“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.”[1]

It’s almost impossible to read this text from Number 21 and not make some type of connection with the words of Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3:15. Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.”[2] The gore of the cross aptly reminds us “that sometimes suffering is the only path to redemption and often the road to healing and light runs straight through darkness and pain.”[3] This is a difficult message, but not one that is outside our reality. This may a challenging text, but this is not a text devoid of good news. Today we heard that is able to use an object of pain and death as an instrument of healing. This beloved is good news indeed.

It may not surprise you to learn that Numbers does not make the preaching cycles too often. The Revised Common Lectionary only offers texts from this book five times in the three-year cycle—but if you look closer you will notice that the texts offered there repeat themselves twice.[4] So, even if a preacher chooses those texts you hear either the priestly blessing[5] or complaints.

As you can imagine, the journey of the people in the wilderness was not easy. Life happened at what seems to be an incredibly slow pace. We modern people, who have lived a full year of wilderness life—in this pandemic—may understand a little something about this reality. Those of us who spent the early months of the pandemic locked indoors, looking at the same walls, talking to the same people, eating the same food, yearning for something new that seemed to never come, may have asked the question spoken by the psalmist, “How long, O LORD?”[6] Our wilderness reality repeated itself day after day, after day, after day, and it took a heavy toll on our lives. The people of Israel, who had fled the oppressive realities of Egypt, were tired of detours, bland food, and lack of water. Their desperation was so high that they looked back to times of slavery with nostalgia. (And) Even though God walked with the people, when challenges arose, time and time again, the people would raise their voices against Moses and God.

If you have followed the story of the people of Israel even loosely, you know that complaining was almost a spiritual practice. As Moses returned to Egypt and went before Pharaoh with Aaron to declare God’s word of liberation, the people complain that Moses’ talk of freedom had made life difficult for them.[7] As Pharaoh pursued the Israelites to the edge of the Red Sea and the people feared death, complaints arose once again.[8] As they journeyed into the desert and found no drinkable water, more complaints.[9] As they faced hunger, they complained.[10] As they faced thirst, they complained some more.[11] As they felt insecure, while Moses received instructions from God on Mount Sinai, they complained and sinned.[12]  As they missed the food of slavery, more complaints.[13] Even Moses’ siblings complained about his leadership.[14] But then we begin to look for a turning point as people arrive at the promised land. You may be familiar with this part of the story. Moses sent spies to survey the land,[15] as they returned, they offered a report saying, “We came into the land to which you sent us, and it’s actually flowing with milk and honey… But mighty is the people that dwells in the land, and the towns are fortified and very big, and also the offspring of the giant we saw there.”[16]Even as they arrived at the promised land, many believed the task of conquering the land was too hard, so once again they complained.[17]

It may seem amazing that a people who had seen God work in so many miraculous ways could struggle so much trusting God’s direction. God had made Godself know among the people and the nations. God journeyed with the people each step of t