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Refreshment in Refuge

    by Gina Burgess

God's promise from Numbers
Date Posted: February 10, 2013

This week I just want to point out some very interesting correlations. In Numbers we are told the story about the people murmuring [read that grumbling and complaining] against being in the dry desert and having to eat food from Heaven. God was providing all they needed, and they had conveniently forgotten that they would have been in the Land of Milk and Honey if they’d believed God in the first place instead of running in fear of the giants of the land.

God deals with the sin of His people in different ways. When Rueben sinned with his father’s concubine, God took away his royalty position and Jesus came to us through Judah. When David sinned by having a census of the people when God had told him specifically not to, God gave David a choice of punishment: seven years of famine, to run from his enemies three months, or a three-day plague. David chose the plague for that would be fully from God and he and the people would be fully in God’s hand. Those were consequences of sin not payment for the sin. There isn’t anything we can do or say that would make restitution for our sin and make us pure in God’s eyes. That sin had to be paid for with pure, perfect blood from a pure, perfect sacrifice.

In Numbers, the people were completely dependent upon God’s providence and His mercies. God provided water, food, and protection from wildlife as well as protection from marauders. Yet, the people still grumbled.

Numbers 21:6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

These snakes may have been called fiery because of the effect of their bite causing a searing sting and raging fever or because of their rage. Regardless, they bit and many people died. The people begged Moses to intercede for them, and Moses begged God to stop this plague of fiery serpents. God did not rid the camp of the snakes, but told Moses to fashion a bronze serpent and raise it up above the people. All who looked upon the bronze serpent would be healed and live. That is exactly what happened. Those who did not look up and believe, died. Those who did, lived.

That word fiery is the Hebrew word seraph and means burning or figuratively poisonous. Seraphim comes from this root word. Seraphim are those living creatures that protect the Throne of God and they have six wings. A seraphim took a burning coal from the altar of God and touched Isaiah’s mouth, cleansing his unclean lips (Isaiah 6:6).

Numbers 31:23 everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water

Jesus tells us this was a foretelling of his being raised on the cross (John 3:14-15). We humans cannot endure fire for purification. We must depend upon God’s mercy, and the blood of Jesus to take away death’s sting, and sin’s curse. Just looking at the bronze snake did not heal the bite of the serpent. It was God’s healing power that did that. Therefore just knowing that Jesus was a good man, a prophet, is not good enough to save us from the fires of Hell. We must look to Jesus as our Savior with all the power purity and righteousness, and the great tender mercy of God Who transferred His wrath to His Son that one day so long ago.

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Biography Information:

Gina Burgess has taught Sunday School and Discipleship Training for almost three decades. (Don't tell her that makes her old.) She earned her Master's in Communication in 2013.

She is the author of several books including: When Christians Hurt Christians, The Crowns of the Believers and others available in online bookstores. She authors several columns, using her God-given talent to shine a light in a dark world. You can browse her blog at Refreshment In Refuge.

If you'd like to take a look at some Christian fiction and Christian non-fiction book reviews check out Gina's book reviews at Upon

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