March 27, Day 86 – Open Hearts; Open Hands
- Dr. Eric Stricker
- Mar 27
- 3 min read
We come now to Numbers 21:4-22:20 where we observe another failure of the Israelites and more frustration for Moses in the incident with the bronze snake. The people of Israel “traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea to go around Edom, but the people grew impatient on the way and spoke against God and against Moses” (verses 4-5). Grumble! Grumble! Grumble! “Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them …” (verse 6). The words “spoke against” infer that the people engaged in no less than slander against God and against Moses. We need to understand that this is a grave sin – slandering God is akin to blasphemy. Essentially, blasphemy against God is equal to saying that He is not Who He says He is, and He cannot do what He says He can do. Effectively, this belief is the unpardonable sin. For this sin, God’s wrath led Him to send snakes as a reminder of the Israelites’ sin. We recall that a snake was the deceptive creature through which Satan originally tempted Eve. Here, the snakes “bit the people and many Israelites died” (verse 6). We also remember that “the sting of death is sin” (cf., 1 Corinthians 15:56). Moses was instructed to create a “bronze snake,” upon which bitten people could look and live (verses 8-9). In Scripture, bronze is a symbol of judgment (cf., the bronze altar, Exodus 27:1-7; the bronze wash basin, Exodus 30:17-21). The bronze snake lifted up foreshadows the One Who was “lifted up” (John 12:32) – the One to Whom we look with the eyes of faith for our salvation – and the One Who was made sin for us (cf., John 3:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Here also, we follow the Israelites on their journey to Moab and to their defeat of the Amorite kings, Sihon and Og. These biblical accounts have been verified historically by the ancient Moabite Stone (c. 900 B.C.) which is on display in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Chapter 22 introduces us to Balak who will summon Balaam to engage in witchcraft and curse the Israelites. We will take a closer look at this tomorrow.
Psalm 37:21-31 further sets forth the contrast between the righteous and the wicked. I appreciate the focus of today’s verses on Christian generosity. Growing up as a youngster, I was naturally interested in the acquisition of material things. After I met my wife, I was stunned by her personal contentment, her generosity, and her ability to give freely to others without the slightest expectation of any return – a characteristic she learned from her charitable father – whom I also admired for his willingness to share. Later, as missionaries, we were expected to solicit and receive support, and certainly, God blessed us richly over the years. However, God taught me that amassing material things can be burdensome. Gradually, I have come to realize that God is a bountiful Giver and Provider, and my proper role is simply to be His custodian – a steward – over that which He has entrusted into my care. In reality, nothing is mine; it is all His. God wants us to open our hearts and our hands toward others – to share with those who have a need, and to release what we hold for God’s glory and His kingdom.
In Luke 6:12-36, we see Jesus calling the twelve disciples. This section is followed by a series of blessings and woes – the Beatitudes – and Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount. Here, we see that Jesus turns the table on conventional wisdom. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them … But love your enemies, do good to them, lend to them without expecting to get anything back … be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (verses 32-36). This is convicting, and nothing we can say about it can improve upon it. May God help us truly to live with open hearts and open hands.
Komentarze