I must admit that there are strange stories in the bible. Stories that make me ask "why?" In part of my reading this morning I come to one of those stories. Here it is-
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Numbers 21:6-9 The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.
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This very story is the one that Jesus refers to in John 3 when he said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life."
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The people asked that the problem be removed, but instead God gave them a different solution. It was different than what they wanted...it didn't remove the problem, but it took care of its results. They were still bitten, but now with a simple look to the pole they did not die. This is the picture Jesus used to describe his work on the cross. It didn't remove sin, but it provided a solution to the results of the "bite" by a simple act of faith. Now, by faith, we will not die. We are still bitten, sin has tried to kill us, but with a simple and completely illogical act of faith the results of sin's bite is taken care of. I am most grateful that, although sin has tried to do its worse, Jesus has taken the poison out of the bite of sin and given me life instead. This is a wonderful solution to our problem of sin, but it's a different solution than we want. We ask, "Why can't God just forgive us? Why couldn't he just remove sin?" But the bite of sin, the pain of our rebellion must be felt. It's the pain of that bite that makes us realize we have a serious problem that must be addressed. What's wonderful is that the result of our sin, the poison of the bite, is completely taken care of with a simple act of faith. It's a strange but wonderful solution to the deadly bite of sin.
3 comments:
This is a great example of the relationship between sin, temporal punishment and salvation. God sent a solution to free the Jews from the death which would have otherwise resulted from the plague, but left intact the temporal punishment (the suffering), just as the temporal consequences of our sin remain even after the redemption of man.
Regrettably, like Moses, we may find some relief in this world through faith, but our failure to follow God's commandments could prevent our ever reaching the promised land.
Mark, great comments, but I'm not sure I understand your second paragraph. Could you say that in a different way or simply elaborate on that idea?
thanks.
I thank God for always enlarging my understanding of His Word through His servants. This story of the snakes is so potent! It reminds me of Gods gift of free will and what we do with it. This is what I was talking about with the atheists. On the one hand they hate the false idea that we Christians "are like automatons without a will", but on the other they hate that there are consequences to wrong actions in exercising free will.
"Why dont God just make things easy!" But thank the Lord that Jesus came to cure us of the bite of sin, to forgive us when we look at the serpent on the standard! I must run to my Bible and read this story! Thanks so much Mike!
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