BRASS SERPENT – TYPE OF OUR LORD JESUS. NUMBERS 21.

The people rebelled against God and Moses, despite all the Lord had done for them. V5

They questioned why God had brought them into the desert to die, when He had marvellously delivered them from degrading slavery. They grumbled for want of bread ( or corn) and water, when the Lord had given manna every morning and crystal-clear water had flowed from the Rock that Moses in anger had struck twice. More than that, they loathed the marvellous provision of God, as ‘their soul loathed this light bread’. (v5). The ‘light’ bread had no substance as they compared it with the corn waiting in the Promised Land.

The daily supply of manna and the pure water were types of our Lord Jesus, Who is both the ‘bread of life’ and our ‘living water’.

Their ingratitude sprang from ungrateful hearts for all that the Lord had done for them.

God rightly judged the children of Israel, when He sent fiery snakes among them. V6 ‘For shall not the Judge of the whole earth do well?’ They bit them and many of the children of Israel became desperately ill and died. The desert was like a battle field, as the venom paralysed each nerve; caused haemorrhages from every part of the body; broke down the red and white blood cells; caused clots throughout each artery and vein ; or dissolved the body muscles as the modern drug ‘ecstasy’ does. The snake venom showed the wide-spread, damaging effects of rejecting God. Rebellion to God was harmful, and mutilating. The Australian snake, the taipan, is the most venomous of all as one bite is sufficient to kill 120 people. How valuable is the anti-venom, which has spared many lives after such an attack. God prepared His perfect anti-venom in Christ’s death against all the poisonous effects of sin.

The people came to themselves, telling Moses how they had broken God’s word, in speaking against their Lord and His general Moses. V7 ‘Pray, Moses, for only the living God can halt this awful epidemic." Each crisis must throw us back on our God. The now-contrite rebels wanted God to take away the snakes, but the Lord had a better plan in mind.

Moses prayed for his people, as only a great leader could . Before our Lord Jesus went to Calvary’s cross, HE went to Gethsemane to pray, ‘Father, if it be Your will, take away this cup from Me.; nevertheless, not my will, but Your’s be done’. ( Luke 22:42 )

This migrant, desert experience was historic, yet it parallelled our Lord’s death for our sin. He prayed – He suffered. Thus, the people were relieved of their oppressive, sin burdens.

The Lord gave unusual directions to Moses in ‘Making a fiery (bronze) snake, and setting it on a pole ( a banner or ensign ); so that everyone that was bitten, when he looked at the brass snake, should live’. V8 Why a hideous snake? Well, sin is loathsome.. Isn’t it repulsive? So is rebellion. Isn’t it appalling? So is blasphemy. The Lord Jesus’ bruised and bleeding body, hanging on the cross and bearing our sin and shame was hideous, loathsome, repulsive and appalling. Yes, but as our Saviour, He is so attractive to the truly repentant. .

‘Set it on a pole’ or banner or ensign, so that everyone in the camp would see it. God had promised that’ when the enemy would come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord would lift up a banner against him’. John in his gospel, chapter 3:15 writes, ‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in Him should nor perish, but have everlasting life.’ The Lord Jesus confirmed this truth in His discussion with the master teacher, Nicodemus.

Only God could promise that ‘It shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looked at the bronze snake, lived’. There were no exceptions as the way of safety , rescue and restoration was open to all. Many were near to death, some had lost consciousness, others could only turn their eyes in one direction, but God’s pardon was free for them. His promise was fulfilled in everyone, that turned in faith to look at God’s bronze snake. On the cross, the dying thief spoke to the Lord Jesus memorable words, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.‘ He was saved, just as millions of men and women of every race have looked on their dying Saviour, and have been saved from all the effects of the snake’s curse.

Moses obeyed his Lord in raising the bronze snake; telling the glad news ; and recording in God’s Word that ‘ if a serpent had bitten any one, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived’. V9 No works could have saved the dying persons in the desert, for ‘it is not by works of righteousness, that we have done, but by His mercy He saved us’. Where Satan, the serpent, had injected his lethal venom, our Saviour God purified our hearts, and invested His eternal life. Where sin had reigned unto death, grace had much more reigned unto life.

Our Lord Jesus predicted ‘ that I, if I be lifted up from the earth ( referring to His death on the cross, His resurrection from the dead, and His ascension ), will draw all men unto Me’.

Old Testament and New Testament harmonised when God’s dear Son was ‘made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him".

He took the poison of our evil away.