⁴From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. ⁵The 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 detest this miserable food.” ⁶Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. ⁷The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. ⁸And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” ⁹So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

I’m thankful that I have never been bitten by a snake, but I’ve certainly felt the venom of sin pulse through my life, its toxicity carrying destruction with it.

What a seemingly bleak story to commence a new week.

The Israelites’ situation in today’s passage could almost be comical if it were not so tragic. God’s people were miserable. They were lost in the desert. They found the food, this God-given manna, to be lousy. The manna could only be outdone by their poor outlook. Yet, God had just the remedy: a pack of venomous snakes.

In their desperation, the Israelites turned against God, which only led to more despair. It is far easier to blame others or even God for our wrongdoing and lack of faith than to come face to face with our own depravity. Still, God will bring us back to him, even if it requires our own version of a fiery serpent to do so.

God’s people saw the error in their ways, which put them in a place to receive God’s grace. The fact that God answered their prayer through the bronze snake—answering them in a way so unlike what they had asked for—is itself of note. Yet Jesus expands on the significance of this bronze snake, not just for the reptile-ridden Israelites, but for us too. In John 3, just prior to summing up the gospel message in the well-known sixteenth verse, Jesus says, “And as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

The Israelites looked at the serpent and lived. Jesus says we must believe in him as he is lifted up, which will bring us life, too. The urgency of our need for a Savior does not always feel like venom pulsing through our blood, literally dying for a remedy. And yet, this is our condition without the blood of Christ shed on our behalf.

I’ve heard it said that Lent is a time for running to God with our brokenness bare before us. Much of the year we try to focus elsewhere and run away, but Lent can help us see that, like the Israelites, “we have sinned” (v. 7) and should run to God as we pray for healing.

Prayer: Loving God, we see your work for our redemption. Help us to throw off the sin that ensnares and distracts us. Fix our eyes on your son, Jesus Christ, as we look to and believe in him. Amen.

Olivia Holt lives in Managua, Nicaragua, where she works as a bridge-builder between North American and Nicaraguan Christians who are serving in areas of extreme poverty across the country. Her local ministry partners, Tabitha’s House Bluefields and CEPAD (Council of Protestant Churches of Nicaragua), are engaged in a variety of ministries with vulnerable children, pastors, midwives, farmers, refugees, and community leaders.

¹⁸For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” ²⁰Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. ²²For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, ²³but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

To the ancient Corinthians, wisdom was a big deal. Corinth was a multicultural commercial city that combined some of the best and worst elements of modern-day New York, Toronto, and Las Vegas. To get ahead, people depended on their ingenuity and competitive spirit—a human wisdom that altogether ignored God.

Not so for Christians, says Paul. The foundation of our calling and our conduct is the cross of Christ—a completely foolish idea for those who know nothing of the gospel. To them, the notion that anything positive could come from a shameful and repulsive Roman crucifixion was ludicrous. Yet God turned that “foolishness” on its head by accomplishing our salvation through the crucifixion of Jesus, along with his subsequent resurrection. Human foolishness became God’s wisdom, and he made it work precisely on our behalf.

In this passage, Paul mentions two groups for whom the cross of Jesus was considered foolish. Jews were “offended,” because the cross was a scandal(reflecting the Greek word often translated as “stumbling block”). They expected God to deliver them from centuries of oppression through a messiah who would demonstrate signs of power and glory. How could the crucified Christ possibly meet that criteria? For Gentiles (or “Greeks”), the cross was utter nonsense according to traditional Greek philosophy, which became the basis of a proud civilization that had spread throughout the then-known world.

Similar attitudes continue today. That’s why the “foolish” message of the cross remains imperative. We cannot water down the essence of the gospel in order to pander to contemporary demands for an easy path to God’s salvation. We must stick to our message, while letting it permeate our behavior as we patiently and lovingly share this truly good news—God’s wisdom!—among our neighbors.

Prayer: Lord, as I continue the journey of Lent, may the cross of Jesus become embedded in my convictions and in my lifestyle. Help me to live so that my friends who do understand why Jesus died may see in me the selfless love of Christ that led him to the cross. And when they ask me why I believe, give me the right words to explain that wonderful story. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

Peter Ford has been an RCA missionary for 35 years, focusing on helping Christians better understand Islam and develop positive, Christ-honoring relationships with Muslims. He is currently serving in Beirut, Lebanon, with his wife, Patty, teaching at the Near East School of Theology.

⁷The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
⁸the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eyes;
⁹the fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb.

¹¹Moreover by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
¹²But who can detect their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults.
¹³Keep back your servant also from the insolent;
do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

If you are familiar with the Heidelberg Catechism, you might remember that it is outlined in three parts: guilt through sin, grace given in Christ, and living in eternal gratitude. One of the most comforting things I learned while studying the Standards of the RCA was discovering the Heidelberg Catechism discusses God’s law in the “gratitude” section. (Yes, I know, hard to believe, but there was some joy and comfort found in that experience.) The psalmist speaks of the Lord’s law from a place of gratitude. There is rejoicing and enlightening, enduring and being made righteous, cleansing and being made wise through the law of the Lord.

As we live in this time of Lent, we sit in a darkness that is full of anticipation. It is not the same anticipation filled with joy and light that we live in as we light candles during Advent. Rather, it is the kind of anticipation that comes when walking in the desert. It’s the harshness of heat, sorrow, and hunger. And yet we still live in expectation, for even in the midst of the long journey toward Holy Week, we acknowledge our guilt, relish God’s grace, and respond in gratitude. For we know that Christ fulfills the law.  Christ is walking the road to Calvary because his grace and salvation are sweeter than the sweetest honey. This is why, even during this time, we live a life of gratitude.

Q&A 86 of the Heidelberg Catechism asks, “Since we have been delivered from our misery by grace through Christ without any merit of our own, why then should we do good works?” It answers, “Because Christ, having redeemed us by his blood, is also restoring us by his Spirit into his image, so that with our whole lives we may show that we are thankful to God for his benefits, so that he may be praised through us, so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ.” I find such comfort in knowing that the law is something to be grateful for. Its message is sweet, life giving, and assuring, even in the darkest hours of the year, even as we await the death of Christ.

Prayer: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, may we live in gratitude even as we walk through this time of Lent. May you give us the heart, ears, and eyes to see how you are working in the world around us, and may we live so that “our neighbors may be won over to Christ.” May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. In your Spirit we pray. Amen.

Chelsea Lampen, along with her husband, Jeff, and their two children, Lorelei and Caspian, serve as RCA missionaries in Lupeni, Romania. Chelsea walks alongside international students as they grow in depth and knowledge of how Christ is working in Eastern Europe.

¹The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
²Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
³There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
⁴yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,

⁵which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
⁶Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them;
and nothing is hid from its heat.

⁷The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
⁸the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eyes;

To me, prayer and personal reflection are crucial elements of Lent. During this season, we prepare ourselves once again to face the horror of Jesus’ execution by an empire obsessed with wealth and power and we prepare to rejoice at the way God turned death on its head through the resurrection of our Lord.

The Psalmist reminds us of an aspect of prayer that is often lost in our noisy, sound-bite, social media–cluttered lives: “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words …” (vv. 1-3).

I like to imagine being with Jesus when he would go to a lonely place to pray for so many hours—maybe the 40 days and 40 nights he spent in the wilderness, or the night he was betrayed. I doubt he would be chattering the whole time, repeating his petitions and praises over and over. I imagine he would often be deeply silent amidst the glorious vastness of his Father’s firmament, receiving intimate knowledge, instruction, comfort, and power.

It’s no accident that this same psalm continues by extolling God’s perfect law, testimony, precepts, commandments, word, decrees, and statutes. Whether God’s messages for me are written on parchment, paper, a website, or within the fabric of this awesome God-filled universe, may I be silent enough to receive them. As nothing is hidden from the heat of the sun, so may I allow God’s light to purify the shadowy corners of my life.

Prayer: Majestic Creator, Jesus our Lord, and Holy Spirit of truth and comfort, please enter deeply into my messy life. Show me what needs to change, give me the strength to make these changes, dazzle me with the glory of your presence, and empower me to love anew.

Bruce DeJong is a family physician working in rural south India, partnering with many to touch lives with healing and God’s grace.

¹Then God spoke all these words: ²I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; ³you shall have no other gods before me. ⁴You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. ⁵You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, ⁶but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. ⁷You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. ⁸Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. ⁹Six days you shall labor and do all your work. ¹⁰But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. ¹¹For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.

¹²Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. ¹³You shall not murder. ¹⁴You shall not commit adultery. ¹⁵You shall not steal. ¹⁶You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. ¹⁷You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

After doing a Google search of “most important Bible verses,” I wonder if people really understand when the psalmist describes God’s law as being “more precious than gold” (Psalm 19:10, NIV). The Ten Commandments did not make any of the top ten lists, nor even the top fifty or hundred lists that I came across on the Internet! They seem to have tumbled in value considerably since the time of King David.

During my time in America, I’ve come across a lot of well-meaning people who ask me questions about the “traditional” religions in Japan with a misguided assumption that all religions offer a path up the same mountain. Although the Shinto religion in Japan offers its followers many myths about how the spirit world of the kami have interacted with the world which we inhabit, it offers no guideline on how people should go about living their lives and no insight into the ultimate meaning of life. It is in no way an alternative path up the mountain.

If there is a mountain, it is the mountain of the Triune God, and he does not ask us to do the work of climbing up it. He doesn’t ask us to work for our salvation. As Christians, we have come to understand that our salvation is not contingent upon our obedience to these commandments, but the Ten Commandments are indeed a very precious gift given to us by God. They provide unambiguous guidelines on how to live. This Lent, let us give thanks to God for his commands, and let us respond to his grace by following them.

Prayer: Almighty God, you delivered us from captivity and gave liberation. For that, we give you thanks and praise. As the people of Israel were led by the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud, might the Holy Spirit guide us as we journey, following these precious commandments inscribed on stone by your very hand. In his name we pray. Amen.

Sayuri Kist-Okazaki and her husband, Abraham, work in evangelistic training for congregations of the United Church of Christ in Japan, where less than 1 percent of the population is Christian. They also serve as associate pastors at Kugahara Church in Tokyo, in the area of local mission.

²Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, ³and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. ⁴And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” ⁸Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

⁹As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

It appears that the mystery of Deuteronomy 34:5-6 is solved. In Deuteronomy, Moses died in God’s presence and was buried, and no one knew the place of his burial. Apparently, Moses was ushered into the presence of Jesus. Perhaps conversations have been carrying on since that time. Elijah also was suddenly carried into the conversation. And they all have new clothes! Dazzling white.

Lent promises such a future for us too. We are led to the cross where the stains of sin will be forever cleansed, then to the empty tomb, and to the day of ascension of our Lord Jesus who will sit at the right hand of God the Father. Someday we will continue the conversation we have begun with Jesus here on earth in the presence of all the saints gathered before his throne.

May our prayer-conversations now be filled with humility, repentance, intercession, and peace during this Lent season of contemplation and reflection, as we await the future prepared for us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you and praise you for your presence with us now. Thank you for the glimpses of your power and glory that you allow us to see. And thank you for the future that you have planned for us and for your broken world that you so love. Amen.

Keith Krebs is a chaplain at American Mission Hospital in Manama, Bahrain.