March 16, 2018 Friday

“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. 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.” So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 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. 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.” 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.” (Numbers 21:4-9 NKJV)

            Have you ever complained about what God has given to you?  Many Christians suffer imprisonment, being relegated to being second class citizens, used as slaves, having their children sold as sexual slave and giving their lives for their faith. 

            The Israelites saw many of their family members die as slaves in Egypt.  The male babies were killed by the Egyptians to lessen the Israelites growth in population.  Their lives were filled with suffering and fear.

            Yet now they complained about their diet when they had daily provision of food provided by God.  They thought that returning to slavery was better than the freedom God gave to them as well as the food provided for them. 

            Their ingratitude brought a judgment of fiery serpents.  What are fiery serpents?  Could we be talking about dragons or the bite of the serpents feeling like fire?  Is this a reminder of the Fall where a serpent tempted humanity to be their own God?

            When we turn from God we lose the protection we depend on and are open to natural and supernatural dangers.  We place ourselves under the slavery of sin as we reject the freedom God offers us. 

            God offered them a chance to regain His protection and healing if they would only look at the serpent on the pole.  If we will look at Jesus on the cross we too will be saved from a fiery death to life.

            For Jesus became sin and became the serpent on the cross that overcame the Fall and became the second Adam who this time did not choose sin and thus made life possible for us.  Today the image of the serpent on a pole became the symbol for physicians and for healing.

            Are you looking away from Jesus on the cross or are you looking at Jesus on the cross to receive the healing you need?       

            Today was a little better and I was able to finish the cards to the shut-ins and Bonnie got it in the mail.  I am so weary and though my legs are a little better there is a pain in my side that causes me to get dizzy when it happens.  If I am up it has almost caused me to lose my balance.  But God enabled me to finish the cards and spend some time in prayer.