Sing along with the Bible Verse Songs Playlist from Units 6, 7, and 8!

Family Worship:

Read all or parts of Numbers 21 from your Bible or watch the Bible story video.

Talk About Scripture:

In the early 1900s, there was no treatment for bacterial diseases that were killing millions of people. Then, in 1928, penicillin—a type of mold—was accidentally discovered to be exactly what was needed to save lives. This new medicine saved thousands of soldiers in World War II and it continues to be used as a primary treatment for bacterial infections today. There is no way to count the number of lives saved by this medicine.

It probably sounds strange for people to use mold as a medicine, but not as strange as how God brought healing through a bronze snake. The Israelites continued to grumble and complain, even after all God had done for them. Finally, God had enough of their disobedience, so He sent judgment in the form of venomous snakes. Many of the people were bitten and died from the snakes.

The Israelites knew they had sinned and deserved God’s judgment, but they pleaded with Him to remove the snakes. God told Moses to make a bronze snake and mount it to a pole. If anyone looked at the snake, they would recover from the snake’s bite. God showed mercy to the Israelites by providing a way—as strange as it may sound—for them to be healed.

We all deserve to be punished for sin, and the ultimate punishment is death. God showed us mercy in an unexpected way by sending His own Son to suffer and die for our sin. God offers us the way to be healed through the sacrifice of Jesus. Anyone who looks to Him for salvation will be saved. That’s the good news of the gospel.

God sent snakes to punish the people, but anyone who was bitten could look at the snake on the pole and live. We deserve to die because of our sin, but anyone who looks to Jesus on the cross and trusts in him will live forever with God.

Learn Scripture:

Family Prayer:

Thank God for the mercy He has shown by providing doctors and medicine to us. How is sickness and death a consequence of the fall? How are doctors and medicine a part of God’s goodness and grace to us?

Ask God to forgive the sins you committed today and ask for His help to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus tomorrow. How can looking to Jesus help us to obey?

For Fun:

Visit the zoo and study the differences between venomous and non-venomous snakes. Talk with your kids about the fear and chaos that might have come when God sent the venomous snakes to the Israelites’ camp. Remind your kids that God showed mercy by giving the people a way to be healed. God ultimately saved us from the punishment of their sin through Jesus.

Invite each person in your family to confess something he or she recently complained about. Then, have each family member turn that complaint into praise of thankfulness to God for what He has provided. For example, if you’ve complained about eating peas, you can praise God for providing food.