Numbers 21:4-9
4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to bypass the land of Edom, but the people became impatient because of the journey. 5 The people spoke against God and Moses: “Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!” 6 Then the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died.
7 The people then came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so that He will take the snakes away from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.
8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover. 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten, and he looked at the bronze snake, he recovered.
John 3:14-17
10 “Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 ” I assure you: We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you do not accept Our testimony. 12 If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven -the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.
16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
Related Text:
Exodus 16:6-12
Numbers 14:26-37
2 Kings 18:1-4
1 Corinthians 10:1-11
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Think Before You Speak
God’s people were short-sighted. They couldn’t see God’s plan, or they chose not to trust in God’s appointed leader, Moses. Either way, they had no confidence in their current situation and decided to complain again and turn against God and Moses. Then, as soon as the snakes started killing off people, they repented and pleaded with Moses to ask God to rescue them. God did.
And He has rescued us all by sending Jesus as a sacrifice for us, once for all. We must never forget what God has done for us, or we just might end up complaining about God’s blessings in our own lives.
