Read the passage: Numbers 21
An old testament example of a new testament truth.
How God’s people dealt with their sin:
1) There is a judgment upon sin; God ‘s people must believe it. V.6
(and the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, ... and many people of Israel died.)
Sin brings conflict into life. There is a consequence to sin. God cannot bless sin.
God has standards of righteousness to be followed.
Sin brings problems into man’s life.
The ruin of sin is dissatisfaction with God.
Sin not covered by the blood of Jesus brings judgment.
What does a believer in sin ask the Holy Spirit to be involved in? to her? To see?
2) There is required acknowledgment regarding sin. God's people must confess it. V.7
(Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned;)
It is required of a sinner that he acknowledge his sin to be set free from it.
Likewise to a believer out of fellowship with god, it is required that person acknowledge his sin before a holy God.
The argument satan makes- it isn’t sin or it isn’t sin for you. The devil has no standard.
3) There is clear rebellion in sin. God's people must repent of it and turn from it. V. 7
(for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee)
The believer needs to be careful about speaking against God’s leader.
v.5- God’s people had God’s provision in the wilderness, but were living in rebellion against God. (loatheth light bread.)
God’s will is being rejected.
God’s authority is being denied.
Man’s willfulness is being exhibited.
Man’s desire is being forcefully extended.
There is no humility, but pride.
Repentance is required.
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4) God does not deal with His people without compassion and mercy. God's people need be thankful for it.
v.7 (and Moses prayed for the people)
God desires fellowship with man.
God is holy. Sin in unholy.
It is not God’s will for man to perish. 2 Peter 3: 9
God does for a sinner what a sinner cannot do for himself.
Here Moses’ prayer is asking God for mercy.
5) God does not leave His people without remedy. God's people must claim it. V.8
(and the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, ... every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live,)
A type of Christ “made sin for us”
The people said “pray unto the Lord’ They could not deliver themselves.
Believers today have the cross. We don’t have to live in sin. We don’t have to be a slave to sin.
The cross- the only means of deliverance; the wages of son is death.
Man must come to the cross; a believer must live in the shelter of the cross.
Brass is typical of judgment- in tabernacle the altar of brass held the sacrifice for sin.
6) God’s people need see Jesus to be free. God’s people must look and see. V.8
(set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass, …when he looketh upon it,)
Jesus was lifted up on the cross. John 3: 14, 15 We can be free. The brazen serpent was made in the likeness of that which brought death- he who knew no sin was made sin for us. 2 Corin. 5: 21
1)Man is not told to look at the wounds; but to look at Jesus. Looking at one’s sins does not save. It is the power of God unto salvation. Romans 1: 16
2)Man is not told to look to Moses, the leader, the lawgiver, the law. 3)Man is not told to shake off serpents; it is not what man does. 4)Man is not told to go trough a ritual.5)Man is not told to minister to others; it is not works that saves.
Isaiah 45:22; Hebrews 12: 2 Looking unto Jesus, the author and …
John 1: 12 To as many as received Him, to them gave He power…
7) Looking to Jesus brings true life. God’s people must live it.
(when he beheld the serpent of bronze, he lived.)
the reward of faith—new life.
The uplifted serpent was sufficient to save every serpent bitten Israelite. No matter how close to death he was, the sinner just needed to look. Salvation was instant when he looked.
The way to live the Christian life- look on Jesus. Philippians 3: 20, our guiding view.
It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, … Titus 3: 5
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