Monday - Numbers 21 - A New Beginning

Apparently the 40 years of wandering was almost over. The narrative begins to be colored by victory, rather than by defeat; marching instead of wandering; warring instead of waning. Not to say that the nation was suddenly perfect and problem free. They weren't. Case and point: the famous account of Moses' brazen serpent.

The new generation needed to be cured from the complaining habit of their parents. So, with weary stomachs and dry mouths Israel complained about their plight. They were marching the right direction, but they hadn't yet forsaken the bad attitude that was their unfortunate inheritance.  So, God sent snakes into the camp to bite and kill those bellyaching people. But, praise God! They responded well (Numbers 21:7). They repented and called upon God for mercy.

God, in love and with compassion, instructed Moses to put a brass snake on a pole for the people to look to (Numbers 21:9). All that was necessary for the people to be cured was for them to look at the brass serpent which was lifted up on a pole for all to see. Of course, when we get to the NT we find that this brass serpent was a prefiguring of Christ. Jesus became sin for us and was lifted up on a cross for men to look at in faith so that all might be delivered from the deadly effects of our serpent-induced fall.