When the children of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years in the days of Moses, they often complained against the Lord. He punished them in a variety of ways. Do you recall the occasion when God sent fiery serpents to bite the murmuring people? Many Israelites died as a result.

God revealed a cure for those who were serpent- bitten. At God’s instruction, Moses made a bronze/ brazen serpent, put it on a pole, and lifted it up. Any person in the camp of Israel who looked on that material, lifeless serpent after being bitten by a serpent was able to live (Numbers 21:4-9). No, the power was not in the serpent. It was God’s kindness that provided the remedy and God’s power which did the healing. Praise and glory to the Lord, not the serpent, right?

After the children of Israel finally entered the land which God had promised to give them, the first city which they attacked was Jericho. Does the conquering of Jericho strike a bell with you? God gave specific instructions about the plan of attack. For the first six days, each day the soldiers of Israel were to march around the city. Then, God wanted them to change tactics on the seventh day: He charged them to march around it seven times, after which the priests were to blow trumpets and the people were to shout. That is what they did, and as a result the walls fell down and Israel scored a great victory (Joshua 6:1-20). No, the power was not in the marching feet of Israel’s soldiers, nor was it in their weapons or the priests’ trumpets. It was God’s kindness that provided the city as a gift and God’s power which made the walls fall. If someone would like to know when Jericho’s walls fell, here is the Bible’s answer: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30). God blessed the Israelites after they complied with His word. Praise and glory to the Lord, not the humans involved, correct?

Consider another Old Testament historical event, one that involved water. Naaman was a commander in the army of Syria, “a mighty man of valor, but a leper” (2 Kings 5:1). Naaman made his way to Israel, where a servant of the prophet Elisha told him to “go and wash in the Jordan seven times” (2 Kings 5:10). At first, Naaman was furious, but in the end he obeyed the prophet’s command. When he did so, “. . . his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14). No, the power was not in the water. You see, according to Jesus, in the days of the prophet Elisha there were many lepers in Israel, yet the only one who was cleansed was Naaman!