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I am using the YouVersion 49 Week Bible Challenge for these devotions. Today’s readings are John 3; Numbers 21; Proverbs 30. In today’s readings, do you notice a promise to trust, a command to obey, a truth to embrace, a warning to heed, or an encouragement to rest in? What do you learn about God, about yourself, or about the world? Is there one verse or thought that stands out to you today? Talk to God about it.
John 3:12-17
If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 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.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Numbers 21:4-9
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.
Proverbs 30:5
Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
A seminary classmate many years ago made this point regarding infant baptism. He said, “If a baby was bitten by a fiery serpent (referring to Numbers 21), and took the child and held him up to look at the bronze serpent the child would surely be spared!” His point was that we don’t have to understand God’s promises, or how they work, we simply need to believe, and even then we don’t always comprehend what we believe. God’s promises, afterall, are incomprehensibly amazing!
To put an exclamation point on that reality we have the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. It’s one of those “Yes, but…” conversations. Jesus says something. Nicodemus says, “Yes, but…” Jesus answers that concern. Nicodemus says, “Yes, but…” finally Jesus makes it clear. This is not something you can do. You can’t be born again spiritually by your own effort any more than you can be physically reborn period.
This is all God’s doing. God sent fiery serpents as a punishment to the children of Israel for their grumbling. He sent a remedy to their pain in response to Moses’ intercession. And those who looked to the bronze serpent were spared – even, surely, little babies.
The point in all this isn’t so much about baptism – although it touches on baptism. The point is that God’s word is absolutely reliable. God can be trusted. “Every word of God proves true,” says Agur (Proverbs 30:5). And so it does. The most precious word is so beautifully given to us – two-fold.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Jesus was exalted upon a cross for all the world to see and through faith in him we will be saved.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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