Tag: serpent on a pole
Saving the world!
Scripture reading for October 26th: Ezekiel 7-9, John 3
Key Scriptures: John 3:14-18 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God.”
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and reveal the Father God’s love for all mankind. Jesus showed Nicodemus through the Old Testament story of Moses and the serpent on the pole how God would lift up His Son in the crucifixion. As the Israelites were healed by looking at the bronze serpent image on the pole lifted above the camp, so all mankind would be saved and given eternal life by looking to Jesus, Who was made sin for us and died on the cross in our place. God’s amazing love is revealed to all who will humbly look and believe.
Faith confession and prayer: Lord God and Jesus, I thank You both for Your amazing love and the gift of eternal life. You alone are my precious possession, not silver or gold. Empower me today to share this great news with all in my path.
Ezekiel 7:19 “They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.”
Ancient snake-bite remedy!
Scripture Reading for February 17th: Numbers 21-15
I hate snakes! When I was little, Mom often asked me to take lunch and a drink to my Dad who was working out in the field. This particular day in late June, he was cultivating corn about a half-mile from the house. I was walking along the path, minding my own business, when I almost stepped on a large bull snake! In my fear, I threw the water jar and Dad’s lunch at the snake and took off running for the house. Mom consoled me and then sent me back to retrieve the bottle and lunch. I complained and grumbled. Thankfully, the snake was long gone!
In our reading today, the Israelites were doing what they did best–grumbling! As they grumbled against Moses and God, God sent poisonous snakes which bit the complainers. (Numbers 21:5) The Israelites then asked Moses to pray for them and confessed their sin. (Numbers 21:7) God answered Moses with some strange instructions. He was to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole in the camp. Anyone bitten who looked at the bronze snake on the pole would be healed! (Numbers 21:8-9)
What can we learn from this ancient story? The first lesson is that sin causes death! God has repeated this over and over but His people seem to forget! Another lesson is that grumbling against leadership isn’t pleasing to God. A third lesson is that when sin’s consequences come, we run to our leaders for help and prayer–and God does answer.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus used this story right before the most famous verse in all of Scripture. The snake that was lifted on the pole is a picture of Jesus Christ crucified. He was made sin so that we might be healed from the serpent’s poisonous bite. If we will look with faith to His finished work on the cross, we will be saved and healed! God loves His people and wants to save them from the poison of sin’s bite and the consequence of sin–death! (John 3:14-18) If we refuse the remedy provided by God, then we will die! This ancient snake-bite remedy turns out to be the current remedy for all mankind! I am sure grateful that I have looked at Jesus Christ with faith and received the healing from my own sin of grumbling, complaining and rebellion! Have you done the same? (Romans 10:9-10)