Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

There are two things in today's reading that have perplexed me over the years and I'm

excited to talk about them with you. We're closing it on the promised land but

there are still a few people from the old generation that disbelieved God so we know they can't

enter yet. Today the people continue toward Canaan, carefully routing around Edum since the King of

Edum has denied them passage. Unfortunately, they run into another king who pounces on them and

take some of their people captive. Going on the defense, Israel asks God for help and promises

to destroy the pagan cities of these Canaanites if God will help them win.

And God did.

As they continue on, they hit another food and water shortage.

So instead of asking God for help like they know they can, they complain

about both Moses and God. They don't complain to Moses, just about him. They take their problems

to everyone except the people who can solve them.

But even though they're not talking to God, God hears. And he sends some snakes to kill them,

which seems to fit with his plan to wipe out the older generation.

When the people confess and repent, realizing their sin for what it is,

Moses prays for them and God shows mercy.

God tells Moses to make a fiery serpent on a pole, and if anyone is bitten, they can look at the fiery

serpent and they'll live. This is the first thing I find perplexing, especially because it seems like

God is ordering Moses to break the second

commandment. How was crafting a serpent any different than crafting a calf? The

distinction is that they weren't worshiping the serpent.

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