Snake

 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 21:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/num.21.9.ESV

What does an obscure story from thousands of years ago have to do with us? Quite a lot actually! Why was there a plague of snakes? Because the Israelites were moaning. Do we not have a tendency to do the same?

We tend to belittle grumbling. Yet in God's eyes it is a sin, to rail against His providence. Complaining to God isn't necessarily a sin, but being grumpy 'behind His back' is.

We don't suffer plagues of snakes for our moaning against God. Yet we do suffer in this life, and will in the next without a divine solution. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so Jesus had to be lifted up on a cross for the redemption from sin of His people.

All the Israelites had to do was to look to the snake and live. All we need to do is look to Christ crucified on our behalf, and receive eternal life. Our response should be joyful gratitude, the opposite of grumbling!

'Lord, how grateful we are that Christ was lifted on a cross for us. Help us to look to Him and so to live forevermore, in His name we pray, amen'

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