The snakes were there all along

In the book of Numbers, there is a record of the Israelites being bitten by snakes in the wilderness.

 

The people spoke against God and 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 miserable food.” The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. [Numbers 21:5-6]

 

The manna, which is a representation of Christ, the Israelites ate was described as angels’ food in Ps 78:25, but in their complaint, it was degraded to become miserable food! As a result, we see the judgement of God brought upon them: they were attacked by snakes. Matthew Henry reminded us in his commentary that the snakes were there all along, as noted by Moses in Deuteronomy 8:15, and the Lord had shielded the people from the snakes. The above 2 verses show us clearly that the attack from the snakes came only after the people degraded the manna, and even wanted to forsake the manna.

 

As such let us take heed not to repeat the mistake the Israelites had made. As Matthew Henry puts it, “Let not the contempt which some cast on the word of God, make us value it less.“