THURSDAY 11TH APRIL 2019 MORNING
Numbers 21:4-9 New International Version (NIV)
The Bronze Snake
- Numbers 21:4 Or the Sea of Reeds
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea,[a] 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 wilderness? 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.
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, they lived.
The Israelites complained against God and he sent snakes to punish them. When they repented God did not remove the snakes but He made a solution so that even if the Israelites were bitten by poisonous snakes they would not be harmed. They must trust in God and look at the brass snake on the pole and believe that they would be healed rather than looking at the snakes.
The brass snake on the pole is a picture of Jesus on the cross. We must trust in God and repent our sins and not keep looking at our problems. God is greater than all our problems.
ALHAMISI TAREHE 11 APRILI 2019 ASUBUHI
HESABU 21:4-9
Wakasafiri kutoka mlima wa Hori kwa njia ya Bahari ya Shamu; ili kuizunguka nchi ya Edomu, watu wakafa moyo kwa sababu ya ile njia.
5 Watu wakamnung'unikia Mungu, na Musa, Mbona mmetupandisha huku kutoka nchi ya Misri, ili tufe jangwani? Maana hapana chakula, wala hapana maji, na roho zetu zinakinai chakula hiki dhaifu.
6 Bwana akatuma nyoka za moto kati ya watu, wakawauma, watu wengi wakafa.
7 Watu wakamwendea Musa, wakasema, Tumefanya dhambi kwa sababu tumemnung'unikia Mungu, na wewe; utuombee kwa Bwana, atuondolee nyoka hawa. Basi Musa akawaombea watu.
8 Bwana akamwambia Musa, Jifanyie nyoka ya shaba, ukaiweke juu ya mti, na itakuwa kila mtu aliyeumwa, aitazamapo ataishi.
9 Musa akafanya nyoka ya shaba, akaiweka juu ya mti, hata ikiwa nyoka amemwuma mtu, alipoitazama ile nyoka ya shaba, akaishi.
Waisraeli walilalamika sana na Mungu alitoa adhabu ya nyoka wenye sumu. Walipotubu na kuomba masaada, Mungu hakuondoa nyoka, bali alitoa msaada kwa namna ingine. Alimwambia Musa tengenezea Nyoka ya shaba na kumweka juu ya nguzo. Waisraeli walipaswa kumwamini Mungu na kutazama nyoka wa shaba na hata kama wameumwa na nyoka wenye sumu hawatapata shida. Nyoka wa shaba ni mfano wa Yesu Kristo msalabani. Tunapaswa kutubu dhambi zetu na kumwangalia na kuamini Yesu. Tusiangalie shida zetu bali tuamini kwamba Mungu ni Mkuu kuliko shida zote.
