Worthy Brief - 2/19/2026
Friend, learn the lesson of the serpents -- and the lifted Son!
1 Corinthians 10:9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
Paul makes a stunning claim: Israel tempted Yeshua (Jesus) in the wilderness. They did not merely complain about water or food -- they tested the Lord Himself. They demanded proof of His presence again and again, as though the Red Sea had not parted, as though manna had not fallen, as though the Rock had not given water.
This was not faith -- it was presumption.
Faith trusts what God has already revealed. Presumption insists that God prove Himself again. Faith rests in covenant; presumption pressures heaven for performance. Even after repeated demonstrations of mercy, Israel kept asking, "Is the Lord among us or not?" Their testing spirit revealed a heart that had seen miracles but had not settled into trust.
When they tempted the Lord, fiery serpents were released into the camp. The very place where they doubted His covering became the place where they felt the sting. Grace had been extended again and again -- but when grace was continually pushed and resisted, discipline followed. Not because God delights in judgment, but because persistent unbelief corrodes the heart.
Yet even in that judgment, mercy appeared.
God instructed Moses to lift up a bronze serpent on a pole. Those who looked upon it lived. And centuries later, Yeshua would say, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." The serpents revealed the poison of presumption -- but the lifted symbol pointed to redemption. Yeshua Himself would be lifted up, bearing the consequence of sin so that all who look to Him in faith might live.
This is the paradox of the wilderness: they tempted Yeshua -- and yet Yeshua still provided the remedy. They tested His patience -- and yet He became their salvation.
The warning remains for us. There is a difference between crying out in weakness and challenging God in defiance. A revival generation must guard against familiarity that turns into entitlement. Grace is not permission to test boundaries; it is the gift that calls us into deeper trust. Mercy is meant to produce reverence, not resistance.
Presumption whispers, "God will forgive," while continuing to push limits. Faith responds, "God has spoken," and rests there.
Friend, this is the hour to stop testing what Yeshua has already proven. The One who was lifted up for us is worthy of trust, not trial. Revival will not rest on those who presume His grace, but on those who look to the lifted Son in humble faith. Do not mistake patience for approval. Do not confuse mercy with permission. Fix your eyes on the One who was raised for your salvation. If we look to Him in faith instead of tempting Him in doubt, the poison of presumption will lose its power -- and revival will advance in purity and strength through you!
George & Baht Rivka (Bradenton, Florida)
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