Raising our Reminder

Usually I start with a life experience, and go from there to Bible Verses which guide us. Today I'm going to do this a little more like a sermon and start from a Bible Verse and talk about it. I went to a friend's church this Sunday and the pastor spoke about John 3:13-15 in which Jesus quotes a verse from Numbers 21:9. I was really intrigued by the story that he discussed a little bit as background, and decided to do a little research of my own. I was raised in the church and have what I would consider a pretty exhaustive knowledge of Bible Stories, but I had never heard this one. And while I have read a large part of the Bible, I have never quite made it through from cover to cover. So I was excited to find a story with which I was unfamiliar. 

This story in Numbers describes yet another time when the Israelites had screwed up. The Israelites were still wondering in the desert, but they were finally on their way to Edom, but as always, the Israelites didn't appreciate what they had. The Bible says "the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”

And so the Lord decided to punish His people for their lack of trust and their disobedience. So "then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died." The people of Israel, now knowing the signs of God's reprimands when they had screwed up, immediately knew they had done wrong. Then 'the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.'"

And Moses prayed to the Lord "and the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” The Lord used the symbol of their punishment as the catalyst for their healing.

And the Bible tells us that Moses did this, he "made a [bronze/copper/brazen] serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live." Also important, Moses did have to raise the serpent up, but the people were not automatically healed, they too had to lift their eyes up and acknowledge their sin before they were healed.

So to me the most interesting part of this story is the method that God used to provide for His people's healing. As I said, when Moses prayed to God, God directed Moses to "make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." This is really intriguing because the method of healing is the raising up of the cause of the ailment. 

While I feel the need to point out that our "puny human minds" (as my friend likes to say) cannot completely understand the mind of God, I think there are a couple reasonable explanations for this. In fact, my reasoning was backed up by my research as several Old-Testament scholars and Masoretic (Hebrew Bible) Scholars. I selected some references for each point, but there are a wealth of other thoughts on this text, if you are interested let me know. 

But here are four reasons that I think it may have been that God used the instrument of the punishment as the instrument of the healing.

1. To Show God's Power: God was able to show his absolute power by the reversal of something used for punishment to become something used for healing. Two Masoretic Scholars (Daas Zekeinim; Ramban) made this point. Daas Zekeinim said "the same snake that He gave the power to kill people with its venom, is the same one whose depiction will be the instrument of their healing."
2. Because it was a symbolic representation of the sin committed: The use of the snake might have proved a good reminder for the Israelites because in many ways the serpent represents the idea of misrepresenting, speaking deceitfully of, or slandering God (as in Genesis 3:6 where the serpent misrepresents God's commands in the garden, slandering Him and deceiving Adam and Eve). Because of this the Israelites might better understand the severity of the sin of which they had to repent. (Masoretic Scholar Sforno)
3. To be a reminder of the sin so it would not be repeated: The same snake that He gave the power to kill people with its venom, is the same one whose depiction will be the instrument of their healing. Masoretic Scholar Baal Haturim suggests that
4. To teach the Israelites to raise up their sins to God for forgiveness: This may have been a type of man raising their sins to God for forgiveness, just as they had to raise their ailment up to God for healing.(Aaron Jehoshua, an Old Testament Scholar wrote an article called Copper Serpent in his biblical encyclopedia called Insights in the Scripture) He said " In the wilderness a person who had been bitten by one of the poisonous serpents that Jehovah sent among the Israelites evidently had to gaze at the copper serpent in faith [to be healed]," just as Moses had to literally raise the serpent up to God for their healing.
5. To foreshadow Christ being raised on the cross to forgive our sins: Christ's death was a representation of our death through sin, and he was raised on the cross to heal us, true, but also as a reminder that we need healing. Because of Christ's death, the perfect Son of God, we knew the severity of our own sin that it took such a perfect sacrifice, but we were also freed from it. Reverend Spurgeon said "Allow me, then, dear friends, to describe first, the people in the wilderness—the representatives of men who are sinners. Let me describe next, the brazen serpent—the type of Jesus Christ crucified. Let me then note what was to be done with the brazen serpent—it was to be lifted up; and so was Christ to be lifted up. And then let us notice what was to be done by the people who were bitten—they were to look at the serpent; and so sinners must believe in Christ." (Jehoshua also agreed to this point as well.

This last point, the foreshadowing of Christ leads me back, finally to the verse in John. "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.'" John 3:13-15 This, of course emphasizes that God used the serpent for the fifth reason, to foreshadow Jesus.

Jehoshua said this about this topic: "Like the copper serpent that Moses placed on a pole in the wilderness, the Son of God was fastened on a stake, thus appearing to many as.. a sinner [the representation of our sin, like the snake], being in the position of one cursed. (De 21:22, 23; Ga 3:13; 1Pe 2:24) In the wilderness a person who had been bitten by one of the poisonous serpents that Jehovah sent among the Israelites evidently had to gaze at the copper serpent in faith. Similarly, to gain everlasting life through Christ, it is necessary to exercise faith in him." I don't think I could have said it any better myself, in fact I know I couldn't have.

And Reverend Spurgeon said, in more flowery language, the same thing. "And now I must tell you one or two sweet things for the encouragement of the poor sinner. Oh, you that are guilty this morning, and know that you are so, let me say to you, 'Look to Christ.' For remember the brazen serpent was lifted up, that every one in the camp who was bitten might live; and now Christ is lifted up to you, that 'whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.' Sinner, the devil says you are shut out; tell him that 'whosoever' shuts out none. Oh that precious word, 'whosoever.' I see thee clutch at it and say, 'Then, Sir, if I believe, he will not cast me away.'" 

Admirably Attending

As I have mentioned before in my post Our Physical vs Paradisaical Parent I am reading a book called God Girl, by Hayley DiMarco. While I cannot say I agree with every single speck of her theology (we disagree on Once Saved Always Saved for example), her theology is Biblically sound and a solid read. I put the book down for awhile while prepping for the mission trip to India. But I had a chance to pick it back up. I was reading the chapter on communication this week and what she says about true listening really struck my heart. Especially since I was just speaking in my last post (Trump Termination) about listening instead of "trumping" what others say.

James 1:19 (NIV) says "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."

So according to Hayley DiMarco the "God Girl" (her way of referring to a Godly woman) does certain things when communicating. I am going to alter, expound on, and refine her list a little, as what she said covered a whole chapter and I simply don't think my readers have quite so much time, or maybe quite so much patience. Let me know if you do!

So the attributes of a Christian listener are: Listening with Kindness, Being Attentive, Being Giving, Prioritizing the Speaker, Asking Questions, Praising the Speaker, and Commenting with Care.

Listening with Kindness is very important. Often when someone is telling us their problems or just talking for "too long" we start to think of them negatively. We need to always think the best of the speaker when we are being Godly listeners. Remember that they are not complaining, they need you to listen, they are venting their frustrations or seeking support and commiseration. Listen while always giving them the benefit of the doubt. 

Being attentive may seem obvious, but I have found sometimes seeming attentive is harder. My mind is capable of running many lines of thought at the same time. Make sure that when you are listening, you are truly listening. Keep what they are saying in the forefront of your mind, and ensure your other trains of thought follow the same path, and don't distract you. Remember to make eye-contact. Make affirmations, make sure you engage with what they are saying in your mind and out loud.

Be giving is sometimes harder than you think. Sometimes listening means giving of time you really don't think you have. Hebrews 13:6 says "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." Sharing what you have can also be sharing of your time, and sharing of your patience. Make sure you don't seem impatient or busy. I'll say it again. When you are listening, you are listening.

Prioritizing the speaker is kind of like being giving. But make sure that even when the speaker seems to expect a response, you keep the conversation focused on them. This is them time, not you time. Make sure if you agree to do something for them, you do it. Make sure if they need something from you, truly need it, that if you are not able to do it you help them find someone who is. Support them no matter what! Remember, Philippians 2:4 says "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Asking Questions is really important when someone is speaking and expects you to be truly listening. Asking Questions can help keep them on track with where they are going, and help clarify to ensure you understand exactly what they meant, not just what they said. Asking questions shows you are engaged with what they are saying and shows them you care. Even if your question is just a prompt. "And then what did you say?" It shows you heard exactly what they are saying and that you are listening actively.

Praising the Speaker is not about fluffing someone's ego unnecessarily, it is about spending time really thinking and seeing the good in them. When you support them and speak to them about what you think they have right, it also makes them feel good and supported. It also makes it easier if you want to offer advice or gentle critique later.  Praising the speaker is about being supportive not deceitful, remember to find something honest, that you truly mean. This is also a good exercise for you. It helps you keep your heart open and helps you see the best in others.

Commenting with Care is in the same line as asking questions. Most people expect you to comment when they are speaking. Remember to be engaged and speak on what they are saying. Even if all you say is an affirmation of what they said, like "I hear ya!" or "that was very big of you," it can really help the speaker feel that you see them as important and that you think what they are saying is important. If you are asked to offer advice, remember to do it with love and kindness. Asking someone for advice is hard, and giving it is difficult as well. Remember to think of how God would want you to speak to them, namely with kindness and honesty.

In school, we called all this being an active listener. I advise you all to become active listeners.  Remember 1 John 3:17 says "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" Sometimes the "world's goods" are your time, or just your ears and heart.

Trump Termination

Awhile ago a pastor spoke at the Campus Crusade for Christ at Syracuse University (where I went to school). I remember the pastor spoke about good listening. So when he spoke about our inclination toward "one-upping", in this case he was not referring to "one-upping" of the explicit, intentional variety. Sometimes we even notice ourselves doing this, our own version of "my scar is cooler than your scar". But what he was referring to is something I know I do, probably multiple times a week.

Have you ever been talking to someone who said "I have a killer test tomorrow, I am so worried about it," and responded with something you had as well, "I know, I have two finals! I'm freaking out." Or if they were talking about their crazy week at work, you might respond with how bad your own is.  Now, I am later going to talk about what the impact of this is if your intent is not hurtful, but first I am going to talk about the more serious implications.
  
Sometimes this might even be intentional. If you are frustrated with a friend who seems to complain a lot, you might be tempted to point out you have it way worse than they do, by countering with something you are dealing with which is worse. Remember firstly, that a lot of people with chronic health issues have been taught to alert their companions to these issues in case they interfere with their attitude or performances at tasks. They are told to do this by health care professionals in order to ensure you are not offended if they are...say cranky when they are in pain, or are unable to keep up with you if you are walking quickly. Secondly, if you are absolutely certain that this is not the case, one-upping is not how we as Christians are called to address conflict.

Matthew 18:15-17 (ESV) says “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church." That is how we Christians are to address conflict.

Remember "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:31-32 (NASB)

But most often as Christians (at least I like to think so) we don't automatically try to one-up one another out of anger or frustration, or even vanity and pride. (If that is something you struggle with, remember Proverbs 11:12 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.") I like to believe that in most cases this is something we do to commiserate.

Say your friend comes up to you and says "I have such a killer headache today." One of our most likely responses is "I know, me too! Must be the weather today." or something of the like.

Maybe your friend is limping, if you ask them what happened. "I totally turned my ankle yesterday on the ice." You might reply, "Ugh, I sprained mine last year, that sucks girl."(OK so my imaginary friend and my imaginary you are valley girls, but regardless the point stands.)

In these scenarios, you were attempting to commiserate with something tough through which your friend was going. And while that is admirable, this pastor seemed to think this was universally a bad thing. On one hand I disagree. I think this is a heart matter, and depends on what your intent was. If your intent was to comfort or commiserate then you are in good shape, but if your intent was to feel better about yourself or to call someone out for complaining, then maybe you're not in good shape at all. On the other hand, I agree with this pastor in some ways. I was raised to understand that while in a perfect world the intent behind our words matters, in reality often times what really matters is how our words are taken. In this case, this boils down to the fact that sometimes people can feel like you are trying to one-up them, whether you are or not. And that's not a good thing.

For example, my best friend in the entire world knows me better than anyone else. I would assume they would know that the things I say to them always come from the heart. This friend, let's call him Dan, was going through a really hard time. He were facing a physical issue which caused him some pretty severe pain, and that severe pain was leading to some emotional issues. He was feeling really down and out.

I have experience with this. I suffer from fibromyalgia, and I have a surgically reconstructed spine. I've been in pain every second of every day since I was maybe 12 or 13 (over ten years). I got really down for awhile too, and sometimes I still struggle with that, but most of the time now that is not an issue for me, through the support of my family and some vitamin D (I was deficient) I am doing quite well.

So when my friend was down I kept talking about how I went through the same thing. He knows me better than almost anyone else. I assumed he would understand that I was saying "If I can get through that, you can too." I think I even may have used those words. But to poor Dan it seemed like when he was needing to talk about what he was going through, I was instead talking about me. It seemed like I kept turning every conversation back to me. That is not at all what I intended.! Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV) says "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up..." That was what I was trying to do, but I had failed miserably. I went home and cried when I found out how Dan had taken what I was saying. I made sure to tell him what I had meant all along and apologized. And now, when Dan needs to talk about what he's going through, I don't bring up what I went through, I just listen. I support him. Because that is what he needed all along.

James 1:19 (NIV) says "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."

 Remember to turn off the urge to trump others, whatever form it may come in. We are here to support each other. And sometimes we need to remember that what we intend may not be how what we say comes across!