"Don't Waste your Pandemic" & The appeal of "Normalcy"

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"Don’t waste your pandemic” is the refrain of the moment. Many within the church are reflecting on the opportunities COVID-19 presents. Quarantine has presented opportunities to spend more time with family, home improvements, and a simpler life. Others are in the thralls of debating reopening best practices. Preservation and extension of life is the single most captivating topic in our discourse today. As Christians we can look to Jesus for lessons during every crisis to teach us about life. 

Like a uniquely memorable tweet or title may entice you to click on a link to read more, Jesus’ statement in John 3:16 leads us to seek more of his teaching. Many of us have memorized this familiar verse, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” It’s one that is displayed prominently in churches, at sporting events, and throughout various contemporary stories. Right before delivering this remarkable statement Jesus used a reference to a historical event that occurred in the days of Moses, during the wandering of ancient Israel in the wilderness.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. - John 3:14-15

Why did Jesus reference a plague when discussing eternal life? Let’s look at the story Jesus mentioned from Numbers 21:4-9:

4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” 6 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Rebellion, God’s mercy, and repentance, develop key themes of scripture. The story develops rapidly; the Israelites were dissatisfied with God’s provision, God sends them a reminder of his grace in the form of snakes, the people repent, and God provides a means of escape from harm. The spectrum of God’s provision knows no boundaries. it can be observed that God loves his people, in providing both for discipline and a means of restoration. 

The discontent that grew in the hearts of the people was hardly as innocent as the impatience of a back seat passenger who is comfortably being transported in an air conditioned automobile asking “are we there yet?”. The cry “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?” isn’t the random combination of words; this is a pathological chorus which was sung by the people of Israel during their anthem of self-pity in the wilderness. The Israelites were not children asking “are we there yet?” Wilderness Israel were a people marked by a disposition of spiteful maliciousness and they sought to spew their anger at God.

We may be tempted to distance ourselves from this generation of wilderness Israelites. Yet Jesus himself thought that this story was important enough to illustrate his teaching to Nicodemus. The lessons about the human heart in Numbers 21:4-9 are more current and relevant than ever in the midst of a global pandemic. Are the grumblings about life during, and after the pandemic completely devoid of acknowledgement of God’s provision? Maybe “spiteful maliciousness” isn’t the current state of our attitudes, but such an attitude isn’t the only potential overlap between us today and the people of Numbers 21:4-9. 

There are a great many crying out for things to return to the way they were prior to the quarantined response. Do we want to go back to “normal”? For many of us, the "normal" of pre-COVID-19 was hardly paradise. Do we want to return to the sins of life prior to this quarantine, or will we see God at work in our lives? Will we give praise to God for continually changing us more and more into the image of his Son Christ Jesus? The ancient wilderness Israelites wanted to go back to normal. To them Egypt was normal. The new normal for this generation of Israelites was Manna, continual wandering, and a defined prohibition from entering the promised land. No wonder they were grumbling! The ancient Israelites were sick of waiting. Are we sick of waiting? Are we sick of the change that we are experiencing presently? 

Please don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m not saying that the  new-post-quarantine-normal, with all it’s new norms, political policies, and abuses is a good thing. I’m saying that God uses ALL things for the GOOD of those who love him (Romans 8:28). That includes plagues (like in Numbers 21:4-9), quarantines (like Paul’s House arrest, Noah & his family alone on the ark for many months, and us today) and rulers (both righteous and wicked). Nothing is outside of the scope of God’s redemptive purposes. Nothing evil or righteous is outside God’s power to use for his glory (See Jesus teaching in John 9:2-3 regarding the blind man). God was able to use the plague of snakes to bring about the discipline and repentance of a wicked generation, and God is about bringing his glory and kingdom even in the midst of a global pandemic. 

What I am saying is that change often occurs through hardship. The Lord used hardship to bring about a change in the ancient Israelites. Rather than looking back to Egypt, they were to look towards God’s appointed means of redemption. Rather than opining for the rule of an alien ruler, they were to bow down and render worship to their God who dwelt among them in fire and smoke. God used a tremendously effective opportunity for the ancient wilderness Israelites. Follow the prescription of the Lord and live, or ignore the prescription of the Lord and die. 

All indicators of the severity of this plague point to Israel learning a lesson about rebellion against God. Israel developed a new appreciation for the manna that was previously complained about (21:5) as being loathsome.  Numbers is actually the last recorded time the Israelites complain about their provision of food in the wilderness.  To say this plague was effective at ending Israel’s longings for Egypt would be a gross understatement. When observed within the whole of scripture Numbers 21:4-9 can be rightly observed and interpreted as a historical account of God’s faithfulness, both shadowing and foretelling the coming savior who would himself slay the eternal sting of rebellion. 

Now we can see clearly why Jesus referenced this small passage of wilderness Israelite history to teach Nicodemus about God’s redemption. The serpent was lifted up for those in the community to see and be saved from the plague. Jesus of course would be lifted up on the cross at Golgotha. Jesus is continually lifted up high, given glory and praise and honor as faithful Christians share with others the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Jesus tied the lifting up of the serpent to himself, by referring to “The Son of Man” (The phrase “Son of Man” is one used frequently by Jesus in relation to himself. John Piper has an excellent short study on the topic. https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/why-is-jesus-called-son-of-man). In his referencing of this deadly plague, Jesus connects belief in him with life, and rejection of him with death. 

I have sat with many brothers and sisters in prayer over my years following Christ and heard yearnings offered to the Lord for a revival in this land. The chorus of devoted Christians gathering, asking that God would provide for themselves, and their children, the gift of faith. The anthem of loving family members seeking for God to reveal himself and save a friend, co-worker, or spouse. So often God uses moments of change, moments of hardship to reveal himself to the lost. In the midst of this pandemic, and the changes that will come, are we looking back towards the way things were? Or is this pandemic properly to be called a planndemic in the reality that NOTHING is outside of God’s power to use for his plans? 

It may very well be that this current plague of COVID-19 is not so unlike another plague that Jesus referenced in Number 21. This is a moment where we as God’s people have an opportunity to look to the cross of Christ lifted high for the salvation of many. This is a moment where hardship forces change. This is a moment where we as God’s people have an opportunity to point to the cross showing others the means of eternal life. 

Those who looked at the serpent held aloft in Numbers 21 were saved. Imagine keeping the cure for the plague a secret. Imagine not telling your loved ones, your friends, your co-workers about the means of saving from the plague of snakes. As Christians, we have news of the cure that lasts for eternity. We have the honorable opportunity and gloriously good news to share that:

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.