The Brasen Serpent

May I please Almighty God to bless us together this morning as we meditate in His Holy Word. Let's turn to the Book of Numbers, chapter 21, and we'll read verses 7, 8, and 9. Book of Numbers 21, and reading verses 7, 8, and 9. Therefore the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, but we have spoken against the Lord and against thee.

Pray unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from us.' And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked the serpent of brass, he lived. the Lord in his goodness to us has given an account like this which should be encouraging to us and also a warning to us because God had directed Israel in the path that they were to walk and they found it wasn't an easy path and in reality of course The path of God's children is not an easy path.

And therefore, we should recognize that we have a very full account of Israel's journey through the wilderness. They were wonderfully delivered from Egypt. The Lord gloriously brought them out of Egypt. And of course, in so doing, he instituted the Passover which set before us, and of the Israelites, the wonderful deliverance which is received through the work of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

But then they'd come out of Egypt, they'd come to the Red Sea, God had brought them across the Red Sea, they'd come into the wilderness, and they were rebelling against God because things weren't perhaps as they anticipated. They thought things were going to be simple and God brought them into that way and we're told and the people speak against God and against Moses Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread. Well, Israel rebelled against God's goodness.

They passed over the reality of God's goodness and mercy to them. And it's very simple, simple for us today to have a similar spirit, because God may have appeared for us, he may have directed us, he may have gone before us, and then things don't turn out as we expected. And yet God had provided for them, he brought water out of the rock, He provided manna for them so that their natural needs were supplied. And we're told, of course, not here, but we're told in the word of God that their clothes lasted, their shoes didn't wear out. It was wonderful, really, the provision that God had given to His people Israel. But then we see they rebelled.

They were discouraged because of the way. Sometimes you and I may be discouraged because of the way. Things don't seem to be working out in the way that we thought they would. Perhaps we thought that it would be an easy path. And yet the word of God so clearly tells us that the path will never be easy for the true believer on this earth. It is a struggle. There is opposition.

But as Israel proved, the Lord didn't leave them. He didn't forsake them. And it's the same today in our lives. The Lord doesn't leave us and doesn't forsake us. And so here was Israel rebelling against the Lord. And what was the result? The Lord noted. He knew what they were doing. He knew their reaction. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and much people of Israel died. The Lord notes our motives. He notes what we think. He notes our actions. He notes our words. We don't just fall to the ground.

And we can't just get away with things and think, well, God doesn't notice. God notices everything in our lives, every detail, our response to all of his guiding and all of his direction. And we must recognize that God leads us. Remember, we read in the Psalms, He led them forth by the right way. And that's referring, of course, to Israel, and it's referring to the account we have before us now. He led them forth by the right way. He was teaching them.

They didn't like it. Sometimes we don't like it. Sometimes we think it should be different. But you see what a mercy to have a God who deals with us. And we must always remember God deals with his children in love, in love. And that's a very humbling thing. If you and I have rebelled against God and you know we're no different to the ancient Israelites, we can complain just like they did. And they speak against God and against Moses. Sometimes we also speak against God, perhaps not outwardly, but perhaps inwardly. We can complain.

We think, why is God leading us in this path? Why can't it be easier? Why can't it be a wonderful path of favour and blessing? Well, again, we only have to refer to the Word of God. We only have to see how Israel were favoured by God, but they had many difficulties, they had much oppression, many wars to fight, many battles. It wasn't plain sailing, but God was with them.

And what a mercy for you and me to realise that God is with us, that God is teaching us, that God is going before us. And what we must never forget is there's one objective, and that's to fit us for our eternal home in glory. And you know, to get there will be a wonderful mercy. In getting there, the Lord will deal with us, refine us, take off the rough edges, make us conformable unto his image.

That was the desire, wasn't it, of the Apostle Paul. A man of God, a man wonderfully favoured, and yet there was his great prayer to be made conformable unto his image. And again, how good it is when we look and we see the glorious example of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. What he had to face, what he had to endure, so much opposition, but he was blessed and given the grace to endure. And God does give his children grace to endure.

And therefore we have this testimony before us here of Israel of old. We see the position that existed. And we're told then the people speak against God and against Moses. And the question was, I asked, wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this like bread. Well, the Lord dealt with them by sending these serpents. And many died. But there were also many that had not died.

And we see God's mercy and favour towards them. And therefore we're told, therefore the people came to Moses and said, we have sinned. What a blessing that is when God deals with us and shows us our faults and shows us what we are before God. Here they were, they were told very clearly. And we have sinned, confession. It's good, isn't it, when God brings us to realise that what we've been saying and doing wasn't perhaps God's will. And therefore they come and they say, we have sinned.

And what have they done? We have spoken against the Lord. They didn't realise what God was doing for them. They didn't realise. how God was leading them. And therefore, when the Lord came and sent these serpents, no doubt it caused them to think, what's the problem? Why are we like this? Why has God turned against us? And therefore, they were brought by the mercy of God to confession.

Isn't that a mercy? It doesn't leave us. He doesn't throw us on the rubbish heap, but he causes us to recognize our position. And as I often say, religion is personal. It's between our soul and God. We don't have to look around at everybody else and think, well, how's God dealing with them? We have to realize how God is dealing with us.

And therefore, they came and they said, We have sinned against the Lord and against thee. Pray unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. Well, they knew what they needed. They needed God to come and to deal with them in mercy and to deal with them in love. And God directed Moses very simply to make a fiery serpent. It's interesting, isn't it, that we have this example of serpents, because we can go back, can't we, to the beginning of Genesis.

And what do we see there? We see Adam and Eve in that beautiful place in the Garden of Eden. No sin, peace and joy. And what happened? God allowed a serpent, a serpent to come and a serpent to test Adam and Eve with regard to the reality, really, of their religion. And of course, the devil uses the technique which he continues today. And what is that technique? It's to cast doubt upon the word of God. God had told Adam and Eve precisely what they could do and what they could not do. The devil comes in the guise of a serpent And he poses that question, hath God said? Hath God said? What did that do?

It sowed a seed of doubt in Eve's heart. Well, perhaps we needn't bother about that position. Perhaps we can do what we want to do. And we know, of course, Terrible result of that temptation. Eve looked and saw the fruit that they were not to eat, looked attractive. The devil told her there was no problem, she could eat it. And what did she do? She took it and she ate. Not only so, she passed it on to Adam. The line of that hymn is so apt.

O thou hideous, monstrous sin! What a curse hast thou brought in! He brought upon Adam and Eve the curse of their sin. The wonderful freedom they'd enjoyed before that, communion with God, taken away. Oh, what a sad, sad occasion that was. And we have the picture therefore of a serpent. And now again, the Lord uses serpents to come and to afflict, to bite these Israelites. And looking at Adam and Eve and that terrible sin that they committed, what did it do?

Condemn them. Without forgiveness, they were lost and ruined. And what's the situation here? Without healing, there was only death before them. They couldn't stop these serpents biting them. They'd come and they needed to be healed. Well, my friends, you and I today really are in no different place, are we? We listen to the serpent. Perhaps they didn't listen to the serpent here. Serpents came and bit them.

Sin can easily come into our lives and affect us. And the sin that comes into our lives does affect us in such a way. Unless we're healed, we should die in our sins. What a need there was for these people, that they should be healed. What a need there was.

And we read here that they asked Moses to pray for them. And he did. He prayed for the people and then the Lord showed them this position of healing. The Lord said to Moses, make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it should come to pass that everyone that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live. Naturally, it seemed a simple remedy. The reality was, if they ignored it, if they did not look to that serpent, that brazen serpent, they would not live.

And how solemn a picture it is for us today. And it's interesting that The Lord Jesus uses this occasion as an illustration when he was on the earth and speaking to Nicodemus on that amazing occasion when he brought to him the need to be born again in this third chapter of John's Gospel. And it's wonderful to think that he brings this message and speaks to them. And what a blessing it is for us today if we know God's favour and God's blessing toward us.

This is what Jesus says. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. The picture is very clear. In the case of the Israelites, they had to do one thing.

They had to look to that brazen serpent. And here we have this great statement of the Savior when he says that whosoever like it was in those days when they were bitten by a serpent. If they did look, they were healed. If they didn't look, they weren't healed.

And how this picture is carried on to show us the relevance of it. And so he tells us, whosoever, whosoever, what a wonderful gospel word that is. Whosoever, it includes all of us. Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. The result in that time was, of course, if they looked, they received healing, they were saved from their death, which was brought upon them by the serpent. And you and I today are bitten by the serpent with sin. You and I are lost unless we're healed. Unless our sins are taken away. And you and I can't do that ourselves, can we? We have no ability. We have no strength.

But here is the wonderful, wonderful solution. Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. And the word goes on. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. It's a glorious gospel statement, isn't it?

To think, therefore, that you and I, lost and ruined sinners, which we are, left to ourselves, we're no better than Israelites. We've disobeyed God. We've turned away from his law. We followed our own inclinations and therefore our sins have brought damnation into our life. And we're lost and ruined in the fall. What a mercy then that we have the gospel set before us here. It's a lovely, simple picture, isn't it? The picture is so gloriously simple. There was Satan. As a serpent, just like in Genesis, there was the devil as a serpent, and there was a need to be cured. And there was only one way. of being cured in the case of this account with the Israelites, and that was to look to the serpent.

And what is it today? It's to look to the Lord Jesus Christ. That one, that glorious Savior, the only begotten Son of God, and we're told, whosoever believeth in him. What a mercy today. God gives you and me grace to look to the Saviour, believing that He is the only one who can take away our sins, the only one who can forgive us our sins, and to think of this great and wonderful Saviour paid the price required by His Holy Father to redeem us from our sin. Do we not have to truly say, what a Saviour, what a Saviour, that He should look upon such an unworthy sinner as me, a sinner who's offended God, who disobeyed God. We can't climb to be any better than these Israelites. We've offended God. And yet, to realise that we have one who is kind and gracious and merciful.

Well, Moses made this serpent of brass, put it on a pole, And it came to pass, and if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. You see, the serpent was put on a pole. It wasn't left on the ground. It was put on a pole so that everyone could see it.

And my friends, we have the glorious gospel displayed to us in the word of God that we can read. And we can understand and we can see the wonderful plan of God put so clearly, just like that serpent put on a pole. Jesus Christ was lifted up. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. As we're told here, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Well, let's look at ourselves. Have we looked to the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness? how we sought His mercy and sought His favor.

You know, Isaiah, in the prophecy of Isaiah, and in the 45th chapter, we have this wonderful statement. And it tells us in verse 22, very direct, Look unto me. Nowhere else. Don't look anywhere else. Look unto me, the blessed saviour, and be ye saved. Look to him for mercy. Look to him for forgiveness. Look unto me and be ye saved. All the ends of the earth, for I am God. And there is none else. It's very clear, isn't it? None else. There's only one Saviour, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ, who came into this sinful world to save our souls.

Isn't that humbling? As you and I look at ourselves, we realize, just like those Israelites, we've disobeyed God. We've sinned. We pleased ourself. And yet God in his wonderful love and wonderful mercy has shown us the remedy in very simple and very straightforward words to look to him, look to him, nowhere else. Well, this morning, have we done just that? Have we looked to Jesus for forgiveness? The answer is and be saved. Have we felt lost? Have we felt ruined?

These Israelites did. They realized they disobeyed God. We realize that we disobeyed God. We turned our back upon him. We pleased ourselves. We've gone our own way. Well, what a mercy it is if God in his love toward us has given us that true grace to look to him. You see, in these things, it means that we have to humble ourselves. We have to humble ourselves. We can't justify ourself. We have to humble ourselves and recognize those words, thou art the man. Don't look anywhere else. Don't think I'm not quite so bad as that person. Thou art the man.

What a mercy when God condemns us, we're guilty. And we need to look to the Lord Jesus Christ. On the 34th Psalm, we're also told, the Psalm of David, and David knew the wonderful blessing of looking to the Lord. And he tells us this, I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make a boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear thereof and be glad. Not the proud, those who humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exhort his name together.

And David tells us, I sought the Lord. For he sought the Lord, and if you look to him, I sought the Lord, and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears. We may have feared that we've sinned perhaps against light and knowledge, and yet, you see, there is forgiveness with God. He made me fear, and therefore, David goes on to tell us, They looked unto him, if you and I have looked unto him, the Lord Jesus Christ, and were lightened.

That means the light shone into our heart. And we see the way of deliverance, the way of freedom, Oh the mercy of God. They looked unto him and were enlightened and their faces were not ashamed. We're not ashamed when we commit ourselves to our God. We should be ashamed of our attitude, should be ashamed of our sinfulness, should be ashamed of our disobedience. But what a mercy to realize their faces were not ashamed. And you may remember, this chapter goes on with these glorious words. This poor man cried. We don't come as a wealthy person, someone who needs or realizes they're worthy of any acceptation. No, we're poor and needy. This poor man cried.

And the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them. It's a glorious gospel statement, isn't it? And then we're encouraged, oh, taste and see. And the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Well, David knew what it was to trust in the Lord. You only have to read the 51st Psalm to see how he trusted in the Lord. He confessed his sin against thee. The only have I sinned, he realized. Who he'd sinned against. These Israelites realized they'd sinned and spoken against God. Yes.

And they complained, complained about what God had provided. We need to be very careful that we don't complain about what God has provided. He provided for all their needs. Perhaps it wasn't a glorious five course lunch or something, but he provided. He provided water for their thirst and manna for their hunger. God had heard, God had provided as he said he would do.

What a mercy it is then that we're willing to accept what God gives us and not kind of have our own agenda. We want God to do this. Perhaps God is doing it. Perhaps in a different way. But yet what a mercy and what a blessing to realize that here we have a God that is mindful of us. Remember what they did.

They confessed their sin. And all of us have sinned. And all of us have come short of the glory of God. It's not easy to come and repent of the wrong things we've said and the wrong things we've done. The good news is God is gracious. God is merciful. He knows we're dust. He knows we're sinners. He knows we need forgiveness.

The Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. Everyone. Everyone who's sinned, everyone who's offended God, everyone who's disobeyed God. Just like these Israelites. If they looked, they lived. What a mercy, because we're told then, Moses made this serpent, He put it on a pole, it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, any man, didn't matter how bad they were, any man, when he beheld the serpent, if he looked and saw that serpent, what was the result?

He was healed. He lived. What a blessing. What a blessing for us today. The Lord looks upon us and heals us and forgives us and blesses us with this wonderful favour that we live. That means our soul lives. Our soul lives eternally. We are saved, saved by God's grace, saved by his mercy, saved by his love, not anything that you and I have done. Oh, my friends, we're poor old sinners. We don't get any better. But we have a loving Saviour who remembers that we're dust. and deals with us in love to our souls as sons and daughters of the Most High God.

That's why it's glorious truth in that 34th Psalm. They come and say, let us exalt His name together. We have much cause to exalt His name. How often we forget, how often we grumble, about those things which we think God hasn't done. And yet you see what a mercy to come and recognise what God has done, what he has done for us. He's come to us. He's heard our prayers. He's delivered us from the wrath to come. He set before us the wonder of glory.

I know that you and I may therefore hear this wonderful word in Isaiah, look unto me, nowhere else, and be ye saved. How important. all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else. Well, may God give us grace today to recognize this simple case that we have illustrated in his book of Numbers, referred to in John's gospel, relevant to us today. May we therefore truly come in with the words that we have here.

The people came to Moses and said, where send We have spoken against the Lord. It's an important aspect. You and I think perhaps we've spoken against people. Have we spoken against the Lord? We've sinned. We've spoken against the Lord and against thee.

Pray unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent or cross, he lived. Praise God. Amen.

The Brasen Serpent

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The Brasen Serpent

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