An interesting event took place as Israel was taking a detour around Edom. The people started complaining (again) so YHVH sent poisonous snakes among the people:
Numbers 21:4 Then they traveled from Mount Hor on the road toward the Sea of Suf in order to go around the land of Edom; but the people’s tempers grew short because of the detour. 5 The people spoke against God and against Moshe: “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? To die in the desert? There’s no real food, there’s no water, and we’re sick of this miserable stuff we’re eating!”
6 In response, Adonai sent poisonous snakes among the people; they bit the people, and many of Isra’el’s people died. 7 The people came to Moshe and said, “We sinned by speaking against Adonai and against you. Pray to Adonai that he rid us of these snakes.” Moshe prayed for the people, 8 and Adonai answered Moshe: “Make a poisonous snake and put it on a pole. When anyone who has been bitten sees it, he will live.” 9 Moshe made a bronze snake and put it on the pole; if a snake had bitten someone, then, when he looked toward the bronze snake, he stayed alive.
Here’s a short summary of what happened:
Abba gave them a way to stay alive but it required them looking up and not looking down at the threat at their feet.
Let’s think for a moment about this scene.
You have a camp of ~600,000 men. If we include women and children this number could go up quite a bit to say, 2 million people. Poisonous snakes all around 2 million people meant they were likely everywhere and there was no place to turn or flee.
The hissing and striking of these snakes most likely kept everyone’s attention on the ground. I mean, why on earth would you look up when a deadly attacker was low to the ground and on the prowl.
Put yourself in this situation. What would you be doing if you knew snakes were loose in your home and you couldn’t leave?
All of your focus would be on the snakes.
But here’s what Abba said, “Make a poisonous snake and put it on a pole. When anyone who has been bitten sees it, he will live.”
Ok, so people have died and are continuing to die. After a conversation with the Creator of the Universe, Moses runs off, gathers materials, gets a good fire going, and hammers out a serpent to put on a pole.
On a pole?
I suppose this makes sense for those a bit further away from Moses’ position, BUT that meant the people had to look up in order to be saved.
They had to shift their focus off of the thing that had come to kill them and put it on this thing lifted up in the desert.
The pain of the bite and the fear of death had to be overwhelming. After all, their neighbor or their brother may have been one that already died. And they were next.
So you must now lift your eyes and cast it on the one thing that will ensure you will live.
How much faith would this require?
Bit by the serpent and facing certain death. The only way to survive is to look up on that things raised in the desert.
Does any of this sound familiar?
John 3:9 Nakdimon replied, “How can this happen?” 10 Yeshua answered him, “You hold the office of teacher in Isra’el, and you don’t know this? 11 Yes, indeed! I tell you that what we speak about, we know; and what we give evidence of, we have seen; but you people don’t accept our evidence! 12 If you people don’t believe me when I tell you about the things of the world, how will you believe me when I tell you about the things of heaven? 13 No one has gone up into heaven; there is only the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved. 18 Those who trust in him are not judged; those who do not trust have been judged already, in that they have not trusted in the one who is God’s only and unique Son.
19 “Now this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were wicked. 20 For everyone who does evil things hates the light and avoids it, so that his actions won’t be exposed. 21 But everyone who does what is true comes to the light, so that all may see that his actions are accomplished through God.”
Yeshua making this reference to Nicodemus contains in inference that there exists a snake dwelling among us and this poisonous snake has, in fact, bitten us. We are then set to die.
What is this poisonous snake that has bitten us?
Most of us would immediately assume it is that ancient serpent, (Ha)Satan. While I don’t believe it is wrong to think that, I do believe it is incomplete.
Let’s go back to that fateful day in the desert. The people began to complain which meant they had taken their eyes off of God. But they weren’t complaining because they were in pain, they were complaining because they were in pain and thought God owed them more than what He gave them.
5 The people spoke against God and against Moshe: “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? To die in the desert? There’s no real food, there’s no water, and we’re sick of this miserable stuff we’re eating!”
His provision was no longer sufficient. They had personal desires and they wanted that to come into fruition in their lives. They wanted His protection and they wanted increased provision.
“Not only do we want water, we want real food. This horrible slop you’ve given us has worn itself out.”
Their temporary pain brought to the surface a deeply rooted selfishness. This selfishness fueled an entitlement which then led to contempt of God.
They have seen the miracle of food appearing daily and have likely had water (in the desert, mind you) for many, many years. Despite being spoiled for a very long time, these people let their selfishness cloud their judgment.
They now see Abba as unjust and unfair.
Is it true that God is unjust and unfair? Intellectually, we answer with a resounding “no!”
But what about our natural response?
Let’s go back to the garden.
Was it fair that Adam and Eve couldn’t eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?
Was it fair that God withheld an extra dimension from their being?
Would a just God place a stumbling block before His people?
They literally had everything they needed to live an ideal life -- forever. But apparently it wasn’t enough. Apparently, a just and fair God would have given them even more.
And what happened to them both? They were bitten by the snake. And death was now in their blood. The poison racing through their veins destroying the perfect creation they once were.
If only they could look up and be healed…
Have you been bitten by a poisonous snake?
If so, in what areas of your life have you become complacent with Abba’s blessing and are now demanding (ok, asking for) more?
This is such a subtle trap.
The trouble with our lifestyle is that we work diligently to make sure it stays on the increase and we count this as a blessing. As long as the trend is up we tend to be ok. If we’re put on the spot we may thank God for all He’s done, but left on our own we may not even acknowledge His existence.
Now any movement in the negative direction fuels deep introspection to try and find out “why” this happened. We’re willing to repent if necessary and, at minimum, we do turn back into God to some degree.
But when things remain level, we become uneasy. Even though we have all we need, somehow we convince ourselves that there most certainly should be more. We see other people progressing along just fine and wonder why God isn’t letting us keep up with them.
Then the grumbling begins.
As a result, the snakes make their way into the camp. Turn over a rock and there one lies. Pull back your sheets and there is another. It seems they are absolutely everywhere.
But…
Despite the hissing and biting and death all around, can you lift your eyes away from the serpents below and look up upon the Son of Man?
Listen closely, Nicodemus.
John 3:14 Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life.
There is poison in your blood. Look up and cast your gaze on the one Man that can save you. Your eternal life depends on it.
And be sure to be content whether there is increase, decrease, or no movement at all. Or else we have to fight those dreaded snakes all over again.