Sermons

p>Dear recipients of Gods grace in Jesus,

I don't like snakes and I would imagine that there are more than just a few of you whose skin crawls when you think about the nature and characteristics of these reprehensible reptiles. One reason why I don't like snakes is because of the way they move, slithering and almost sneaky-like. But there's also another reason why I don't like snakes. Some snakes bite and their bites contain venom or poison that can be harmful, even fatal. Combining the deadly nature of snake venom with their sneaky, slithering movement through the grass or weeds and you have something to be feared.

In light of the deadly nature of their venom, it's a blessing that anti-venoms or antidotes have been developed to reverse the effects of such deadly poisons. But those antidotes can be a little hard to come by. Often people bitten by snakes are deep in the rain forests or in some isolated wilderness or desert, far from medical facilities. In addition to that the right type of snake must be known and communicated to health care professionals so that the correct antidote can be administered. And finally, such anti-venoms are pretty expensive. All this makes snakes one of the creatures of God's creation that many people could do without.

Today's text doesn't help matters much when it comes to changing public opinion concerning snakes. Today we visit the children of Israel as they near the end of their 40 year journey through the wilderness. God had rescued them from slavery in Egypt and had led them through the wilderness by the pillar of fire and the cloud of smoke. Now, in our text, they are almost to the promised land of Canaan when they run into these venomous snakes. As we visit the Israelites today there is a lesson for us regarding snakes and their bites. Our sermon theme is: The Lord Has the Antidote for Snakebites. 1) We need it because we've been bitten. 2) We have it because the Lord dispenses it free of charge.

1) We need it because we've been bitten.

As we join the Israelites it is immediately apparent that they have already been snake bit. Not by little, poisonous, physical snakes that slither through the grass but by a much larger and more deadly snake. The "chief" snake has bitten them, we could say. Satan, who had taken on the form of a serpent to bite and poison Adam and Eve with sin and its temptation, now was biting and poisoning their descendants. Here in the desert Satan's slithering nature found an opportunity to bite and further poison God's people with sin and the temptation to doubt God's Word and his love for them.

Things weren't going according to plan for Israel. They were close to the promised-land and had hopes of being there in the not too distant future. They merely needed to travel another 100 to 150 miles. If they followed the Kings Highway straight north through Edom and Moab it wouldn't be much longer. But the Edomites denied them passage through their land and threatened to attack if the Israelites entered their territory. They even sent out their large and powerful army to guard the border. So Moses led them back toward the South. Here was Satan's opening to bite and poison Israel with the goal of leading them away from their Lord and Savior.

This detour and delay proved to be too much for the people to take. So as we meet them in our text it's apparent that Satan's poison was doing its work as we hear that they had grown impatient with God and with his chosen representative Moses. That impatience gave rise to open discontent, grumbling, and complaining against God and Moses. YOU BROUGHT US OUT HERE TO DIE! THERE IS NO BREAD! THERE IS NO WATER! WE DETEST THIS MISERABLE FOOD! One of Satan's most powerful poisons had done its work. This poison causes blindness; blindness to God's great love and power that he uses on behalf of his people, and blindness to the many blessings God gives. Long gone from Israel's collective memory was the miraculous and powerful rescue from the centuries of oppressive slavery in Egypt. No longer did they view the daily appearance of manna and quail for food as a gracious gift from the Lord. How quickly they forgot that their Savior God could cause water to spring from any place on his earth, as he had done recently, causing water to gush from a rock at Meribah. Satan's poison caused blindness to these blessings and caused their struggles to loom large before them. God's people had been bitten and poisoned by the biggest snake, Satan. And the poison was doing its job by causing the people to turn from Moses and the Lord, ready to return once again to an existence of slavery and suffering.

At this point in the story of God's people it's appropriate for us to thank God for the little snakes! That's right! Thank God that he allowed the physical, poisonous snakes to enter the Israelite camp and begin biting people and infecting them with their physical poison. It's interesting that Moses refers to God at this point as "THE LORD". He wrote, "THE LORD SENT VENOMOUS SNAKES AMONG THEM". Moses did not refer to Him as "God Almighty" or even just "God". In the Old Testament, "THE LORD"is a reference to the gracious Savior God of Israel. He had a gracious purpose in allowing these poisonous snakes to bite his people. We hear that his gracious purpose was accomplished: THE PEOPLE CAME TO MOSES AND SAID, “WE SINNED WHEN WE SPOKE AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST YOU. PRAY THAT THE LORD WILL TAKE THE SNAKES AWAY FROM US.”The struggles brought on by these biting, venomous snakes created a change of heart in Israel. They realized their sinfulness. They confessed their sin. They turned to the LORD in repentance and trust, again remembering that he alone was their Savior.

Just as we thanked God for the snakebite in the wilderness, we can also thank God for the little snakes that bite you and me! There are many circumstances and conditions of our lives about which we might say we have been "snake-bit". Our Savior lets challenges and struggles enter into our lives with the gracious purpose of keeping us turned to him in repentance and trust. From the moment of our conception, the "chief snake" has bitten each one of us. He has infused us with the same poison that has worked for him for over the ages: discontent with our situation, questioning God’s ways, relying on our own wisdom. It worked with Adam and Eve. And it's still working today. When things don't go my way I grumble and complain against God and against his representatives in my life. Bite by bite that snake Satan pulls me a little farther from my Savior. His poisons are eternally fatal! Thank God for the little snakes! Our gracious Savior who has crushed Satan for us allows certain struggles to touch us to keep us mindful of our need for him and his antidote for Satan's poisons. He allows health struggles, your own or those of someone dear to you to bite us. He sometimes lets job and financial struggles bite us. Death itself takes a bite into our lives as we face the lose of a parent, family member or close friend. All are gracious signals from the Savior that he is the only antidote for the bite of Satan, sin, and death. And that antidote is yours, expensive as it is! You have it because the Lord dispenses it free of charge.

2) You have it because the Lord dispenses it free of charge.

Antidotes or anti-venoms are no doubt expensive and often hard to get. The most obvious reason they are hard to get is that for many people snakebites occur out in the wilderness. The bitten person is in no position to get the antidote, being far away from help. But also making antidotes for snakebites expensive and difficult to get is that they are made from the venom itself. Someone has to risk their own safety to extract the venom from snakes. Many of you have probably seen National Geographic or some other television program in which they show how a snake is "milked" through its fangs for the venom.

Acquiring the antidote for Satan's bite and his venom of sin and death also meant that someone had to risk their own well-being. The One who put himself at risk for the spiritual well-being of all people is Jesus. For a lifetime of 33 years Jesus endured the bites of Satan. Satan bit Jesus when through King Herod he made Jesus' first years in this life dangerous and difficult. He struck at Jesus when he set before Jesus the temptation to disobey and disrespect his parents as a twelve years old boy at the temple in Jerusalem. Satan tried to set his fangs into Jesus through the temptations he set before Jesus during Jesus time in the wilderness shortly after his baptism in the Jordan River. Satan inflicted great pain on Jesus through the betrayal and denial of friends. And during the time of his arrest and trial more bites were inflicted as Jewish leaders and Jesus' own countrymen turned on him and called for his crucifixion.

But never, never was Jesus poisoned by the venom of Satan's bites! His life was kept safe during his childhood. He loved, honored, and perfectly obeyed his parents. He crushed Satan's temptations in the wilderness with the Word of God. He never forsook Judas or Peter when they turned on Him. And never did he curse those who unjustly tried and taunted him through the events of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. And even when bitten with the temptation to leave the cross, the pain, and the suffering, Jesus stayed there to endure the result of Satan's poison for all sinners. And finally, Jesus endured the venomous fires of hell as he was forsaken by his Father in heaven.

The eternal death of God's own Son has now been applied to you and to me. Through our baptism we went through it with Jesus and have been raised to life! St. Paul told the Romans, "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Romans 6:4). The poison of our sin was injected into Jesus’ veins as he hung on the cross. By the resurrection of God’s own Son, the very Son he killed on the cross, Jesus became the antidote for Satan's bite of sin and death. The venom of sin brings death, but the antidote of Christ brings life. The Father sent Jesus free of charge. The Lord did not demand anything of the Israelites before he would save them from the venomous snakebites. Out of love for them he gave life through faith in his promise revolving around the snake Moses would make and hang on a pole for all to look at. In the same way Jesus gives to us his forgiveness free of charge. When the "little" snakes bite us through daily struggles in life, thank God for them. For through them he desires to have us look to Jesus on the cross for rescue from the most deadly "snakebite" of sin and eternal death.

When you and I leave God’s house today, we can be sure that the "big snake" will be lying in the grass waiting for an opportunity to bite us, just as he "bit" the Israelites when things didn't go as they desired. Satan lies in wait for you children and teenagers, looking to fill you with the poison of disrespect and dishonor for parents, teachers, and other authorities God has placed in your lives. That "big snake" is lying in the weeds looking to bite and poison you adults by getting you to complain, grumble against, or backbite a boss, or a leader in the home or in the church or government when something doesn't go as you want it to go. Watch where you walk! Jesus has laid out the safe trail. Jesus has also promised to walk it with you. So don't withdraw the journey of life, but confidently walk with Jesus who has endured the bites and the consequences of Satan's poisoning for you. And thank God for the little snakes in your life, the challenges and struggles. With these He lovingly is driving you to confess your weakness and sin. He is mercifully calling you to look trustingly to your crucified and risen Jesus, the antidote for all "snakebites". He is protectively steering you to his safe trail through this life to his great promised land of heaven.
Amen.