QT 28 Mar 12, God desires our trust

Num 21:1-9 (NIV) When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. 2 Then Israel made this vow to the Lord: "If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities." 3 The Lord listened to Israel's plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.

4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"

6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came 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." So Moses prayed for the people.

8 The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

NOTE: Aaron has just died and some of the Israelites are captured, although the context is not listed. Now, they are taking a very wide path through the desert to get around Edom. Again, the people complain about food, water, and lack of variety. God judges the people with poisonous snakes, and then when they repent of their sin provides a form of salvation from the bite. Of course, there is an analogy between the bite of the snake and our sin nature, and the snake on the pole and Christ on the cross, but the real point is the continual lack of trust and contentment despite nearly 40 years of God's provision. And in this I do understand--even though we have seen God provide again and again over the years, every new situation causes us to wonder if he will provide this time--why is that? Is it because we really are not convinced that God cares? Or that God really understands our situation? Or maybe, we see God like ourselves, who can be fickle at times? I'm not sure what the reason is for our lack of trust, of faith in God, for our daily lives. But I do believe, it is the one thing God values the most in us. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."