Numbers twenty one. The gospel
of numbers. Twenty one. That's what this
rather who this story is concerning. I am Calvary. The serpent brass
represent. Numbers twenty one. Verse 4 says, And they journeyed
from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea. This is speaking of
the children of Israel. Most of the scriptures is dealing
with children of Israel, the Old Testament, the whole Old
Testament. It's concerning the children of Israel, isn't it?
Why is that? What does that have to do with
us, the children of this Jews? Well, God said, I am the God
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the living and true God, who
revealed himself, who chose a man named Abram, and from his loins
made a people. called out a people whom he called
the children of the sons of Jacob. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself
said salvation is of the Jews, didn't he? Meaning God's the
same and God has an elect people and salvation. And all of God's people
are called. He is not a Jew which is one
hour. But in word. Circumcision or
the sign. The work of God to prove the
people of God on the inside, not with hands, by the Spirit
of God. All of God's people are called
Israel, sons of Jacob, Israel. And we go through the same things
that they went through. We're no different. We're just
like you people, just like. These are real people. and women,
young people. This is not some fable. These are real people, just like
us, traveling through the same world we're living in, a little
bit different, but not much, going through the same thing,
the same temptation. The same God, same Spirit, says
they journeyed that journey. God Almighty chose these people
and was delivering them, had delivered them out of bondage,
out of Egypt, which you know represents the world, the modern
world without God and so forth. And God Almighty chose these
people and brought them out of bondage in Egypt and was bringing
them to the promised land. God, who cannot lie, said, I
will bring you into a land that floweth with milk and honey,
whose stones are like iron. And you'll be a blessed people. You're my people. The same with
us, with all who profess to be believers. God, our Savior, brought
his people out of bondage, out of the world. He's saving his
people out of the world, out of every tribe, kindred, nation,
and tongue, out of the world, from the bondage of sin, the world, Satan, death, Those who
are all their lifetime subject to bondage, ignorance, darkness,
bringing them out. God who promised, who cannot
lie, said, I'm bringing you in to the promised land. My kingdom,
a spiritual kingdom, a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness, whose stone is like iron. And look at verse four it says
he brought them by the way of the Red Sea to compass the land
of Edom. In other words they circled the
land. If you look at the map of the journey of the children
of Israel sometime you'll see that they went they came out
of Egypt and crossed over the Red Sea there which connects
the oceans And they didn't go up the coast. Had they gone up
the coast there, it would have been about a 200 mile journey
to Israel. It would have taken, had they
gone straight there, about six months. And that was the easiest, through
plains, it was smooth and easy and just have a merry old time,
short little trip. I get to the problem you know
Sir. God brought them all the way down way down down down down. Past through mountains had to
go by a mount called Sinai. And he took them around about. And it says in verse four the
soul of the people was much discouraged Because of the way. Much discouraged. They said this is too long. It's
taken too long. Forty years is how long they
traveled. It's forty years a long time,
Brother Henry. It's just days, isn't it? But
while they were traveling, they thought, we're never going to
get there, isn't it? It's too long. What is our life? Here's the point. God has promised. He brought his people out. He's
bringing them in to the promised land. In a few short years, we'll
go the way from which we will not return. We're going to our
long home. And you know, right here at this
time, the land was in sight. The children, they could see
it, Nancy. They were right there where they
could see it. Lo and behold, there it is. They
weren't there yet. Now it's just days until they're
going to get there. But they were so discouraged.
They were so discouraged. They said, this is too rough.
The way is too rough. But, you know, they had food
and rain. They went through trials and
afflictions and suffered this and that and the other. Didn't
have some hardships, but they had all they needed. They had
a pair of shoes that lasted the whole journey. They had rain
months. They had rain months. What else
did they need? Nothing. They had each other.
And they all were going through the same thing. As do God's people, he said,
there's no temptation that has taken you, but such is common
to man. Two rounds, too tough. When's
it going to end? It's almost over. The land's
inside. God will, with the temptation,
make... He'll not give you more than
you're able to bear. They all went through this. You remember
when Paul wrote to us? They all passed through the sea.
They all went through the wilderness of sin, it's called. They all
went through this wilderness. We were talking to a young believer
on the phone the other day, and he was talking about how sinful
he was and how undeserving and unworthy he was. And he was asking
our forgiveness for this and that and the other. And he said,
I don't see how you have anything to do with us. And if you only
knew me and this and that. And we were, me and you and I
were saying, we know you because we're just like you. If you only
knew us. We're all going through the same
thing. We're all passing through this
wilderness of sin. We all go through these tough
times. Not tougher for one than the
other. No, no. We'll all at some point go through
tough things. Why? Why did the Lord bring them
this way? Why did he go straight there?
Why did he go around the battle? Why did it take 40 years? Why? You're going to have to live
by faith. This glorifies God. You don't look to God when the
way is easy, do you? When the way is short, if the
way seems long, if the way seems rough, David, how many times
did David said, how long, oh Lord, how long? He kept crying
unto God. And going through trials and
hardships and so forth brings a person low to where the only
place to look is up. So the Lord sent trials and we'll
see Wednesday how he said, I did all this to humble you. The whole life of a believer
is a long, humbling process. But it's good. You know why?
Because it's a humble job. He exalts every single person
that he humbles. He brings love. He exalts. And to wean them,
to wean them from the world. Well, he sent these travelers
five, and the people spake against God. and against Moses. Why have you brought us out here
to die in the wilderness? Did you just bring us out here
to die? Oh, nothing could be further
from the truth. Huh, Sam? That's not... That
sounds like a child. Did you just bring us out here
to kill us? No, he brought you out so he
wouldn't kill you. Look at the world. David said,
look, they've got everything. Your people have got nothing
but trouble. David, you're speaking like an utter fool. The world gets the world and
all that it has, and God is going to destroy them with it. He's
bringing you out. He's saving you from this evil
and bringing it out of you. They spoke against God and against
Moses. Why couldn't love us and put
us through this? I remember as a boy, I remember
one time, well quite often, that my parents would take something
away from me. I'm pretty sure I did something
conservative or they would not allow me to go somewhere with
somebody to have something I wanted or whatever. And I remember quite
often sitting with my dog and I would tell my dog, they don't
love me. I'd have my arm around my dog
and say, nobody loves me but you. You ever do that? What a what
a young. My parents. Know a little bit
about. I have a clue. Do they love me. That's why they kept me from
going out there. That's why they took this away
that was harmful to me. That's why they didn't give me
what they knew would be bad for me. That's why they wouldn't
let me go with that person that would evilly influence me. That's
why. You bring us out here to kill
us? No, I love you. I chose you. I'm separating you
from it, so I won't have to kill you. I'm giving you life, more
abundance. The world has the world, you
have me. So what do you mean? You got
shoes, good shoes? You know, they say we don't have
any bread or water. That was not so, was it? That's not so. They were eating
manna. What they meant was, they said
earlier, we want some onions. We want some leeks. We want some
garlic. Quail, that's meat. That's what
we need. God said, I'll send you meat.
You'll be running out your nostrils. And he did. Until they said,
we've had enough of that. We don't have any water. Oh yes,
they did. That rock. That rock followed
them. What they meant was recreational
water. We want to go skiing, or something
like that, you know. Rivers and so forth. Clay. Oh
no, you've got the water you need, the water of this world
will leave you thirsty. But I have this rock that's following
you the whole way. Now this is real water. Didn't
Christ say, water of this world will leave you thirsty. He that
drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but he that drinketh
of me shall never thirst." And look at what they said. This
is horrible. Verse 5, they said, They were talking about that
manna. They deserved to die in the wilderness, didn't they,
John? But God, in wonderful mercy, kindness, and grace, gave. They weren't grateful or thankful
for what He gave them, freely gave them. They didn't earn it.
He gave it to them until finally they got tired of it. Our soul
loathed it. We're tired of this light bread,
this manna. You know what that word represents. All wrote to us that rock was
right that means that water was right right right that bread
the true bread from heaven is Christ. true bread from heaven is Christ. Can a person get tired of hearing
this gospel after 40 years? Yes. That's why Paul wrote, oh my,
these things are written for our example. We've had some leave here. was
here long before I got here, and sat there, and sat there,
and sat there, until finally he left. Why? I guess he got
tired of this gospel. My, my. Hmm. My, my, my. Hmm. And the only way to explain that
is that the world's in their heart. I'm not the Christ. That's
right. Well, verse six, the Lord sent
fiery serpents among the people. And they bit the people. And
you know, much of the people, that means quite a few, died. What precipitated it? What was
the, what was the real reason why God killed some of these
people? Because they got tired of that
bread. Simply. Oh my. Oh my. It can happen. You know that?
And people can miss Christ after hearing it for years. The Lord sent fiery serpents
to get the people, and they all
were bitten. They all were bitten. There's
not a person in here who hasn't grown somewhat tired, sleepy,
lost the first love. There's not a believer in here
who has been under the gospel for very many years, who hasn't
at some point become newborn. and seemed to lose that first
love where the gospel is preached. Just rejoicing even weeping and
this person sleeping. What should God do? What should
God do? He killed many of these didn't
he? And Paul, this is what Paul wrote. I'm not going to, you
can't spiritualize this completely away. This actually happened. The Lord said with many of them,
I was not well-pleased, and sent these serpents, and they suffered
these fiery trials and died. Didn't get through it, they died. That's the reason. If we sin
willfully, Paul wrote, after we've received the knowledge
of the truth, that means this gospel. We lose our love, and
until finally we grow tired of it, there remain no more sacrifices. So, but God. They all were bitten. They all
were bitten, but God. Many died, but God. If I had been the Lord, I'd have
wiped them all out, wouldn't you? I'm through with all of
you, all of you. They did all complain. I would
have said, I am through with it. I've had it. That's it. No more mercy. Couldn't you?
After forty years, you're a bunch of ungrateful. And that's what
Moses said, didn't he? Moses said, from the day, from
day one, you've been stiff-necked, hard-hearted, but God. It's of the Lord's mercies that
we're not going to take. God is rich in mercy, full of
kindness. for his great love wherewith
he loved us." These were a people that only God could love. "...for
his great love wherewith he loved them, quickened." What is this quickening? Well, here it is, verse 7, make
them alive. The people, they were bitten
by these fiery serpents and They were dying, and most people had
died. They were in pain, they were suffering, they were hurting,
they were dying. And the people, some of them
knew it, and they came to Moses and said, confessed to this mediator, we
have sinned. We have sinned. We've spoken
against the Lord and against you. Oh, pray unto the Lord that
he take away these serpents from us. My, my. The quickening grace of God. When God Almighty does a work
in a person. The first thing he does is grants
them repentance. Repentance. These people said,
we've sinned. He's died because we've sinned. We deserve to die because we've
sinned, come short of the glory of God. God be merciful to us,
the sinners. We've sinned And we say, and
we say, when God Almighty first reveals to us the truth, we say
with these people and with David of old, against thee and thee
only, the pastor quoted it this morning, against thee and thee
only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou
mightest be justified when you speak And clear when you judge
me, I was shapen in iniquity. In sin did my mother conceive
me, or wash me, cleanse me. If you take away these fiery
serpents called sins that dwell in my being, that have bitten
me, I'm sick and I'm dying of this sin. Amen. Amen. Lord, take away the
serpent. You know what a wonderful God's
Word is so perfect. In the garden, Satan was called
a serpent. Not that he resembled a snake.
You don't know that. Not in the beginning anyway.
He was beautiful to look at. But God made him to come on his
belly. But what the Lord, what happened
there was That serpent came and through
his subtlety, unseen, in a sneaky way, tempted Eve to rebel against
God. He bit, as it were, her heel,
her lower part, her heel. All right? until her whole being
was infected with this thing called sin, rebellion against
God. And she died. And Adam rebelled,
and he died. And all have died by one man's
sin, by one man's disobedient sin, in and of the world. And
so death passed upon all of them, all of them. But our Lord made that wonderful
prophecy to the woman. He said, I'm going to put enmity
to Satan. He said.