In Numbers

4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” 6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

Quarreling & Impatient

Quarreling and Impatient

“Here we go again!” - Multiple murmurs during the wilderness

Manna & Quail; Cloud by Day - Pillar of Fire by Night; thirsty (Num 20);

Edom wouldn’t let them pass; so down to the south and around to the east before heading back north to Moab

They were tired of the “same old, same old”

Manna & Quail “got old” and detestable to them

Never satisfied - “better off in Egypt!”

Sin & Punishment

Consequence of Sin - Disobedience to God

Reminder - the penalty of sin is death

Sin “bites” like the poisonous snakes

Disobedience:

kicked out of the Garden of Eden

can’t enter the Promised Land - only next generations

Moses & Aaron excluded from entering (20:12)

Murmurs not just against Moses but against God

God - like a good father - disciplines his children to help them get on the right path - Hebrews 12:10 says “so we might share in His holiness”

When we realize we are being punished, we can repent

Forgiveness is available - often still dealing with the consequences

Lift Up & Look

Lift Up and Look

Bronze Snake - look at it and live

Confess

Attention and focus on God

For us today - we look to Jesus

Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3

John 3:14 NIV

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

Look at Jesus - Accept Jesus

You want to live? look to Jesus

Jesus is the Focus - not the symbols!

King Hezekiah destroyed the bronze snake (2 Kings 18:4) because the people were worshipping the snake and not God

We are to see beyond the symbols and relics - they are reminders of the story - not the object of worship

John 12:32 NIV

32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Lifted Up - not just on the cross, but in resurrection and ascension;

ALL - no qualifiers: nationality, ethnicity, economic status, heritage, piety, Gentile or Jew

The power of the gospel message (no fluff!)

Simply proclaim the story of Jesus

Lift Him Up so that all people might have a chance to live - here and for eternity