"Stay Focused"

Numbers 21:4-9,

Numbers 21:4–9 NKJV

Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 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 they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people 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.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

INTRO: Numbers (Desert)…Wilderness Wandering! VS. 1,2 - Israel is get’n close to the Promise Land, but have to go around Edom, because the King wouldn’t allow them to pass through…some were taken & Israel sought God (made a vow). VS. 3 - Hormah: banned, utter destruction

VS.4 - Israel gets discouraged because of the journey.

VS. 5 - (starts grumbling & complaining) about the provisions (food, water)…they hate it…not realizing that it was their own sin that God them in this situation.

…Faith (stop look’n at the lil stuff)…being petty…turn to God.

VS. 6 - serpent (sign of judgement) but God was still testing their Faith. VS. 7 - Conviction (came to Moses) Confession (acknowledging they had sinned)…Moses intercedes on their behalf & God listens. VS. 8 - Focusing on the wrong things narrows our vision & limit our ability to see what God is really trying to show us (the big pic)…look past the snake & see your healing, deliverance, salvation on the other side.

VS.9 - Not to worship the serpent, but a sign pointing them back to God…foreshadow of Jesus.

John 3:14,

John 3:14 KJV 1900

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

*Judgement can’t come where judgment has already been.