The fiery serpent Numbers 21:4-9

How often do you complain about God? Do you reject His provision?

Numbers 21:4–5 “And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.” “And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.”

The Israelites were set free from captivity in Egypt

The Israelites are not happy with what God is providing for them

The Lord is seeing to every need, but the people are not satisfied with the bread from heaven that was provided. Numbers 11:6 “But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.”

Numbers 21:6–9 “And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”

The Lord punished the people who were complaining against Him and sent serpents to bite them.

Many people died from the poisonous bite of the serpents that were around them

Perhaps being in a worse situation made the people conscious of the sin that they were committing

God directs Moses to do a strange thing and to make a serpent out of brass upon a pole. Whoever is bitten can look at the brass serpent and live

What is the point?

Many times if we take a story from the Old Testament and put Jesus right in the middle it makes more sense.

John 3:14–15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 is a very popular verse, but many don’t know what is written before.

Jesus is saying that the serpent in the wilderness is a type of Jesus.

Scripture is clear that God does this Hosea 12:10 “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, And used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.”

Let us imagine that we are like the Israelites in the wilderness.

What if we like the Israelites are not happy on the path that God has us on even though we have been set free John 8:36 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

What if we are complaining about the light bread (they were saying that the manna is worthless)

Are we rejecting the true bread from heaven? John 6:48–51 “I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Moses made a serpent of brass and brass in the bible symbolizes judgement, strength, purity, and resilience. This describes our Lord and the Promises of God very well.

The symbol of sin (serpent) was put on a pole and lifted up as Jesus was for us. When Jesus was lifted up He became cursed instead of us. Galatians 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”

Anyone who is bitten by sin all that must be done is to look at the cross. Look to the cross because only Jesus can save us.