This week’s children’s Bible lesson:

Moses and the Bronze Snake

Numbers 21:4-9

For today’s story, we go back to the Old Testament, in the time of Moses leading God’s people in the wilderness. We’re looking at this story today, because it will help us understand what Jesus said to Nicodemus in next week’s lesson.

Remember how when Moses was with the people, God provided water for them wherever they went, sometimes by miracle? And remember how God gave them sweet-tasting food every day just by making it appear on the ground for them every morning? And remember how Moses led them through every situation just the way God directed him, and they were blessed, even in war when other people attacked them? Well, since Moses led them so well, and God provided for their needs so completely, the right attitude for them would have been to be thankful. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the way the people thought. Sometimes when we refuse to thank God and the people who help us, like our parents, we become complainers instead of happy people. That’s what the Israelites did at that time.

They all started to complain against both God and Moses. “Why did you bring us out into this wilderness instead of leaving us in Egypt?” they asked. God and Moses had freed them from brutal slavery in Egypt, and given them a life where their needs were met even though they didn’t have to work for their food. God was giving them rest after their years of slavery. And they were complaining about God’s salvation, saying it was wrong to bring them out.

Then they complained, “Out here there is no food and water, and we hate this worthless food.” Isn’t that a silly thing to say? “We have no food and we hate this food!” How could you hate the food you’re eating if you have no food to eat? And the claim that God wasn’t providing them water, when He did so everywhere they went, sometimes by miracles if necessary? That was just a lie. That’s what a complaining attitude does to us. It makes us lie. Except for those moments in life when actual tragedy strikes, like someone we love dying, most of life is not a time to complain. We need to tell ourselves to have a blessed, thankful attitude. Life is just more enjoyable then. And thankful people see reality more clearly than complaining people.

So if we have a complaining attitude, we will make complaints that aren’t real. We might even be lying, like the Israelites, in order to keep complaining. Well, God had to do something drastic, even scary, to teach the people that lesson. And He did it to teach us not to complain also. We can learn from this event in the Bible. We can learn that part of being honest is being thankful. Complaining leads to lies, because our feelings can feel real, but still be untrue.

Here’s what happened then. God sent so many poisonous snakes in through the people. And so many people were bitten by the snakes. The venom of the snakes was strong enough to not just make them sick, but cause them to die. Here’s something that shows you and me today: Living with a complaining heart is like poisoning ourselves on the inside. We’re alive, but our feelings are like dying. We need to become praisers of God and givers of thanks, instead of life-draining complainers.

Even though the people had brought God’s judgment upon themselves, and they went through a fearful experience with dangerous biting snakes, God didn’t want them to die. He wanted to save them from the consequences of their sin. Isn’t it wonderful that God has that attitude? Our sin is our fault, and the punishment we deserve is our fault. But God wants to spare us of His punishments. We will celebrate the Lord’s supper later today. When we eat the bread and drink the cup, that’s a celebration of what God did to save you and me. Jesus gave His body (pictured by the bread) and shed His blood (pictured by the cup of red juice). He died on the cross taking the punishment for all our sins, including the sin of not thanking God for all He gives and does for us.

Here’s how He saved the people then who were bitten by the venomous snakes. The people came to Moses and confessed. “We have sinned against you and against the Lord. Please pray to God for us that He will take the snakes away.” Moses prayed. Now, God didn’t take the snakes away. You see, our sins bring consequences, and when we mess things up, sometimes we will just have to live through the consequences, but God will help us. What God did do was tell Moses to make a snake out of the metal called bronze. He said to lift up that snake on a pole, high enough to be seen anywhere in the camp of all the people. God said, “If anyone is bitten, he shall look at the snake on the pole, and when he sees it, he will live.” Moses did just that. And whenever someone who had complained was bitten by one of the snakes, he could look up at the snake on the pole, and he would live instead of dying from the venom. In next week’s lesson, we will learn from Jesus what the lifting of the bronze snake on the pole meant.