It was just a lifeless statue on a pole, a brass snake. What good could that do? People were dying. Venomous snakes were biting and killing many in their company. Why did God answer their prayers for deliverance with a fake snake on a pole?
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The Israelites were gunny-sacking. Gunny-sacking occurs when we store up a list of grievances instead of dealing with them in the order they happen. It is a common experience among married people. A sock left on the floor, the cap left off the toothpaste, or a dish filled with dirty dishes becomes the fodder for the argument that erupts. Before long, the couple no longer knows what started it all. It is as if they had been carrying invisible burlap sacks on their shoulders, throwing grievances in, until finally something as small as a toothpaste cap causes the sack to bust and grievances spill all over.
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They forgot the wilderness was not their home. About a year earlier, the Lord God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt. For a year he sustained them before Mount Sinai, providing them with what they needed to survive. The journey had been difficult since leaving Egypt. They left in a rush, with little time to pack. They were chased by Pharaoh’s army. Now the journey was starting to get too long and too arduous.
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Submitted by Andy McIlvain.
The wilderness implies many things: a vast untamed and dangerous place, red of tooth and claw, where death and injury lurk. We travel into the wildernesses of the world with great preparation and forethought. Continue reading