Snakes in the Desert

The following program is a first person narrative using authors'license to tell stories drawn from the Bible and the books of Ellen White. Welcome to Family Storytime with Karlie Fraser. Join us as we step back in time to hear about snakes in the desert. The scream pierced through the cold night air, and I sat bolt upright on my mat. What in the world just happened? Running outside, my brother and I joined in the crowd gathering by the tent eight rows down. It was Joram's tent, and I could hear his mum saying everything was going to be all right. But from the sound of the panic tinging her voice, I wasn't so sure. We'd been wandering in the desert for as long as I could remember, and I'm not saying that as a figure of speech. I was actually born in the desert, and this nomadic life was all that I knew. It was quite incredible that we had survived this long, given the harsh conditions, the wild desert creatures and sheer number of us. Every morning, as the sun rose, we would head outside and collect our breakfast from the ground. God literally threw food to us from the sky. It was small, wafer like food that tasted sweet, and we called it manna. Moses would pray, and God would give us water as a stream out of solid rock. The desert is not a very hospitable place, and when the wind picked up, it would throw sand in our faces and rub our skin raw. But at least we had the cloud overhead. That's another hectic part. God didn't just tell Moses where to go. He actually traveled with us. His presence was symbolized in a massive cloud that protected us from the heat in the day and became a ball of fire, lighting up the sky at night, providing warmth when the desert air turned freezing. Our feet hadn't swollen from the long hours of walking. Our clothes stayed in great condition, and everyone seemed to be strong and healthy. Everything seemed to be working out for us. That is, except for the fact that we were still in the desert. See, God had told our ancestors that he would bring us to the promised land, Canaan, and it was beginning to feel like we would never get there. It wasn't long before the complaining started again. We had to go the long way around Edom, and that sent us through this valley, this hot dust bowl devoid of vegetation. As you can imagine, people weren't feeling great about life at this point in time. Soon, the blame game started against Moses and God as people accused them of bringing us out into the desert to die. No gratitude was shown for the ways God had blessed us, and I wondered what would happen next. That's when I heard the scream standing outside the tent, there wasn't anything we could do to help. Joram had been bitten by a desert snake. We called them fiery serpents because of the pain they inflicted on their victims. The stars were just beginning to fade as we headed back to our tent, I shuddered at the thought of that snake sliding in through the tent flap under the COVID of darkness. Fiery serpents were incredibly poisonous and once bitten, death was not far away. Lifting our own tent flat, we gingerly stepped inside, but sleep didn't come. I lay on my mat, flinching at every sound, too scared to close my eyes. Little did I know what the morning would bring. Apparently others also struggled to sleep as the sound of intense conversations soon drifted into our tent, accompanied by the morning sunshine. Resigning myself to facing the day, I clambered out and nearly stepped on a stick. Only it wasn't a stick, it was a snake launching away from it. A quick glance revealed the camp was infested with them and suddenly I understood the panicked conversations. We soon realized just how much God had protected us out here, and as he withdrew his protection, we began to see the results of our choices. Panic escalated and soon everyone was either bitten themselves, caring for someone who already had been, or trying to protect those currently unscathed. I can still remember the moment Azariah was bitten. His scream just about took out my hearing. We were on our way back from collecting water and he had been so focused on not spilling anything that he missed seeing the snake intercept his path. Turning, I was just in time to see the water jar crash onto the ground, its contents spilling everywhere. Struggling to pick him up, I rushed to get him home in the hope that maybe he wouldn't die like the rest. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope of a miracle in the tent. I could feel the sweat as it ran down my back and my legs began to go numb because I hadn't moved while holding a cool cloth to Azariah's forehead. Voices outside told me that people had apparently spoken to Moses and begged for forgiveness from God. They realized we had all sinned and knew our only hope was in returning to God and asking for help. Funny how quick we were to accuse God and how he came running back as soon as we hit real trouble. The crazy part is, God forgave us. He instructed Moses to make a snake out of bronze and place it on a pole so it could be lifted high above the whole camp where everyone could see it. God said that anyone who turned and looked at the snake would be healed immediately, that's all they had to do just look at the snake and all the pain and suffering they were experiencing would vanish. They would be restored back to full health. Mum soon returned from collecting water and I quickly ran to Joram's tent. Still puffing, I burst out what I'd heard about the bronze snake joram barely even looked up at me. He was fixing a tourniquet he had fastened around his knee that had begun to slip down. I still remember his words. Do you honestly think a bronze snake on a pole is going to save me? I tried to explain it wasn't the snake that would save us, but what it represented that looking at it demonstrated our belief in God's promise. But he wouldn't have a bar of it. Slowly, I let myself down onto the mat beside him. Well, what are you going to do? I asked. He was busy massaging a salve onto his leg when he replied. We've sucked out the poison and tied this tourniquet, so that should slow down the spread of the toxin. Hopefully we got most of it and I should be okay in a few days. In a few days? Joram didn't have a few days. I could already see the glazed look that had entered his eyes and his movements were slowing down. Pain etched its way across his face and my heart sank as I realized he wasn't going to make it. His stubborn disbelief prevented him from looking and living. Convinced there was nothing that I could do to change his mind, I said one of the saddest goodbyes of my life and carefully made my way back to our tent. I had to lean in close to check that Azariah was still breathing. He had lost all his energy and could barely even focus his eyes on me. Rocking back on my feet, I looked at Mum and I could see both grief and hope at war in her eyes. I wondered about the solution God had provided. How was looking at a bronze snake supposed to heal someone? The snakes were what caused the sickness and death. None of us wanted to see another snake in our lifetime. My eyes rested on Azariah, and I resolved that as long as there was hope, we had to try. God had not led us this far to have us die in the desert. We had seen his providence time and time again, and we had to believe that he would deliver us once more. However, we hadn't yet heard of anyone healed from looking at the snake. And doubt niggled at the back of my mind saying this was crazy and we would just look like fools. But as much as I wish he would, I don't think God will ever remove all doubt. He seems to leave it to us to push past it and believe regardless. So we called in reinforcements from nearby tents, lifted Azariah, and carried him outside. I told him that Moses had said God would heal those who looked at the bronze snake, and I begged him to try. For a moment, it seemed as though he couldn't even hear me. The seconds passed slowly, and then I saw his eyes roll back as they focused on the snake lifted high above camp. In that moment, it was like a power surged through him and he sat up instantly, fully recovered. Tears fell from my eyes as I realized the terror was over and God had provided a way for us to live. There was no power in the bronze snake itself. It was the action of looking at the snake that demonstrated our faith in God's power to save us. And he did. Laughing, I picked Azariah up and spun around, colliding into Mum's open arms as she swallowed us both in a bare hug, holding tight. We never forgot that day. It's been baked into my memory by the desert sun, and every time I've faced a difficult situation since, my mind has returned to the heat of the desert and the memory of God's deliverance. But that was back then, and here we are now in the 21st century, each one of us with our own story and experience, born into this world and trying to make our way through life as best we can. The Israelite nation existed because God wanted to use them to show his love to the rest of the world. They had been incredibly blessed by God, but they chose to ignore what they knew about his character and continually rejected Him. This gave a false picture of what God was like to those looking on. Don't judge God by those who follow Him. It's one of the biggest mistakes we can make. Humans cannot give an accurate picture of God. Trust God from what he says about himself. Jesus said, as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. We just have to turn on the news or pick up a newspaper to know there is something terribly wrong going on. There is pain, confusion and a whole lot of evil. We live in a sinful world, and I don't know about you, but I make mistakes, a lot of them. We live this life and then at some point, we pass away because the wages of sin is death. But despite that, God is calling us to something greater. He's calling us to eternal life, life better than we can ever imagine, to a relationship with Him as it was at the beginning of our earth. He wants this so much. He gave his son Jesus Christ to become a sin offering in our place. And Jesus was willing. The bronze snake that the Israelites looked to was a symbol of what was to come. Hundreds of years later, it was a symbol of Jesus being lifted high on the cross, crucified for our sins. We are guilty, but he was innocent. Jesus became sin itself and hung there, enduring the most horrific death for us. Where do you go for help in a crisis? When everything falls apart? Who do you turn to? Have a think about it. See, everywhere we look, we hear about different solutions. Everything from self help programs to products that will keep us young and make Pimples disappear. We hear about discussions on philosophy and what is truth. Yet, in spite of all the answers we encounter, when it comes to the big question, the only one that really matters we read in the Bible that there is salvation in no one else. God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. There is nothing that we can do to earn our forgiveness. But we try. We tie on torniques of if I just look like I've got it all together and we apply the solve of if I help other people enough, that should make me a good person. We desperately try to suck out the effects of our sinful decisions before they impact our lives. But the reality is we can't. There is no ten step DIY plan that can save us. We can't do it ourselves, but God can. God sees each one of us, knows our stories and loves us unconditionally. There is nothing you can do to make God love you more. And there is nothing you can do to make God love you less. Jesus lived the perfect life and died in our place so that we can belong as part of his family. We know this because he promised. Those the Father has given me will come to me and I will never reject them. Forgiveness is a free gift from God. All we need to do is have the faith to believe that what God says is true. He has promised to remove the effects of sin in our lives and restore us to perfect health for the rest of eternity. Each one of us has an invitation to look to Jesus and live. He came to give life and life abundantly, and one day he will return to bring us home. So here we are. It's your life, your decision. Who will you look to? Will you pray with me? Dear Father, thank you so much that you didn't just leave us alone here in our sin. Lord, you sent your son Jesus Christ to come down here to live life here on earth and to die in our place. Father, sometimes that's really hard to understand, but I just thank you so much that you love us, that you care about us, and that you have saved us. And I pray that you will help us to understand that even more and that you will lead us in our lives so that we can live a life for you. Thank you so much Lord, for saving us. Amen. Thank you Karlie, for showing the rich symbolism in the serpents in the desert story, that we also are to look to Jesus by faith and live. Let's join Christopher and Jesse as they open the Bible to discuss today's story. Thank you Karlie, for another uplifting story from the Bible. Now, most of you probably had your skin crawling at the thought of snakes slithering all throughout the Israelite camp. Normally, people are terrified of these legless folk tongue serpents. Their slimy looking scales, their beady little eyes, and the rattle of their tail have struck terror in the hearts of humans for generations. There is just something a little off about these crafty little reptiles. It's true, snakes just are a little bit strange in comparison to most creatures, but I honestly don't hate them as long as they keep their distance. But I can think of a few times where they didn't. See, my home has a reserve area just behind my backyard, and it's filled with bushland and all sorts of bush life. So being the young, intrepid explorer I was, I'd often go and explore the dense bush in hopes of discovering adventure and taking back home a heroic story of my exploits. Now, what I hadn't considered was that the bush life didn't necessarily share my enthusiasm for exploration. You see, as I made my way through this uncharted territory, I stopped to take a breath and get my bearings. But as my breath returned, the sudden sound of leaves crackling and a soft but intimidating hit reached my ears. I was so afraid to face the reality of what I already knew was below me. But I looked down to see a sly snake calmly slithering across my feet. Standing as still as a statue, I waited for him to make his way and when he was far enough away, sprinted back to the safety of my home with only an anticlimactic story of my narrow escape. Wow, that was a close encounter, but perhaps still not as frightening as the story of the Israelites. Can you imagine thousands of snakes covering every inch of the ground in the campsite? Unlike your story, there was nowhere to run and be safe. The snakes were everywhere, including your own home. I'm sure the Israelites felt very relieved when God provided a solution to their snake problem. Definitely. But remember, the bronze serpent didn't just heal the Israelites who had been bitten, but also pointed forward to a greater spiritual healing. Just as Carly said, the bronze serpent represented Jesus Christ lifted up on the cross. But that's not the only symbol we see in the Exodus story that Jesus fulfills. Let's all turn to One Corinthians, chapter ten, to discover what other symbols Jesus fulfills. Do you remember what huge event happened after the Israelites left Egypt? Yeah, God parted the Red Sea and they walked through to the other side. Well, Paul describes that experience as being symbolic of baptism in one Corinthians ten and verses one and two. Now, do you remember how Jesus started his ministry? Well, that would begin at his baptism at the Jordan River by John the Baptist. AHA, so both Israel and Jesus began a new stage of their spiritual journeys with baptism. That's right. Now, do you remember what God made the israelites do after nearly completing their journey? Oh, yeah, he made them take the most frustrating detour imaginable. He told them to wander the wilderness aimlessly for 40 years. Oh, and Jesus jesus wandered the wilderness for 40 days after his baptism. Exactly. Now don't forget as well that during the wilderness experience, god continued to provide for Israel by sending them manna. God did the same for Jesus at the end of his 40 days as well. Okay, I see what's happening here. Jesus is the greater fulfillment of all of these symbols and stories in the book of Exodus. So God was using these symbols to point forward to his Son who would fulfill all of these once and for all. That's it. Now, can you think of any more examples? Well, I can remember the story of Moses striking the rock in the wilderness and then water comes out to quench the thirst of the Israelites. Doesn't Paul say in one Corinthians ten four that they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that that rock was Christ? He sure does. Also, if you remember from our last story, jesus described Himself as the living water who cleansed and purified, offering spiritual healing. Jesus is not only the rock, but also the living water that comes out from the rock. Could you say also that Jesus was the manna that God gave the Israelites? Jesus described Himself as the living bread, and the manner certainly kept the Israelites alive in the wilderness. Definitely. We read that in one Corinthians ten, verse three. But Jesus didn't just fulfill symbols and events, but is also a greater fulfillment of people. Moses was a spiritual leader and guided the Israelites throughout the wilderness experience, but even he made mistakes. But Jesus throughout his ministry was without sin. Let's all turn to Hebrews, chapter three. Hebrews is a great book. If you're interested to know more about how Jesus is a greater fulfillment of Old Testament symbols, let's read verse three together, for this one has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who built the house has more honor than the house. So just as a builder is greater than his house, jesus is greater than Moses. And so all of that leads us back to the bronze serpent lifted up high on a pole. When you look at the serpent, what do you see? Do you see slimy looking scales, beady little eyes and an intimidating rattling tail? Or do you see the bloody and bruised Messiah taking upon Himself the sins of the world and offering spiritual healing to all who look up to Him in faith? It's interesting that a snake is used to represent Jesus, isn't it? Because snakes are usually a symbol of sin and God's judgment. So how can these two symbols mean the same thing? Well, at the cross, in order to save humanity, jesus had to become sin for us. He had to suffer God's judgment. Which we deserved. Well, it's great that Jesus did that for me, but how do I experience that spiritual healing Jesus offers? Well, we find the answer to that in the book of Hebrews. Again, Hebrews eleven and verse one says now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. All of the faith heroes in this chapter, they looked forward to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but they never saw it. And today we are in a sort of similar position. We have never seen Jesus face to face, but we can look back at his sacrifice and accept the eternal life and spiritual healing he offers by faith. However, there are bad consequences for those who do not accept the good news. Just like in the wilderness, those who felt the sting of death and refused to look to the serpent suffered the consequences. But that doesn't mean that we stop telling people the gospel. Imagine you had an antivenom for a serious snake bite. Would you withhold giving that to someone just because they might reject it? Or would you offer them the medicine and leave the decision to them? Jesus calls us to do the same, to go and tell others about the spiritual healing we have encountered at the cross so that all men may be drawn to Jesus. Will you today choose to look up at the cross and see Jesus lifted up and accept the eternal life, healing and cleansing and entry into his eternal kingdom that he offers? Jesus suffered the strike of the serpent and became sin for us, defeating death and taking away of serpents and sin. You have been listening to Family Storytime, a production of three ABN Australia radio.