Our scripture reading today are from Numbers 21:4-9 and John 3:12-15.
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| Moses and the Brazen Serpent by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) |
Reading the original language, the term snake here is seraphim. Actually, snakes are referred to as seraphim over fifty times in the Bible (seraphim means “to be fiery”). While it’s only used once in the Bible to refer to as an angel. So why is snake here referred to as seraphim? It’s because snake bites cause a fiery, feverish and immense thirst effect on your body before you eventually die.
The question is, is this a proportional / deserving punishment by God? Is the punishment too much for such a simple transgression? But we can always assume that God’s punishment is never wrong, which only means that God considers sins as serious matters. This part teaches us how serious sins are.
Furthermore, we’re going to learn a little lesson from history. We know of the two eras: modern (early 18-20th century (the enlightenment era)) and post-modern (20th century above). In the modern era, it is believed that men are good by nature. Crimes happen due to external factors (poor education, poor moral knowledge). So, they had a dream that one day, the problem of humanity will be solved. In contrast, in the post-modern era, we believe that men are bad internally by nature. Pay attention to old vs new movies. New movies don’t create bad vs good characters. There’s always good in the bad and bad in the good, and the main character could turn out to be a bad guy, even a cop. How and why the drastic shift? There are many factors, but one of the leading factors are WWI and WWII. Men’s positive optimism was crushed by the brutal death of many during the wars, especially at the end of WWII when the world figured out about the Holocaust and the concentration camps. They were even more surprised to find out that the culprit was Germany, such an educated and modern country, which gave birth to people like Bach and Beethoven. So, people began asking the question of how men could act such terrible deeds? The two possible answers are that there is something wrong with them (The Nazis, Japanese, Stalin, etc), or another alternative, there’s something wrong with us all as humans. Of course, we believe that there’s something wrong with them, and not us generally as humans. But, notice that that’s the exact same thing Hitler proclaimed at the beginning of the war, “there’s something wrong with the Jews, so we need to annihilate them.” People look down upon others, so they feel more superior to look down on others (it’s a cycle). If we say that there’s something wrong with them and not us all, then how different are we than Hitler? So, the only answer left is that there’s something wrong with us all. Entering the modernism from postmodernism, we should realize that we are capable or there is a potential of us becoming a Hitler, there’s no fundamental matter that could keep us from being like Hitler, and this is the root of why he created the Holocaust.
The question is, is this a proportional / deserving punishment by God? Is the punishment too much for such a simple transgression? But we can always assume that God’s punishment is never wrong, which only means that God considers sins as serious matters. This part teaches us how serious sins are.
Furthermore, we’re going to learn a little lesson from history. We know of the two eras: modern (early 18-20th century (the enlightenment era)) and post-modern (20th century above). In the modern era, it is believed that men are good by nature. Crimes happen due to external factors (poor education, poor moral knowledge). So, they had a dream that one day, the problem of humanity will be solved. In contrast, in the post-modern era, we believe that men are bad internally by nature. Pay attention to old vs new movies. New movies don’t create bad vs good characters. There’s always good in the bad and bad in the good, and the main character could turn out to be a bad guy, even a cop. How and why the drastic shift? There are many factors, but one of the leading factors are WWI and WWII. Men’s positive optimism was crushed by the brutal death of many during the wars, especially at the end of WWII when the world figured out about the Holocaust and the concentration camps. They were even more surprised to find out that the culprit was Germany, such an educated and modern country, which gave birth to people like Bach and Beethoven. So, people began asking the question of how men could act such terrible deeds? The two possible answers are that there is something wrong with them (The Nazis, Japanese, Stalin, etc), or another alternative, there’s something wrong with us all as humans. Of course, we believe that there’s something wrong with them, and not us generally as humans. But, notice that that’s the exact same thing Hitler proclaimed at the beginning of the war, “there’s something wrong with the Jews, so we need to annihilate them.” People look down upon others, so they feel more superior to look down on others (it’s a cycle). If we say that there’s something wrong with them and not us all, then how different are we than Hitler? So, the only answer left is that there’s something wrong with us all. Entering the modernism from postmodernism, we should realize that we are capable or there is a potential of us becoming a Hitler, there’s no fundamental matter that could keep us from being like Hitler, and this is the root of why he created the Holocaust.
Yet, this is what the Bible has been proclaiming over and over again, there is evilness within men’s hearts—that is sin—which is a very serious matter, and we need to clean our glasses to see our “simple” or “inconsequential” sins to be more than it looks. Meaning that in Num 21, God was right and just to punish them that way. What exactly was their sin? It was a sin that says, “nothing is good enough” (verse 5). In our lives, we could be unthankful of a lot of things, our parents, family, mom, dad, children, or even the Bible and sermons. Jonathan Edwards said that the most primordial sin of mankind is saying, “the garden of Eden isn’t good enough”, because they said, “we can do all things in this garden, but one thing”, and the serpent asked them if that’s good enough for them, and the fell. But this is the nature of all mankind, even if we are in Eden right now, we would find something that’s not good enough. Often the problem is not in the situation, but in ourselves, because everything is not good enough. It seems like we have all been bitten by snakes and the venom has run through our veins saying that things aren’t good enough. Take your monthly tithes, for instance, you say, “I need to think of myself too, not only the church”, on the other hand, there’s a really religious person who says, “I’m good because I give my tithes, those who don’t are not real Christians”. By saying so, this religious person has belittled the blood of Christ by saying that the blood of Christ is not enough.
The Israelites here had a fever of seeking more and ever thirst for something that will not satisfy them. There are a fire and desire burning inside their hearts. The same effect when a snake’s venom enters their body, “fiery, feverish and immense thirst”. God was trying to show them physically what God sees inside their hearts spiritually. We need to pay attention to the physical and spiritual connection in the Bible. Like how Naaman was healed so his skin was like of a newborn because his spirit was being reborn. Alike, God was showing the Israelites that the condition of their hearts was more serious than the suffering and death they’re experiencing physically.
The Israelites here had a fever of seeking more and ever thirst for something that will not satisfy them. There are a fire and desire burning inside their hearts. The same effect when a snake’s venom enters their body, “fiery, feverish and immense thirst”. God was trying to show them physically what God sees inside their hearts spiritually. We need to pay attention to the physical and spiritual connection in the Bible. Like how Naaman was healed so his skin was like of a newborn because his spirit was being reborn. Alike, God was showing the Israelites that the condition of their hearts was more serious than the suffering and death they’re experiencing physically.
Now we see that God’s punishment is not excessive nor exaggerating. But not only did we see that God isn’t a sadistic God, but we also see his loving grace through his punishment. Because his punishment is not as a revenge, but an education. God was willing to show the severity of their hearts through something that men can see physically. At the end of the story, the Israelites repented as they asked Moses to cast the snakes away. This is true repentance because they confessed their sins without saying, “but”. We often say, “okay I have done something wrong, but wouldn’t others fall into the same hole?”, or “I’ve done something wrong, but you did something wrong too”. Is true repentance mere confession of sin and self-surrender? No! Because after they confessed their sins, the Israelites asked for God’s healing too. An intern told me of a story when he evangelized to a hospital and met a woman who was barren. She said, “God, I’ve been righteous, I’ve never done anything wrong, why are you doing this?” We would’ve responded to her, “you can’t say that God will grant you a child because of righteous deeds that you did! It’s all grace alone!” But in this case, we would be wrong by responding so, because true repentance means to confess our sins and ask a petition to be cleansed. If God tells you, “your transgressions are severe and many”, and you respond, “okay I’ve done many sins. Do to me as you will then, God”. By saying so, we have fallen into the same hole. We want God to grant us the things that we deserve, either for the good or bad. It’s the same thing. Now, the barren woman could say, “okay God, I know that you don’t grant me a child. Now, I’d like to ask for a child from You, not because of my doing, but because of Your grace.”
How did the Israelites shift so they may repent that way? Two reasons, because God has given them adversaries and because God used others (other people).
The first point means that if we ever thirst for something in this world, it is very dangerous for us to achieve that something, because we’d just say, “it’s not good enough”. The best thing that could happen to us in this situation is for God to make us thirst physically to educate us. It means that a congregation that says, “this church needs more shepherding, it’s not good enough”, will be educated by God through being set free and unprotected in the wilderness in the midst of hungry wolves.
The second point, we see that the Israelites did not pray alone, they asked others to pray for them. Think of the first time you decided to follow Jesus seriously. Were you alone through the whole experience? This is still a relative example. But here’s another example, when we behold Him at the end of the age, would we come and behold him alone? There is a communal aspect in repentance. In a cell group (OSG), we feel like it’s not good enough if newcomers join your OSG. This is a form of a venom too. What’s the antidote to this issue? Others. Others who are different from you. “Ideally the church itself is not made up of natural “friends”. It is made up of natural enemies. What binds us together is not common education, common race, common income levels, common politics, common nationality, common accents, common jobs, or anything of the sort. Christians come together, not because they form a natural collocation, but because they have been saved by Jesus Christ and owe him a common allegiance. In the light of this common allegiance, in light of the fact that they have all been loved by Jesus himself, they commit themselves to doing what He says—and He commands them to love one another. In this light, they are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus’ sake” (DC Carson).
When I was in Melbourne, I had a fight with another youth. Back then, I was still a youth too. Then a friend of ours got us together and said, “if you are brothers by blood, you would reconcile with each other because your parents’ blood flows in you and reconcile you back together. But you, Jethro, you are reconciled with him through the blood of Christ. Why can’t you reconcile with him?”
The first point means that if we ever thirst for something in this world, it is very dangerous for us to achieve that something, because we’d just say, “it’s not good enough”. The best thing that could happen to us in this situation is for God to make us thirst physically to educate us. It means that a congregation that says, “this church needs more shepherding, it’s not good enough”, will be educated by God through being set free and unprotected in the wilderness in the midst of hungry wolves.
The second point, we see that the Israelites did not pray alone, they asked others to pray for them. Think of the first time you decided to follow Jesus seriously. Were you alone through the whole experience? This is still a relative example. But here’s another example, when we behold Him at the end of the age, would we come and behold him alone? There is a communal aspect in repentance. In a cell group (OSG), we feel like it’s not good enough if newcomers join your OSG. This is a form of a venom too. What’s the antidote to this issue? Others. Others who are different from you. “Ideally the church itself is not made up of natural “friends”. It is made up of natural enemies. What binds us together is not common education, common race, common income levels, common politics, common nationality, common accents, common jobs, or anything of the sort. Christians come together, not because they form a natural collocation, but because they have been saved by Jesus Christ and owe him a common allegiance. In the light of this common allegiance, in light of the fact that they have all been loved by Jesus himself, they commit themselves to doing what He says—and He commands them to love one another. In this light, they are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus’ sake” (DC Carson).
When I was in Melbourne, I had a fight with another youth. Back then, I was still a youth too. Then a friend of ours got us together and said, “if you are brothers by blood, you would reconcile with each other because your parents’ blood flows in you and reconcile you back together. But you, Jethro, you are reconciled with him through the blood of Christ. Why can’t you reconcile with him?”
Lastly, why a bronze snake? It doesn’t work theologically and psychologically, doesn’t it? Because psychologically, it would be strange to say, “if you want to recover of your being raped, look at your raper”. God asked them to look at something that killed them. In the whole Bible, God uses the imagery of a serpent to depict the devil and sins.
Now, I’d like to bring you to John 3:12-15 that He will be exalted like Moses’ bronze snake. Something exalted, which people would not dare to look because the sight of him is too traumatic.
Now, I’d like to bring you to John 3:12-15 that He will be exalted like Moses’ bronze snake. Something exalted, which people would not dare to look because the sight of him is too traumatic.
2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God".
Upon the cross, He was exalted (figuratively and literally). He was dead and crucified, the imagery of the state of our hearts. He became sin (but did not sin) to show our sinfulness.
And up there, He said, “I’m thirsty”, because he reflects our venomous thirst, but also because he has lost His father, His true desire.
For us, He’s good enough. But He’s not only good enough, He is the best.
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Q&A:
Q: So if my thirst is money, it would be the worst scenario for me to have money???
A: do you know why adults are more prone to depression than teenagers? Because teenagers might say, “it’s not good enough” a lot. But as a teenager, you have a reason for your complaint. “I’m not satisfied because I don’t have a boyfriend, a car, a skill, etc”. But once you’re successful, married, own a house, and the things that you thought would satisfy you, you realize that even these things are not good enough. This is called the mid-life crisis. We think we’ve reached the peak, and there’s nowhere else to go. So, the worst scenario to our false thirst is for that thirst to be fulfilled. Romans 1:28 says, "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done".
Q: But what if I thirst of righteousness? Would it be bad if I actually get righteousness?
A: No, that’s why I referred to as false thirst. But the thirst of righteousness is a true thirst. Even the Bible mentions several times how we must thirst righteousness. But again, we need to ask if thirst of righteousness is the highest level of what we could thirst for? Why do you come to this bible study? You may thirst for righteousness, but be careful of having the mindset those of the Pharisees. They too thirst for righteousness, but they don’t thirst for God. So, we shouldn’t thirst the “how-to’s” of repentance, but thirst God Himself. That’s why I always end my sermon in Christ.
Q: Are all our problems always God’s punishment? Or it’s God’s work in progress within us?
A: Why do we have to polarize those two? Both can work together accordingly. This isn’t the story of God and men relationship in the Bible. God isn’t playing chess with us. It’s more like He’s a scriptwriter and we’re a character in his play. All transgressions in our lives could be both active or passive. A gay person will get AIDS as his sin consequence, but God can use his illness to work in his life. God could send a tsunami, which might not be a consequence of anyone’s sins, but so he could work on our lives. But he could also use it to punish.
Q: What’s the implication of this with advent?
A: What kind of a God are we anticipating? Is the God we're anticipating a God whom we have been discussing about? Is He a God whom through turmoils have died for us so we may not die?
By Vik. Jethro Rachmadi B.Mus., M.Th., GRII Kelapa Gading
Written by Alicia Angie Wiranata
Written by Alicia Angie Wiranata
This sermon note has not been revised by the preacher.
Alice
Alice
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