TEXT: Numbers 21:4-9

SUBJECT: Christ in the Old Testament #9: Bronze Serpent

Today, with God’s blessing, we’ll proceed in our study of Christ in the Old Testament. Last time, we saw Him as the Victim of God’s justice. On the Day of Atonement, two goats were taken; one was killed and his blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat to appease the wrath of God. The other goat was blamed for all the sins in Israel, and led away from the camp till he could be seen no more. What the rituals did for Israel, Christ does for us—only better. Innocent, He bore the punishment of the guilty. And carried that guilt out of God’s sight. There is no Savior but Jesus Christ!

I urge you to look to Him in faith and find your sins forgiven—and more than forgiven, your sins will be forgotten. That’s the Gospel promise,

This brings us to the present topic. Last time, we saw Christ as the Sacrifice acceptable to God. Now, we comes as the Great Object of our faith. The blessings of salvation were secured at the Cross. But they are not yours till you take them by faith alone in Christ alone.

Nothing in the Old Testament makes this clearer than the story we’ve just read, the Bronze Serpent.

The Bronze Serpent was lifted up in the wilderness at a time of extreme and urgent need. Israel was camped near the border of Edom. That’s a place you didn’t want to be! It was just crawling with aggressive and poisonous snakes. The snakes were biting the people and lot of them were dying.

Why did they come to such a nasty place? Did the scouts mess up and lead them into a snake pit? No. It was God who led them there. Remember, Israel did not set the agenda. God led His people through the wilderness by the Cloud or Fiery Pillar. When it moved, they went with it.

Why would the Lord bring them into such a place? It was a punishment for their sins. For forty years, the People had bellyached despite the daily mercies of God. And they were at it again—this time with a vengeance!

What? "No water"? Hadn’t the Lord turned the bitter waters of Mara sweet for them? Hadn’t He given them water from a Rock—twice? And "No food"? For forty years He had spread a table in the wilderness! Manna had fallen every morning; it was a bread of some kind that tasted like honey. David called it "Food fit for angels!" Jesus Christ called it "The Bread of Heaven". And these dirty ingrates are calling it "Worthless Bread!"

Make no mistake about it: God was angry! But that’s not all He was. He was also merciful. For He sent Christ to His People—not when they deserved Him most—but when they deserved Him least.

He did the same for us. Christ doesn’t come to us when we’re at our best. But when we’re at our worst.

When the Pharisees criticized Him for spending time with the worst people, He said,

Are you thankful the Lord has such low standards? That He’s "The Friend of publicans and sinners"? You ought to be. The Gospel is good news—for bad people.

The Bronze Serpent was lifted up at a time of crisis—the crisis of sin and death.

The dying people cried to Moses for help. He had none, of course, but turned to God in prayer. The Lord answered him. He would heal the people in an unusual way.

Moses must forge a statue made of brass. It must be in the likeness of the snakes that were biting the people. It would be attached to a long pole and lifted up in the middle of the camp. When that was done, the word would go out,

The terms could not have been simpler: If you look at the Snake you live. If you don’t look at the Snake you die.

A couple of details are worth thinking about. The Snake was visible to everyone. It was welded on to a long pole and put up in the middle of the camp. Anyone who wanted to look could. But of course! Had it been put up in a cave or buried in the sand or locked up in the Tabernacle, all its healing power would have done no good, for no one would have been able to look at it!

The snake-bitten people were responsible to look at it. The cure was not in the looking; it was in God and in the One symbolized by the Snake. Yet they were commanded to look. If they didn’t, they died. If a cure is held out, the man who won’t take it has no one to blame to himself.

Do you suppose anyone didn’t look? I think so. They were too busy to look; they were too smart to look; they were too proud to look; some of them would have looked had Moses answered their questions about the Serpent. But, of course, they didn’t look—and died!

But whether such people lived in those days, we can’t say for sure. What we can say, however, is this,

This is not an interpretation; it’s not an opinion; it’s not a belief. It’s a fact. It really happened. In time and space. When a man looked at the Serpent, the deadly toxins in his blood were neutralized. Instantly, fully, and for good. It didn’t make him better. It made him well. And with no after effects.

That’s quite a story, isn’t it? But what does it mean? We don’t have to guess on this one. Jesus Christ tells us what the story means—and what it means to you.

The best known verse in the Bible is John 3:16. The two verses that come before it refer to the old story and connect it to you life. Here’s what they say,

The parallels are obvious:

Then, a Serpent was lifted up on a pole. Now, a Savior is lifted up on a cross. The sinner who looked at the Serpent lived physically. The sinner who believes in Christ lives spiritually.

This new life is given instantly. The second you believe in Christ you "Pass from death to life". The Lord said so,

Charles Wesley is a good example. Being a terrible legalist, he tried to find God in everything but faith. He tried good works, fasting, study, praying, giving to the poor—on an on it went. One day, though, he discovered that you don’t come to God by works, but through Faith Alone. He was so happy he wrote a hymn describing his experiences. Here’s one line,

When it comes to life and death, there is no in-between. The sickest man is still alive; the healthiest corpse is still dead! The same is true spiritually. You’re dead or alive. Nobody’s half-dead or nearly alive. It’s one or the other. If you’re dead, believe in Christ right now and you’ll have life! Right now.

This new life is received through faith alone. God didn’t tell the dying men to "Look at the Snake, take two aspirin, drink plenty of fluids, and stay in bed for a week". He said, "Look and Live". Nothing could be added because nothing more was needed. The same is true of the sinner. It is not faith and works, faith and charity, faith and Bible-reading, faith and prayer. It is faith alone that heals the soul.

Why? Because faith is not offering God anything; it’s just taking from Christ all He gives in the Gospel. Which is…everything you need.

Faith is not a better work than giving to the poor. It’s no work at all—that’s the point. It’s merely taking from Christ the Righteousness which God will accept.

So, if you want spiritual healing believe in Christ. Christ crucified, risen, now in heaven, and one day returning in glory. The only "faith" that saves is faith in Christ.

One more comparison: The man who looked to the Snake was healed, fully healed, but only for a while. The Snake was not a permanent cure. It was never meant to be. Those who looked…lived. But not forever. Those who believe in Christ, however, not only come to life here but receive eternal life.

In light of what God has done for us in Christ, what should we do? I won’t labor the point. We should celebrate the Lord Jesus Christ. We should serve Him. We should tell others about Him.

When you witness for Christ, you ought to have every hope that He will save the sinner you’re talking to. Why? Not because you’re so smart, but because there’s a Magnetism in the Cross. The Lord said so. We ought to witness as though we believed it,

God make it so. For Christ’s sake. Amen.