Looking at the Fiery Serpent
The Lord became angry with the sons of Israel because of their complaining about not having food and water in the wilderness. He decided to send serpents among the people, and many of them died when they were bitten. The people soon confessed their sin of complaining and asked Moses to intercede for them. God gave Moses a cure for the serpent bites. Moses was to make a fiery serpent out of bronze and put it on top of a long pole. Then, whoever was bitten could look at the serpent and be healed. (Numbers 21:8) This solution seems very strange, until you think about what God had instructed them to do.
The cure was not in the bronze serpent. The cure came because a person put their trust in the Word of the Lord to look on the serpent. They had to have faith in the Lord and what He said to be healed. They had to quit complaining against His directions, and follow His directions. God always rewards faith. In fact, without faith it is impossible to please Him. (Hebrews 11:6) He was teaching His people that lesson.
Also, Jesus mentioned this serpent in John 3 when He spoke to Nicodemus. He said that He would be lifted up like Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, and when He was lifted up, He would draw all men to Himself. Therefore, the serpent was a type of Christ, something that had the same characteristics as Jesus. This event was an historical way to point the Jewish people to Jesus at His death. It was a picture for them to stop complaining about God's plan and put their trust in Jesus. Then, they could be healed from the poison of sin by grace through faith.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Numbers 22-24.
The cure was not in the bronze serpent. The cure came because a person put their trust in the Word of the Lord to look on the serpent. They had to have faith in the Lord and what He said to be healed. They had to quit complaining against His directions, and follow His directions. God always rewards faith. In fact, without faith it is impossible to please Him. (Hebrews 11:6) He was teaching His people that lesson.
Also, Jesus mentioned this serpent in John 3 when He spoke to Nicodemus. He said that He would be lifted up like Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, and when He was lifted up, He would draw all men to Himself. Therefore, the serpent was a type of Christ, something that had the same characteristics as Jesus. This event was an historical way to point the Jewish people to Jesus at His death. It was a picture for them to stop complaining about God's plan and put their trust in Jesus. Then, they could be healed from the poison of sin by grace through faith.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Numbers 22-24.