DAILY MANNA
SUNDAY 22ND DECEMBER, 2019
LOOK AND LIVE
TEXT: NUMBERS 21:1-9
KEY VERSE: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live” (NUMBERS 21:8).
Often, the solution to life’s problems is not found in some esoteric mountain top, or hidden in the depth of the oceans. It demands no great adventure or sacrifice, but a simple expression of confidence and trust in God, as the children of Israel discovered in the wilderness.
In their journey to the Promised Land, the Israelites met with a fierce opponent in King Arad, the Canaanite, who fought and captured some of them. The people then vowed to God that if He granted them victory against Arad, they would destroy all his cities. The Lord granted their petition, and they continued in their journey. Not long after, they were forced by the hostility of the Edomites to take a long and treacherous route to avoid trouble.
But the people were discouraged and began complaining and murmuring against Moses. God heard their complaint and in turn, sent poisonous serpents which bit and killed many of them. But they quickly came to their senses and pleaded with Moses for help. The Lord gave him the antidote to their problem: set up a serpent of brass on pole, so that anyone that looked at it lived. It was a clear pointer to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who would die on the cross to take away the sins of the world.
We must be careful, for with every victory in life, a temptation lurks in the corner. And we must never yield to the lure of complaining against God, as it only serves to show that we are weak of spirit, disobedient and ungrateful to God for His past miracles in our lives. And where in a moment of mindlessness we stray from God, we must quickly retrace our steps, and look upon Jesus Christ for forgiveness, pardon and cleansing.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: When we look at the invisible Christ, we see the incredible work of God.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MALACHI 1–4
