S) "6 The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 So the people came to Moses and said, 'We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.' And Moses interceded for the people. 8 Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.'"
Numbers 21:6-8 (NASB)
O) When I read this passage, the first thing I thought was, "DRAGONS!" After my fantasies and passion about biblically represented "mythical" creatures subsided, the second thing I thought was, "This seems dangerously close to idolatry." As I really started to ponder that, I was reminded of the phrase, "Worship the Creator, not the creation." That's really what this passage is about, I think. On the surface level, it's included in Numbers because it was a historical event. But, why God let it happen in the first place, may very well have been to differentiate that a solution can be created, but the solution should still not be worshiped. We are to worship no one else and nothing else, even when a solution comes (by God) through another. Even if that "other," is a dragon.
A) When I was just a kid, my mom explained to me that, even if a person created something, God created that person, and so He still deserves the credit. Ultimately, that's what I have to remember in the world around me. There are very real solutions to problems I may face. I cannot begin to think that ibuprofen is the reason my toothache goes away, and therefore attribute credit to a perishable thing. Even drawing it closer to people, my employer gives me a paycheck, which solves the problem of paying rent. But, I cannot begin to view my employer as my provider - God gives me ability and favor in the sight of men; He is my Provider.
A) When I was just a kid, my mom explained to me that, even if a person created something, God created that person, and so He still deserves the credit. Ultimately, that's what I have to remember in the world around me. There are very real solutions to problems I may face. I cannot begin to think that ibuprofen is the reason my toothache goes away, and therefore attribute credit to a perishable thing. Even drawing it closer to people, my employer gives me a paycheck, which solves the problem of paying rent. But, I cannot begin to view my employer as my provider - God gives me ability and favor in the sight of men; He is my Provider.
P) Father, I want to see the world around me as You would have me see it. In everything, I will give You the credit that only You deserve. Remind me that misplaced worship can come in many different forms, and remind me that You are the Creator of all things. In everything I do, everything I have, I will give You credit at all times. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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