Snakes on a Plain

The word “impatience” is defined as “the tendency to be impatient; irritability or restlessness.”

Ever been there before? Yep. Me too. We’re not alone! Look at the Exodus story and the Israelites. You know, several years back I took my family to Disney World and we drove from Texas. I thought the 14-hour trip was an eternity. Can you imagine a 40-year trip? God bless Moses’ heart for leading the Israelites.

In the wilderness journey, there were many moments of impatience, restlessness, and complaining. Take a story we find in Numbers 21, for example. The Israelites have grown impatient with the surroundings in which they find themselves. There’s no bread, no water and they lash out to Moses (and to the Lord) by exclaiming, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There’s no bread! There’s no water! And we detest this miserable food.” (Numbers 21:5) Sure, their circumstances were rough, but their needs were being met by the Lord. Yet, their restlessness led them to choose the slavery they came from rather than live in the freedom and provision God had and was making available to them in the moment.

Here’s where the story gets good. Or squeamishly uncomfortable. I will let you decide.

God sends them snakes. Snakes on a plain, to be precise. Venomous snakes arrive on the scene and begin to bite the people. Well, if they weren’t restless before, they certainly were restless then. And what followed were strangely warm hearts. The people said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.”

Smart people.

So God tells Moses to create a bronze snake and place it on a “Nissi” (a banner) and hold it over the people with these instructions: “Anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” (Numbers 21:9) The people did and found the healing they were looking for.

Here’s some good news for you today. Are you ready? First, God is no longer in the business of sending in snakes to bite us in seasons of our restlessness and complaining. Can I get a, “Hallelujah?” So thankful for that. Yet, as great as that truth is, here’s something even greater: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live in righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24). Our Nissi (banner) is found when we look upon the cross of Jesus Christ and realize that by His wounds, our sin has been paid. Salvation has come.

All who gaze upon the cross of Jesus Christ find healing, friends.