We are taking a momentary side trail on
our journey through the gospels.
Usually, when background information is necessary, I explain it in the section
“A Little Background”. Our next reading
in the Harmony of the Gospels is John 3:1-18.
In that passage, Jesus references an Old Testament event. Since this event tends to be less familiar
than others, and because understanding it enriches the John 3 passage so much,
I have decided to dedicate a full post on it.
I may do this from time to time as necessary to better understand a
particular passage.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Word made
flesh. He fulfills the Law and the
Prophets (meaning the Old Testament--Matthew 5:17). Therefore, we cannot fully know the truth of the
New Testament without understanding its roots in the Old.
The topic today is mentioned in 1 Corinthians
10:1-13, telling us that this event is given to us as an example so that we do
not fall into the same sin as the Israelites. The entire Bible is God’s revelation of
Himself to mankind. We can see Jesus
throughout the Old Testament; it is His story of redemption for us.
The Passage
Numbers
21:4-9
4 Then they journeyed from Mount
Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of
the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the 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 our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So
the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and
many of the people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to
Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and
against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses
prayed for the people.
8 Then the LORD said to Moses,
“Make a fiery serpent, and set
it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it,
shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a
pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the
bronze serpent, he lived.
A Little Background
When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, through the Red
Sea, his destination was Canaan, or the Promised Land (present-day Israel). This was the land promised to them by God
when He cut a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15). Abraham’s son Isaac fathered twins, Jacob and
Esau. Jacob deceived Esau, to give up
his birthright. Esau’s own fleshly
weakness proved that he took God’s ways lightly. Esau’s descendants were known as the
Edomites. Jacob’s descendants would
become the Israelites, God’s chosen people.
When the Israelites left Egypt they numbered approximately
1.5 to 2.5 million people. They traveled
by foot through barren wilderness—there was no time or opportunity to plant and
reap crops along the way. Very quickly,
the people began to complain against God and against Moses. God performed an amazing miracle. In the morning, they would go outside their
tents to find little wafers of bread called “manna”. This became their life-sustaining food their
entire journey.
The Israelites were into the second year of their journey when
they came to the border of Canaan.
Twelve men were sent in to spy out the land. When they returned, ten of the spies brought
a bad report causing the Israelites to fear, complain, and refuse to enter the
land that God had prepared and promised them.
For their rebellion, God refused to allow them to enter for 40
years. Until then, all the Israelites
ages 20 and older would die in the wilderness.
God continued His sovereign care over them, but they would move from
camp to camp in barren places.
Sometime towards the end of the forty years, during one of
their travels they needed to go through the land of Edom. Moses sent a messenger to the king of Edom
requesting permission to pass through the land.
The king refused them passage.
This refusal required them to go a longer journey around Edom. By the way, do you remember who else was an
Edomite, a descendant of Esau? Hint: By Jesus’ day, this area
was called Idumea. (Click here for the answer in a previous post.)
Some Explanation
This incident of complaining against God regarding the manna
was not the first time for the Israelites.[1] This new generation is now almost 40 years
older. They had forgotten how their
parents also complained against the manna many years before. Now after nearly 40 years, the second
generation is falling into the same trap of complaining against God’s
provision. This time God sent “fiery” or
biting serpents throughout the camp.
Those who were bitten died. The Israelites
realized their sin and came to Moses who cried out to God for the people. God told Moses to make a serpent of brass and
fix it up on a pole. All those who would
look at this brass serpent after they were bitten would be healed.
Observations and Insights
How do a million people survive “on the road” without a
McDonald’s or service station to pick up a bottle of water? I have to admit, like the Israelites, eating
the same food day in and day out would probably get to my flesh, too. These Israelites allowed their fleshly desire
to rule them instead of trusting in the One Who had protected and sustained
them.
But the manna was more than just a sweet wafer. We will see later in John 6:32-35 that Jesus
identifies Himself as the manna in the wilderness. 1 Corinthians 10:9, explains
that “they tempted Christ”. When I read this line, my heart grips me, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt
to die in the wilderness? For there is
no food and no water, and our soul
loathes this worthless bread,” for they were rebelling against Jesus
Himself! Jesus, the Word made flesh, likened bread to God's Word during His own wilderness temptation, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."
It didn’t take much convincing for the people to look and
live. Many scholars believe that the
snake in question may have been the saw-clawed Echis viper. Its venom is slow acting and causes massive
internal bleeding. Such suffering from a
slow and painful death would have practically demanded its victim to turn to
the only remedy—a gaze upon the serpent on the pole. The healing came, not from the bronze serpent
itself, but through faith in God’s command to look and live.
The Israelites ran to Moses
acknowledging their sin. Yet for us today, our hearts become so
hardened by self-absorption, that we cannot see our own responsibility for our
rebellion against God. We often do not realize
that the slow and painful spiritual death that we all suffer is active in
us. The cross is Jesus lifted up as representative of our
sin. He took our sins upon Himself
receiving the punishment from God that we deserve. Faith requires
conviction of our own guilt, and embracing of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.
Although I came to faith in Jesus Christ at a very young
age, I often find myself in a dry place in my life. It may be just that the mundane tasks of life
have stifled vibrancy in my walk with the Lord. But more often, I have allowed a sin or root
of bitterness to grow unchecked. The
Word becomes lifeless to me, stale and seemingly “doesn’t work”. My heart grows cold, and I fall to the temptation to look to experience
and feeling to substitute for the only life-sustaining bread.
If I am honest, I realize that I have strayed from the
Shepherds fold. Instead of complaining
and calling the manna “worthless bread”, what if the Israelites had cried out
their thanksgiving and praises to God for His faithfulness in providing their
every need? What if they had asked Him
to renew their taste and appreciation for the manna that abundantly sustained
them? What if I confess my
dissatisfaction as sin, turn to the very Word that seems unsatisfying and
ask God for greater perseverance and faith to trust Him and obey Him? Which response is full of faith?
The truth of God’s grace is that He fully realizes our bent
to sin, to self-centeredness, to wander from Him. He stands ever ready to bring me back to the
fold if I honestly confess my weakness and allow Him to be my strength. I find that when I remind myself of what this
loving and gentle Shepherd did for me on the cross, my heart is quick to
respond to His gentle calling back to the fold of His Word. And the more that I do, the softer my heart
becomes. Look to Him and live!
Next: John 3:1-21
[1]
The Israelites quickly became tired of the manna
and complained to God. In great displeasure, God dealt swiftly with their
rebellion, and many died. Numbers 11
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