Devotional Day 55

Scripture

Numbers 21:4–9

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea,  to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” 6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

Devotional

As we journey towards healing in Jesus there’s something extremely important that we need to remember - our ultimate healing is found through the cross. Our condition as humans goes well beyond cancer, deafness, loss of function and bodily pain. It also goes beyond our emotional pain, trauma and insecurities. The root of our condition as human beings is sin - sin is a vile cancer that continues to make us sick in every imaginable way, and it must be dealt with. Yes Jesus heals our broken hearts and bodies, we suffer greatly as humans in these ways and Jesus has endless compassion for our suffering, which is why he heals us physically and emotionally. However, Jesus’ mission to help us goes so much deeper than these things - the most powerful healing moment we can ever have is the cleansing of our sin through the cross.

When Israel was wandering in the wilderness the grumbled and complained incessantly against God. They either did not realise, or didn’t care about this sin so the Lord sent snakes among them to discipline them. This severe discipline opened their eyes to their sin for they said to Moses “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” Moses prayed and God told Moses to make a bronze snake and raise it up on a pole so that all the people could see it, if anyone who had been bitten looked at the snake they would live.

This story interests me greatly and it raises so many questions, but one question stands out for me, ‘why a snake’? If a snake is what was attacking them, then why would God choose to use the image of a snake to heal them? And why would God use a snake, which represents the enemy in Genesis and the curse of sin, to be the image of salvation in this narrative? This becomes even more interesting when we read this in John 3:

John 3:14–17

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,  15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”  16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Ok wow - what a powerful illustration, it’s very true that everything in scripture points to Jesus. As the snake was lifted up in the wilderness to bring life to God’s people, so Christ was lifted up to bring healing to anyone who believes! … But did it have to be a snake! It seems like we have the image of the enemy staining this beautiful thread in the holy scriptures. We shouldn’t be dismissive though, as if we were more poetic than the Lord. If something stands out to us like this, you can be sure it’s no accident - and that the story that God is telling is more powerful and beautiful than we could imagine.

Let’s go back to the wilderness. The function of the snakes were to expose the sin of God’s people and move them to repentance.

This reminds us of the purpose of the law. According to Romans the purpose of the law is:

Romans 3:20

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

The law functions in the same way as the snakes, they lead to the consciousness of sin. The law exposes, judges and is also described as a curse… How do we know this? The bible tells us explicitly.

Galatians 3:10

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.

The law highlights a curse, the same as the snakes. The law bites us, revealing our sin and leading to certain death for it is written ‘cursed is everyone who does not do everything written in the Book of the Law’ - I know I’ve already failed at fulfilling the law, and I’ll never be able to succeed, and the bible makes the point that we are all in the same predicament, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

So if the snake is the curse, and is like the law - then why is the snake also the remedy? This leads to a serious conundrum. Is this not telling us that the law both condemns us and saves us? If this is so, and we are not able to meet the law’s standards and remain under a curse then how could we ever possibly be healed? It also seems as though it was the grace of God that healed the israelites as they looked upon the snake, so how do we make sense of this? As with everything in the bible, it only makes sense in Jesus. Have a look at what Galatians 3:13 says:

Galatians 3:13

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 

Whoa. Christ saved us by becoming a curse for us…

As we look upon the cross of Christ we are witnessing the full punishment of the curse of the law - death and judgement - meted out on the giver of the law himself. The only one who did not fall short of the righteousness of God. As we look upon Jesus what we see is death, and a curse, but what we receive is life and blessing. It’s the same as the bronze snake being lifted up - the image of death brings life. Christianity is not to be mocked, yes our God died. But he died so that we who deserve to die might have life. Yes he was cursed. But the curse was not his own, it was ours, taken upon himself. Yes our God died, but he did not stay dead.

Look upon Jesus today, and find life. Healing is in him.

Prayer

Lord Jesus - I look to you, high and lifted up. You bore the curse for my blessing, my punishment for your reward. Thank You Jesus, I behold you today and stand in awe.