In Numbers 21, the Israelites were disappointed because Moses turned south to go around Edom. They did what they usually did in such situations; they complained. This time, however, their complaints took on a different nature. Usually, they complained against Moses. This time they complained against God Himself.God's response was severe. He sent fiery snakes to bite them. These snakes killed many people with an agonizing form of death. When the people repented, God instructed Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole so that those who had been bitten could look at it and receive deliverance from death. Interestingly, God did not take the snakes away. The snakes remained for a period of time biting the people, causing much suffering. God's mercy is shown in that He provided for the people's deliverance from the plague but He wanted them to learn a lesson from their rebellion. The painful biting that continued would have made them realize that God was very displeased with them.
Sometimes we cannot evade the consequences of our sins even though God provides the mercy of deliverance. But God is always merciful to those who repent. The spiritual silver lining in this cloud of judgment is that in John 3:14, Jesus spoke of the bronze serpent as a type of Himself. Those who look to Christ will find deliverance from death...eternal death.
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I'm sorry for the delay in getting the later sessions online. Below you will find links to the mp3 files for the last four sessions.
Session 12: The Final Rebellion (Num. 12-14)
Session 13: Rebellion and Judgment (Num. 15-17)
Session 14: Forty Years of Wandering (Num. 17-20)
Session 15: The End of the Wandering (Num. 21)
Tony
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