We are a forgetful people.
Unlike our omniscient God, we forget things all the time, and human beings have been like this since the very beginning. Adam and Eve forgot God’s command about the tree in the middle of the garden and ate its fruit. The kings of Israel and Judah forgot that they served the one true God of the universe and led their nations to worship foreign idols. The Jews forgot what the Scriptures had taught them about the coming Messiah and rejected Jesus when He claimed to be the prophesied one. The early churches forgot the teachings of the apostles and quickly fell back into their old sinful ways. Today, we forget even the smallest of tasks like watering our plants, switching the laundry, or checking for mail.
There’s always a consequence for forgetfulness. When we don’t water our plants, they wither and die. When we don’t switch the laundry, our wet clothes get musty and smelly. When we don’t check for mail, we can miss our bills or even have a package stolen (and also annoy our postal worker). Israel was known for being quite forgetful, and they endured some pretty harsh consequences for their forgetfulness—one of these consequences being the deadly bite of fiery serpents.
The book of Exodus begins by detailing the plight of Israel as she was enslaved in Egypt. Through Moses, God intervened, showcasing His power and might through the sending of the ten plagues, and sovereignly freed His beloved and chosen people from their bondage. They worshipped and glorified God as they trekked through the wilderness, wandering towards their Promised Land. Yet, they quickly forgot God’s sovereignty and providence and began complaining.
“From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient 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 we loathe this worthless food.’” Numbers 21:4-5, ESV
This isn’t the first time in the Pentateuch we see the people grumble about their food situation and accuse God and Moses of leading them into the wilderness (Exodus 16:3; Numbers 11:4-6, 14:2-3). They were testing God, even though He had proven Himself quite well back in Egypt (Psalm 78:41-43, 1 Corinthians 10:9). God continually had to dole out punishments on Israel for her lack of faith. And the consequence for her latest bout of doubt was the release of fiery serpents into the camp.
“Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.” Numbers 21:6
Many scholars believe that these fiery serpents were actually carpet vipers, one of the deadliest snakes in the region. The snake’s venom is known to cause hemorrhaging, prevent blood from clotting, permanently harm organs and body tissue, and kill those who are bit, as is made clear in the text. Many Israelites died as a result of being attacked by one of these serpents. They recognized that this was all because of their mistrust of God, and they repented-
“And 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.” Numbers 21:7
Israel surely deserved the punishment they were enduring. They had accused God, the same God who made a covenant with their forefathers and the same God who rescued them from Egyptian slavery, of trying to kill them in the wilderness. But God is gracious, rich in mercy, abounding in steadfast love. He responds to His people’s repentance-
“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.’ So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” Numbers 21:8-9
The people had been testing God, but now He would be testing them. He provided a way for relief, a way for healing, a way for salvation. And all they had to do was to look to the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole. The people may have been afraid to look at the image that so closely resembled the source of their intense pain and suffering. They may have thought the whole thing was foolish, that surely looking at a bronze figure wouldn’t heal or save them. But every Israelite who had faith in God and looked to the serpent was saved.
Hundreds of years later, Jesus was speaking to a Pharisee named Nicodemus and said,
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:14-15
Just as Israel was suffering as a result of their sins, we too have a sin nature and are destined for eternal suffering and death. We can only find relief, healing, and salvation when we repent of our sins, look to Jesus, and have faith in Him. Like the bronze serpent in the wilderness, Jesus was lifted up on the cross to take our sins upon Himself so that we may enter Heaven, our Promised Land, and be in the presence of God for eternity.
Maybe you’re afraid to come to Jesus, afraid that He won’t forgive you for everything you’ve done, afraid that He won’t love you when you mess up. Maybe you think that this is all foolish. Surely just “having faith” can’t actually save your soul. Let me assure you: God loves you, and He is faithful to forgive anyone who repents of their sins (1 John 1:9). He is gracious and merciful, and He removes our sins from us, as far as the east is from the west (even the sins we haven’t committed yet!) (Psalm 103:12). We don’t have to do anything to earn our salvation, because we can never be good enough, holy enough, or righteous enough on our own (Ephesians 2:8-9). All we have to do is believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we will be saved (Romans 10:9).
If you have never repented of your sins or put your faith in Jesus, I pray you will do so today. I hope you will remember God and look to Him as your Rock and Redeemer.
“When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly. They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.” Psalm 78:34-35
