The Bronze Serpent November 15
Numbers 21:5-8
And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”
So, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
Therefore, the people of Israel came to Moses and said: “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So, Moses prayed for the people.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”
When the Hebrews came out of Egypt, they brought much treasure out with them. But, unfortunately, they brought with them mental bondage, heavy baggage that they carried with them wherever they went, the luggage of complaints.
Four hundred years of harsh circumstances had caused generations of complaints. Misery can be comforting if you allow it, a constant companion of gloom and doom. Many Christians never get past this stage. After they get saved, they complain about how things used to be, not leaving the past behind.
God saw to it that these people would get past their constant complaining. Instead of being thankful for what they had, they complained about what they had. What if they had rejoiced?
Notice God didn’t remove the fiery serpents. He had Moses build a pole and place a bronze serpent on top of the stick. Those bitten by a snake had to look to the bronze serpent for healing. The bronze serpent represented Jesus Christ.
John 3:14
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up.
By looking at the serpent, it acknowledged the need for healing, for a Savior. They were also looking at their sin. Remarkably, modern-day medicine makes snake anti-venom out of the snake’s venom, and they use the serpent symbol on a pole as a medical standard, Selah.
I John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
There has been a time or two that I have sinned. And I get that knowing inside of me that I must confess that sin out loud to the Lord, sort of like I must look at the pole, the cross. It’s like I don’t even want to confess it, but I know I must. It makes you never want to do it again. I get up and leave that baggage behind.
Like the baggage handlers at the airport, they throw your old bags onto a cart, and you never see your bags again, well until you sin, then it’s off to baggage claim. That’s why I travel light. Let Jesus lighten your luggage today.
He is: Jehovah-Palat
Deliverer
Blessing’s
