All the years wandering in the wilderness brought the Israelite nation to this point. Finally, they had recognized the depth of sin with all their grumbling against God. The ordeal with the poisonous snakes had brought them to their knees in true repentance. Until then, they had lived a roller coaster life of brief moments of obedience followed by bitter disobedience. Yet, after they truly repent, recognizing the poison lay deep within their own self exalting hearts. The serpents were merely symbolic of that. Yet, they soon discover that worship, faith and no more grumbling bring Victory—the victory given freely by God’s grace and theirs to claim by faith.
We might want to look and say, “Why did it take them so long? Couldn’t they just trust God after all He had already done for them? What a foolish bunch?” But what about you and me? Are we different than they? Isn’t their story much like ours, if we are honest? The moment we begin to claim a tiny victory, we face some hardship and fall once more into bitterness, fear and frustration. The problem typically we take our eyes off Jesus and look at ourselves. But as we look to latter verses of Chapter 21 do we not have hope restored as we see no more grumbling. Instead we see, Worship and faith leading to their claiming God’s Victory.
No More Murmuring
Just as their poisonous hearts were symbolized in the bronze serpent, it was faith in God’s promises that transformed their hearts. It is so easy for us to justify our sins, whitewash them over. We fail to see the true depth of depravity within our own hearts. Instead we try to say we are “not that bad”. After all, I try to do what is right. I haven’t murdered anyone. For the most part I try to do the right thing. That sin? Well surely God doesn’t really care about it! Sound familiar? Isn’t that the same lie Satan deceived Eve with? Yet we buy it, hook, line and sinker. By justifying our own sins, we trample upon the truth of God’s perfect Holiness.
Then, like little children, believing they deserve so much more, we murmur and complain against God instead of seeing the truth of His grace. If only we look up and see that on His shoulders were placed all our sins.
In class one of the women told of a classroom project for children. In this, a picture of Christ on the cross was overlaid by another piece of construction paper. The children were then instructed to put push pins through the construction paper for sins they knew they committed. So, I lied—push pin. I pushed Johnny—push pin. And on they went. When they removed the construction paper, there were the holes placed all over Jesus on the cross.
I am afraid that were I to name all the sins from my life, the body of Jesus would be completely covered. And that is it! When I truly see my sins on the cross, I cannot help but fall in repentance before the cross.
ISAIAH 6: 1-7
I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. His train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. 7 He laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips. Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
True Repentance can only come when we recognize the depth of our own sins. I have heard Joni Eareckson Tada tell a story in which something she said sounded petty, grumbling, or selfish. Then she would say, “That’s not like me! But really it is. It is just like me!” How often could I say the same. God daily squeezes His “lemon juice” over my heart so that I can see the blemishes only He can heal. Then Victory is claimed as I accept His Victory given by Grace alone.
Faith and Worship
Once the children of Israel confronted the truth of their own sin, repented, and looked up in faith; everything changed. Finally, there was no more grumbling. Had the terrain become easier? No, but their hearts had been transformed. In fact, they moved forward steadily. When they had no water, they trusted God. The princes and nobles dug wells. Not the slaves or the less fortunate; rather it was the princes and nobles laboring for their people. What a difference! No more grumbling! The people burst forth with songs of worship and praise.
“Spring up, O well!
All of you sing to it—
18 The well the leaders sank,
Dug by the nation’s nobles,
By the lawgiver, with their staves.”
(Numbers 21:18 NKJV)
Then, we see them move forward, having victory over their enemies. So, what about us?
What are the enemies of your soul that you are battling today? We have victory in Jesus! The battle is ours for the taking, if we only believe the truth of God’s promises. We must place our sins and selfish desires there at the cross. Then with a praise song of Worship we sing unto the Lord with joy, trusting Him, no matter what the day may bring. He is our joy. In Him we find our hope. He is the faith, when ours is failing. In Him is the victory we so desperately seek over our own hearts so prone to grumbling.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because, He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2019
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.