what’s in a complaint - This is the final murmuring story in Numbers. Perhaps precipitated by an arduous detour around Edom which frustrates the Israelites, they share whine and sing the blues. At the core of the murmuring stories that fill Numbers is an idealization of Egypt. Perhaps complaining is not far off when we’re undergoing a tough squeeze in the journey and we begin to look back to more comfortable times. Specifically, Israel complains about having neither bread nor water, though apparently they have food in their possession that they also dislike.

flying serpents? - "poisonous" (serpents) is from the Hebrew word, serapîm, which comes from the verb "to burn." These snakes are not simply a natural disaster. They are divine agents for punishment and potential healing. The seraph is mentioned in Isa. 14:29 and 30:6-7 as a flying serpent. The seraphim are also active in the call of the prophet Isaiah (Is. 6) . . . in Egypt the cobra’s function was twofold: to protect and to destroy . . . [Here] God sends them to punish Israel for murmuring, but the point of the story is to explore the healing property of the snake. [1]

ancient interpreters - The wounds caused by the fiery serpent are the poisonous enticements of the vices, which afflict the soul and bring about its spiritual death. [2]

[3]

• What are your biggest gripes, pet peeves, complaints or murmurs? What makes you impatient?
• How would you encourage a whiner to walk away from complaining and be more positive and affirming?
• How can you reconcile the symbol of a bronze snake (possibly an Egyptian symbol) being placed on a pole as a healing symbol?

please refer to this week’s homily on DPS.

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[1] New Interpreter’s Bible II (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998), page 164.
[2] Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture III (InterVarsity, 2001), page 241.
[3] Serendipity Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Co., 1998), 247.