I'm Really Struggling

I’m really struggling with the first reading for today from the Book of Numbers, Chapter 21.  This is the section that is called The Bronze Serpent.

The people were complaining “against God and Moses” because they had been brought up from Egypt and it looked like they were just going to die.  They didn’t have food or water, and they were “disgusted” with the “wretched food.”

So God punished them. 

He sent them serpents to bite them.  Many of them died.  Well, that got their attention.  They went back to Moses, sorry about their complaining, and prayed the Lord would take away the serpents.

God in his justice listened to their plea and had Moses make a bronze serpent, mount it on a pole and allowed it to heal anyone who had been bitten, by looking at it.

Okay, so we know the God of the Old Testament (who is also the God of the New) brought down punishment on the big time complainers.  But if God is Love in its purest form, how could he do that?

That is an age old question and I don’t suppose I have a better answer than the next guy, but here’s what I do believe.

The way we see God operating in the Old Testament gives us a very striking example of justice.  You do this and you suffer the consequences.  That’s a good lesson for all of us, if you ask me.

And God is able to bring good out of suffering. 

That’s where I land with this passage.

You see, the very thing—the serpent—that caused suffering and death to the people—is the very thing that God used to heal them.  That is where I think we really need to focus, instead of on details that will perplex us forever.

We’ve seen it before.  Take the cross for example.  The very instrument of torture, suffering and death, God used to bring salvation to all.

Out of blindness, God brought sight to people.  Out of great sin, he brought forgiveness.  Out of the death of Lazarus, he brought life.

No matter where you look, no matter what people have gone through—or will go through—God is present, actively working, drawing them closer to his love and mercy.

Let us not forget that God’s response to the people’s prayer was a permanent, bronze display of his everlasting presence and his power to heal.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com
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