and again? Maybe you’ve tried to overcome some kind of habit or pattern

because you know you’re making a mess, but you just can’t seem to break

free. Israel had a national pattern of complaining. Their impatience

drove them to once again speak and act like God had not been good (or

good enough) to them. This time, God supernaturally brings a deadly

danger to them in response to their continued grumbling. But the story

doesn’t end there. We see once again the God of grace moved to

compassion for people who deserved to face the fruits of their sin.

Instead, God provides salvation through an equally miraculous means. And

it is a story that Jesus tells when He’s explaining His mission to

Nicodemus in John 3. So let’s look at this brief story that tells us so much about our own problems, God’s judgment, and His great grace.