MURMURING, or grumbling, is a great sin. God is angry with grumblers. When He brought the children of Israel through the wilderness they often murmured against Him and His servant Moses. After they had been for many years in the wilderness—during the whole of which time God led them step by step, gave them manna from heaven day by day for their bread, and streams from the rock for their water—they were much disheartened because of the way.
Then they grumbled against God and against Moses. “Wherefore,” said they, “have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.”
As is generally the case with grumblers and fault finders, these children of Israel not only complained of their difficulties, but of their mercies.
They were tried by the way which God led them, so they found fault with the bread of heaven by which He fed them!
Then God was angry with these complainers, and He sent amongst them a terrible judgment—fiery serpents, which bit the people, many of whom died.
Then the children of Israel repented, and cried to Moses, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee.”
Whereupon Moses prayed for them, and the Lord bade him make a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole, and said that every one who was bitten when he looked upon it should live. “And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived.” Read Num. 21:4-94And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (Numbers 21:4‑9).
Now, all that God says will surely come to pass. Sin must be punished, and even the sins of little children must be answered for. We all have sinned. But God has provided the way of life for us. And God’s way of life is through death.
It was like setting up the judgment and death they deserved for them all to look at, when God told Moses to lift up the brazen serpent amongst the children of Israel, who were dying under God’s judgment for their sins. And this is what faith sees in Jesus crucified for sinners. Then He was made sin for us, then He bore God’s judgment due to sin, then He died for sinners. The God of love saw man bitten by the serpent, as it were, and dying, and “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).) And Jesus, whom God gave for us, says of Himself, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (v. 14, 15.)
Perhaps you may think that you are not so wicked as grown-up people. No, indeed, we trust you are not. But what was Israel’s sin? One of which, alas, many children are guilty. For even in children there is much murmuring. Ah! beloved young friends, old or young, we all have sinned, and we all need salvation. We are all under judgment and all are dying, but for all there is the crucified Jesus. And to all God says, in His tender love, “Every one when he looketh upon it, shall live.” And Jesus says, “I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto Me.” (John 12:3232And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John 12:32).)