Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
Numbers 21 – Praying through the Bible #51 – A Prayer for Healing
Our young sons ran, screaming. In our desert-like, Florida backyard, they spied a Coral snake, a death causing, venomous snake. Since they mimic the harmless King snake, someone poetically devised this mnemonic device: “Red on Black, Friend of Jack. Red on Yellow, Watch out, Fellow.” Brave Momma gets a hoe and cuts off the head of the snake. Momma did what Eve should have done!
Characteristically, Israel becomes “impatient because of the journey” (Nm 21.4). Impatience leads to complaining (21.5). Mind you, there will be no end of the journey for these curmudgeons until they die as God’s natural consequence for rejecting His Promised Land. Nothing is going to change. So what good is accomplished by getting impatient? Reminds me of Niebuhr’s wisdom in the Serenity Prayer, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” Reminds me of common sense wisdom to stop complaining about what isn’t going to change.
Poetically, since they’re complaining about the wilderness, God uses another natural consequence by sending poisonous (literally “burning”) snakes. Snake bitten, many die (21.6). No doubt these cantankerous people failed to praise God every day that they did not die by snakes due to God’s providential care. No doubt they never even thanked God’s daily protection, being too busy complaining about God’s daily provision of manna. Sometimes pain and suffering is God taking away His hand and letting this cursed world curse us because we have cursed God. To Israel’s credit, they confess again their sin and beg, “Intercede with the LORD so that He will take the snakes away from us” (21.7). Sadly these sinners don’t believe they can pray to God directly. As unworthy as sin makes us, it never makes us too unworthy to pray to God.
Strangely to those unfamiliar with foreshadowing (Jn 3.14), God commands Moses to “Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover” (21.8). This is not a contradiction of the 2nd commandment, because God Himself commanded it. Predictably, Israel later idolizes it (2 Kgs 18.4). Ambulances today have The Rod of Asclepius imprinted as snakes have historically been perceived as possessing therapeutic powers. Through God’s grace, sinners are healed if they by faith obey (21.9). I doubt any argued, “But looking at the snake is a work!” Desperate sinners are less likely to argue with God than theologians.
Eve’s snake caused death; God’s snake leads to life. Only God has the power to use death for life, which is the power of the cross. Are we looking to the cross for healing?
Prayer Challenge: Contentment is found in acceptance by ceasing to pray for release and looking to the cross, accepting God’s will, just as Jesus did. Acceptance is a type of healing. Pray for this type of healing so that we stop complaining.
Comments