No More Snakes!

Num 21:4-9  John 3:14-21 Ps 58:4 Isa 14:29 Prov 23:32 Ps 91:13 Micah 7:17

We were one of those families that used to go out walking on Sunday afternoons and I recall vividly a time when we were out in Ashington Woods and came into a clearing and in the middle of the clearing was a tree and on the tree was a sign written in big red letters. “Snakes….keep out”, and what was astonishing was the response of my Dad, a man not normally given to flouting rules and regulations and sound advice. My dad went running into the clearing and began running and jumping all over the place. Without any fear at all he strode through the bracken and clambered about on bits of broken trees. “There’s no snakes here” he cried “None at all, see it’s perfectly safe”

My mum and I were not convinced. We hung back on the edge – not daring to enter the clearing and from that moment onwards the walk was ruined because if the snakes were not there – then – where were they? They could be anywhere in those woods, ready to jump out on me at any moment.

Snakes do not have a good press in Holy Scripture. It was a snake who brought things to a head for Adam and Eve and caused them to be banned from paradise and here in our Old Testament reading, God uses snakes as a punishment for the people when they complain about life in the wilderness and start to long for the fleshpots of Egypt rather than the guiding hand of the Lord.

Biblical writers usually treat the snake as dangerous and wicked.

They represent evil men (Ps58:4). the common enemy(Isa14:29) the effects of over indulgence (Prov23:32), the character of the Pharisees and the Saducees (Matt23:33), alien countries (Micah 7:17) and actually any situation of danger(Ps91:13)

Snakes…snakes were everywhere..and they were to be avoided.

The raising up of the bronze snake is God really saying – look I am bringing healing to your fear, I am making hope possible amidst danger.  If you put your trust in me – not only will I look after you – though it appears to be against all the odds – you also need have nothing to fear – for look I have put to death that which caused us to become separated from one another in the first place.

All the people had to do was look upon the most hated and feared thing and they would live.

There is a direct line from the snake on a pole to the saviour on a tree of course

Now Jesus is lifted into the very place upon which that hated creature was previously hoisted – as if God is making the point as strongly as he can – do you not yet understand – if you trust in me you need have no fear. I have gone to the place of fear myself, I have become as a snake for you out of love for you,  but I have extracted its venom – so come into the clearing of the places and people of which you were once apprehensive – and be not afraid.

We are caught up in so much fearfulness today and whilst we must not distance ourselves from the strive of many people and the need to live responsibly so that our children can inherit a good earth – Calvary shows us that we must not allow ourselves to become dominated by the fear of it all.

It may be that you come to our service completely carefree – but like as not there is something eating away at you somewhere and it dominates your life more fully than it ought. We can banish this snake like presence to the cross – let Christ take it from us and although we will smart for a while – even though the bites are real and swelling – they will not have the last say.

A year or so on from that incident in Ashington Woods I went on a choir outing to the Isle of Wight and I brought my mum back a souvenir. I asked her to close her eyes and hold out her hand and she probably did so dreaming of chocolate or a stick of rock. When she opened her eyes – there was snake in her hand – only a plastic one – but she was beside herself and the plastic snake was immediately put into the garage – it was not allowed even in the house.

What a horrible thing to have done – but when we let fear dominate our lives – that’s how we become, fearful, even of that which cannot harm us – fearful, though we say that in Christ even death has lost its sting.

RH  22.3.09