The Fiery Serpent on a Pole
God became angry with the people once again because of their complaints, and He sent poison serpents into the camp. The people who were bitten died, and so the people cried out to Moses to stop this deadly plague. God told Moses to make a fiery serpent out of bronze and mount it on a pole so anyone could look up at it. God said that whoever was bitten could look at the fiery serpent, and they would not die.(Numbers 21:8) Not very logical, but it worked because it was God's plan. We need to think about why it worked.
We all have the ability to exercise faith. We can choose to put our faith in ourselves, in money, in other people, in medicine, or in any other thing we choose. However, God calls on all of us to put our faith in Him and what He says alone, instead of these other things. That is why Jesus uses this event to refer to Himself in John 3 and John 12. You may have wondered why putting our faith in Jesus, who was lifted up like this fiery serpent would draw all people to Him and those who put there trust in Him to heal them from the deadly effects of sin would be saved. The simple answer is faith. God said it. Jesus died on the Cross to pay for our sins. He arose to show He conquered sin, death, and Satan. Therefore, God said whoever looks on Him in faith to forgive their sins will be saved. (John 3:16) It may not be logical to everyone, even though there is good theology behind the crucifixion and resurrection. It does not matter if we understand it fully. What matters is faith in Him, because we are saved from our sins and spiritual death by grace through faith. It is God's gift to each one who has faith, just like healing was His gift to those who looked on the fiery serpent.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Numbers 22-24.
We all have the ability to exercise faith. We can choose to put our faith in ourselves, in money, in other people, in medicine, or in any other thing we choose. However, God calls on all of us to put our faith in Him and what He says alone, instead of these other things. That is why Jesus uses this event to refer to Himself in John 3 and John 12. You may have wondered why putting our faith in Jesus, who was lifted up like this fiery serpent would draw all people to Him and those who put there trust in Him to heal them from the deadly effects of sin would be saved. The simple answer is faith. God said it. Jesus died on the Cross to pay for our sins. He arose to show He conquered sin, death, and Satan. Therefore, God said whoever looks on Him in faith to forgive their sins will be saved. (John 3:16) It may not be logical to everyone, even though there is good theology behind the crucifixion and resurrection. It does not matter if we understand it fully. What matters is faith in Him, because we are saved from our sins and spiritual death by grace through faith. It is God's gift to each one who has faith, just like healing was His gift to those who looked on the fiery serpent.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Numbers 22-24.