Reading
Numbers 21:4-9

4They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. The soul of the people was very discouraged because of the journey. 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 bread, there is no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food!”

6Yahweh sent venomous snakes among the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel died. 7The people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against Yahweh and against you. Pray to Yahweh, that he take away the serpents from us.” Moses prayed for the people.

8Yahweh said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9Moses made a serpent of bronze, and set it on the pole. If a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the serpent of bronze, he lived.


Devotional

A snake on a pole may seem a strange image to represent healing and blessing from God. Not many people like snakes. Very few people would choose a snake as their favourite animal. Some of them have deadly, venomous bites.

The Israelites complained against God in the wilderness, we might not be surprised that the people grumbled against God and Moses in the desert. The wilderness was barren, hot, and empty. Ahead of them were powerful enemies, barricaded in high, walled cities. God had solved all of their crises before: bringing them through the Red Sea, giving them manna (bread), quail (meat), and water each day. With such a firm foundation for faith, was there any reason for the people not to trust God with their future?

It seemed to them that God had taken them to the desert to die. In response to their complaints, God sent snakes, which bit the people and many died. And the people learned, as they often had done before, that they needed to trust in God.

It was a snake on a pole that brought healing. The very thing that caused people death gave life. First, Israel confessed their sin. Then God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole, and everyone who looked at it would live. All they needed to do was look. They needed to look away from themselves and to believe in God’s promise.

The same can apply today for God’s people who might complain against Him. And we have a lot more of God’s faithfulness in history to remind us of his care. We also have the good news of salvation through Jesus.

Jesus told Nicodemus that just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so 

the Son of Man would be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life (John 3:14-15). Jesus took on our sin. In fact, he became “sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He identified with our sin and was lifted up on the cross to pay for it, for our sake. He took on himself all the punishment for sin and rebellion that was rightly ours to bear.  So everyone who looks to him and believes may now have eternal life. My prayer today is that you turn your eyes upon Jesus and that God gives you the faith to trust Him, especially if you feel like to in a place of wilderness.