Broadcast
Lifting Up the Serpent - Part 3
Numbers 21:7
05/08/2024
7 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. (ESV)
Discipline and punishment may look the same to the one being
trained. Were the serpents sent by God a punishment as the
children of Israel grumbled against Him, or were they a call to
trust in Him at all times? In the liturgy for God's help in time
of a local or national tragedy, the readings are as much a call
for repentance as they are for God to ease the burden of all
people.
It is fitting, as we know that we have sinned against God
and neighbor, that times of personal and national distress are
also a call to trust in God rather than our own abilities.
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.
If the serpents were a punishment, then God's actions had
the desired result, show the people their sin. If the serpents
were a form of discipline, a form of teaching, they also had the
proper effect, trust in God and His goodness rather than trusting
our own desires. Look to the blessings God gives, knowing that
He willingly gives us that which we need to sustain this body and
life.
No matter if the serpents were punishment or discipline, the
result was the people calling on God, praying for forgiveness and
His almighty help in time of need.
May our Lord give to us the eyes of faith to trust in Him,
to call upon Him in the day of trouble, and to believe that He
desires to give us His eternal love and grace. Amen.