Living in the Spirit
September 12, 2022
Scripture Reading: Numbers 21:4b-9
From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.’ Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’ So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
If this isn’t a parable it should be. I always think of the Terrible Twos when I read situations like this. It is the time in every human’s life when they must begin to assume responsibility for their own actions, which we dearly want to do, while still longing for their parents/caretakers to continue meeting their needs. Some people do not ever grow out of this stage of development. We are seeing a lot of that in our society today. It seems to be contagious. It is not new. Biblical history notes varied situations where such behavior resulted in chaos including the Exile. We become impatient with God which is rather ironic as I am sure God must grow even more impatient with us.
God is not an alternative action on a checklist of things we think we need to happen. If we pray and do not get what we want immediately, we move on to the next possible source of meeting our desires. I tend to think in this world we are surrounded by “poisonous snakes “of all kinds from which God must rescue us because we do not take care to avoid them. I was raised on a farm where rattlesnakes, copperheads, and water moccasins abounded along with non-venomous snakes that help keep the rodent population down. We learn at very early ages how to tell the difference.
Matthew 6:8b tells us: for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Revisiting our prayers with God and seeking clarity regarding our situation might be a better second step. And I used the word “desires” on purpose. Sometimes what we desire goes against what we really need. The scripture above states, For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.’ In one sentence they indicate that they had no food when the reality was they did not like the food they had.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your patience with us. Help us follow your example. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.