THE REPLICA: When God Uses the Very Thing That Hurt You
Humans are built in such a way that sometimes, when something happens to us, that thing becomes branded in our minds. Whenever we encounter it again, we tend to close ourselves off from it. For example, let's say a guy named Kwabena hurts you. Now you have something against everyone named Kwabena. Why? Because the name has become associated with some sort of trauma. There's a story in the Bible that I've often asked the Holy Spirit to help me understand, especially why things happened the way they did. As I've sought Him, He's given me a different understanding of it, and today I'd like to share that with you. But first, let's begin with the story itself.
The people of Israel, after they had left Egypt, set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey, and they began to speak against God and Moses, asking why they had been brought out of Egypt to die in the wilderness. They started complaining about having nothing to eat and drink and that they hated the manna! So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. Then the people came to Moses and cried out that he should go and ask God for forgiveness on their behalf. So Moses prayed for the snakes to be taken away, and the Lord told him, "Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!" So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed! (Numbers 21:4–9 NLT)
When I read the story of the bronze snake, my question has always been, "Why would God use a snake, the very thing that caused the problem, to bring healing?" As I reflected on it, I realised that sometimes God can use something that resembles what hurt us to bring about our healing. The bronze snake looked like the snakes that had bitten the Israelites, yet it was no longer a symbol of death. It had become a symbol of God's mercy and deliverance. The Israelites had to trust God's Word enough to look at it, believing that this time it had come to help, not to harm.
Of course, the primary purpose of this story was to point us to Jesus. As Jesus said, just as the bronze snake was lifted up in the wilderness, He too would be lifted up on the cross so that everyone who believes in Him would have eternal life. The Israelites looked to the bronze snake and were physically saved from death; we look to Jesus in faith and are spiritually saved, receiving eternal life.
But beyond its prophetic meaning, this passage also reminds me that God often works in unexpected ways. He can redeem what was meant for harm and turn it into a source of healing, restoration, and hope. Sometimes, the very place where we experienced pain becomes the place where we encounter God's grace.
This also teaches us not to be close-minded. Imagine if the Israelites had said, "This snake hurt us, so we refuse to look at it." They would never have received the healing God had provided. The very thing they rejected because of past pain was the means through which God chose to save them. In the same way, don't allow past hurt to determine your future. Just because one person hurt you doesn't mean everyone who reminds you of them will do the same. Just because you were wounded in a particular place doesn't mean every similar environment will bring the same outcome.
A replica is not the original. It may look similar, but it is not the same, and it may produce a completely different result. If we allow fear and past experiences to close our hearts, we may miss the very blessing God has prepared for us. So today, I want to encourage you: remain open to what God is doing. Don't let yesterday's pain rob you of tomorrow's promise. Trust that God is able to turn what once brought sorrow into a testimony of His goodness. And as you step into this new month, may the Lord order your steps, heal every wounded place, and open your eyes to every opportunity He has prepared for you. May you experience His joy, His peace, His favour, and His abundant grace. May this new month be filled with divine surprises and fresh encounters with Him. God richly bless you.
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