Number 21:6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.
After witnessing the parting of the Red Sea, enjoying the freshly baked supplies from the bake house of Heaven morning after morning and drinking the kool-aid from the rocks in the desert, the Israelites repeatedly grew impatient, intolerant and astringent. Number 21:4 the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses. There was constant complaining, grouching and bickering in the camp of Israel. Complaining attracts fiery venomous serpents. There were six hundred thousand men and their families in the camp. However, the venomous snakes only killed the whiners, moaners and the protestors! The complainers went 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” (Numbers 21:7). The Israelites had a very slow spiritual metabolism. We find them repeating the same mistakes over and over again and eventually dying in the desert.
The Greek idiom for “snakes” is demons. Remember serpents hurt with their mouth, so do demons. When Jesus said, you will pick up snakes in your hands and it shall cause you no harm, He meant that the demons will become powerless in the hands of those who live above the snake line. Those who live below the snake line will be bitten by the snakes but those who live above will trample over the snakes.
Three traits of those who live below the snake line:
1. Impatience: Those who live below the snake line are impatient, irritated and intolerant. Number 21:4 the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses. Impatience leads to disappointment and disappointment leads to frustration which come out as complaints. The constant hissing of the snakes are in the ears of those who live among these belligerent demons. The hissing of the snakes will soon invade into their mind and captivate their thoughts to spit out as complaints. Those who want quick turnovers, immediate results and overnight wealth are living way below the snake line. Impatience will cause wise people to do foolish things.
2. Arrogance: Impatience will drive them to become astringent, ungrateful and arrogant. “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” (Numbers 21:5b). They were complaining about “Manna” the divine supplies from Heaven and had the audacity to call “Manna” – miserable food! Arrogance attracts venomous snakes and the attacks of the enemy. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and folly before a fall. God sends no one empty except those who are full of themselves – Dwight L Moody.
3. Dissonance: Those who harbour hatred, jealousy and covetousness will turn a casual conversation into a dissonance. Those who live way below the snake line will look for trouble, plant discord and stir up strife. Psalms 140:3 They sharpen their tongues like a snake; The venom of a viper is under their lips. The words or the venom of those who live below the snake line will not affect those who live above the line. A troublemaker plants seeds of strife.
The venom of the snake can only hurt those who live below the line of integrity, honesty and truth. Snakes hate the smell of clove and cinnamon oil. Spray the cinnamon oil of praise, worship and gratitude to crush, kill and drive the venomous demons away. Live above the snake line.
Mark 16:18a they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them
Prayer: Dear Jesus, I consecrate my lips only to praise and worship you to silence and squash the venom spitting mouth of the snakes and demons. Amen
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