The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole.[i]
This image may seem familiar to us. We typically see something similar to it on the doors of an ambulance or medical facility. While the origin of those icons may be more Greek mythology than biblical, the comparisons are undeniably there.
Even though I caught my share of Grass and Garter snakes when I was a young boy, these reptiles generally give me the creeps! I am thankful that in all the years we lived in Colorado, I never encountered a single Rattlesnake; but I have heard that venomous snakes can choose whether or not to inject their venom during a bite. Perhaps that might scientifically explain why some people lived and others died after being bitten, but I don’t believe that’s the point of this story.
This story is applicable to us today if we consider the wide variety of “snakes” in our world. The temptations of evil are all around us. It has been this way ever since The Fall in Eden. If we wander and aren’t attentive, we too might find ourselves bitten. Thankfully, most of the time it isn’t fatal (at first)! But the swelling and soreness remind us that we have strayed and, if we don’t pay attention, we will probably be bitten again.
So what can we do if (when) we are bitten? To us, as Christians, we can look to the empty cross. In prayer, we can confess to being bitten and ask God’s pardon and forgiveness. Our strength and hope is in Christ, who walked this earth as we do. While I struggle with the notion of “the Lord [sending] venomous snakes”, I do believe Christ understands that they do slither along our paths. Christ’s desire is for us to walk with cautious purpose, and to seek him if we stray. Yes, there may be pain, but Christ will provide you with comfort.
Unlike the pole, the cross is now empty. The sins we place there, in Christ’s name, will be forgiven. And we shall have eternal life.
Thanks be to God!
David Krueger