sin that distanced them from God in order for healing to take place.
Prayer: God help me to acknowledge my sins. Forgive me when I complain about small details in my life and give me reminders to look to you and to trust you with my life.
—Lori Thomson