POKING THE SNAKE

I grew up in Indiana but had no idea - until I worked a college summer at a church camp in Brown County - that Indiana has rattlesnakes.

A rather large rattler had been spotted in the woods of the campground several times throughout the summer. I saw it with my own eyes once - it was at least 8 or 9 feet long. There were rumors that it traveled sometimes with its mate.

One day after lunch most of our grade school campers had darted back to the cabins to prepare for afternoon activities and the counselors were being a bit slow to follow.

Interrupting our conversation, a couple of campers popped back into the dining hall to announce the rattler had been spotted again, this time along the path leading back to the cabins. 

The other counselors and I were somewhat disinterested at this point - the snake tended to be seen only from a distance and would quickly disappear, choosing to avoid humans rather than attack them.

But at the second half of the announcement we all jumped out of our seats: "And Joey is poking it with a stick to see if he can get it to rattle!"

We reached that kid seconds later after sprinting full speed out of the building and up the path.

Fortunately for him, God spared Joey from learning the hard way the purpose of a rattlesnake's rattle. Even when provoked, the snake had chosen not to engage and had instead slithered away. 

I am looking at Numbers 21:4-9 in preparation for this coming Sunday's sermon. In isolation, it seems God is being pretty harsh. The Israelites complain about Moses, God, and being sick of eating manna and in response, God sends venomous snakes into the camp.

But this round of complaints from the people was one poke too far and God put an end to it with snakes. Fortunately, the people choose to repent and God orders Moses to lift a bronze snake on a staff in the center of camp. All who merely glance up at this snake are instantly healed and spared the consequences of snake bite.

It's a fascinating scene and even more so when Jesus appropriates it as a picture of mankind suffering the consequences of sin and Himself as the snake on the staff, lifted up to be the solution to humanity's problem. (John 3:14 -15)