In Numbers 21, the second generation of wilderness Hebrews have looked on their circumstances and decided it does not meet their expectations. They look at their redemption from Egypt and see a ruse that will lead them to death by starvation and thirst.[1] While it is easy in hindsight to look at the attitude of the Hebrews and see an error, it is valuable to note that the problems are very real and critically important to them. The wilderness journey has not been easy, and it is too simple to call the Israelites obtuse. In this narrative we can see that from their perspective, there is an acute and critical problem with their current circumstances. It is interesting to note that it is not the absence of provision they are truly complaining about, it is that Gods provision is insufficient from their perspective. Life is not playing out in a way their sensibilities can reconcile. If God is good, then why manna? If we are His people, why are we suffering?
When God sends serpents, it is difficult to understand. From casual glance it appears in the Numbers narrative that God was upset about being accused and lashed out on his people in retribution for their error.[2] If we are not careful, it is tempting to think dualistically about God’s sovereignty. In that belief we end up sounding like Job’s friends, that the serpents represent penalty.[3] Perhaps it would be better to say that in God’s sovereignty over all things, life occurred and serpents showed up as they sometimes do, and God is sovereign over it when it happens at the right time and when it feels like the wrong time. It is the mystery of His wisdom that decides when trial occurs and not dualistic moralism. We want God to bite the wicked, but this is not always how it works, now or frequently in the Old Testament. This is where Christ's interpretation of Numbers helps shed light on what is happening in the narrative.
First, Jesus clarifies that He is not here to inflict painful bites and deadly venom on his people.[4] Rather our sinful nature and desire for control have already done this and our guilt is exposed by the Law's diagnosis. Death brought about by bite and venom is the natural consequence of our inherent sinfulness and the consequence of reality’s fallen disorder. When we lie to ourselves about our alienation and lack of trust in His provision, which stem from our crooked wills, the consequence is self-inflicted separation and death.
In contrast, Christ is here to save us from the venomous death that we naturally deserve. Christ does not deliver the consequences of sin, they are already here; as evidenced by our lying, grumbling, and suffering. The venom has its way with our lives because the existence we navigate is already broken. It is the gift of Christ, in the love and provision of the Father, and trusting in Him that is the path to an exit from the corruption and errancy of our sinful insistence on having it our own way.
A point of application we see in Numbers 21 verse nine is trusting in times of suffering and trial. Trust that God is sovereign even when the circumstances appear otherwise. Catastrophe and death visited the Israelites, and trust was the prescribed answer. This is reminiscent of the Psalmist’s refrains that cry out in lament but often circle around to trust in God for his sovereignty over all things, even the hard things.
Habakkuk is a protest of scenarios that appear out of God’s control, but circle back to praise and trust when God’s sovereignty and grace is explained. “The transition from the complaining prophet to the rejoicing prophet surely must be seen as a work of God’s sovereign grace. Nothing else could explain how a person could be happy and contented in the face of the calamities Habakkuk must undergo.”[5] The protester becomes the humble worshiper when his trust is placed in God’s plan, even when it includes suffering.
Similarly, we see the cry of Job, “Though He slay me, I will hope (trust) in Him.”[6] Difficulty comes, and trust is the divine instruction given. “This … is a reminder that the Creator loves to bless. Job who had wished the day of his birth to be blotted out, now lives to praise, and glorify God.”[7] An epic investigation into the mysteries of God concludes not with understanding, but trust and praise for the Creator of the universe.
These examples point us to the realization that sin and serpent difficulty is resolved not in concrete categorical answers and equitable equations, but by trust in God and his sovereign plan to take all discord to the cross. The Israelites are saved through trust. Their faith during circumstances that were difficult, even deadly, are reflections of our life experiences as we trust God when the debits and credits of life cannot be reconciled. Similarly, we trust in God’s redemption so that we may be saved from the venom in our veins. The Hebrew’s experience of trial and trust reflects our own life experience.
Finally, our last reflection: While the Israelites survived the serpent venom bite locally, we as believers in Christ, those who trust and depend on God's saving act in Jesus Christ lifted up on the cross, will find life eternal in the perfect presence of God where the venoms curse is no more and our freedom to live in right relationship with God is manifested into the reality we experience. While the Israelites' experience is localized and temporary, our redemption is broad and eternal.
This brings us to the Psalm not in the Psalter. There we see an exclamation of praise for the One who provides, the One who meets us where we live and provides living water that saves, removes thirst, and reconciles what we know and experience with what God only can provide, which satisfies beyond comprehension.