The Serpent of Brass
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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 of brass, he lived.
And the people spoke against God, and against Moses, "Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, and neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread." And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned; for 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 everyone that is bitten, when he looks 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 of brass, he lived (Numbers 21:5-9).
I am convinced that complaining is a state of mind. I believe that it is possible to have your mind set in a pattern of constant complaining, and that it can become a habit of your life and extremely difficult to break. Some people get to the place where they can see the bad in anything. It's just their mind set, the way they think.
I may say, "You won the Irish Sweepstakes! They're going to give you $568,000!" Then they'll say, "Oh, that's horrible! Think of all the taxes I'll have to pay!" They can see something to complain about in every issue of life. One of the prevailing sins of the people of Israel was their constant complaining. True, they did have something to gripe about. For 38 years their main dietary staple was manna. They had been eating this stuff for almost 40 years in the wilderness. It was a very bland food, just a little bit of sweetness and extremely mild (Exodus 16:31). No doubt it did become rather sickening after 38 years breakfast, lunch, and dinner - manna. I can understand getting tired of it and saying how their souls loathed this light bread.
"We're sick of it. We're tired of it." So, Israel began to complain against the Lord and Moses. In reality there was much to be thankful for in this manna. If they didn't have the manna, they would have starved to death many years earlier. They should have looked at it and said, "Thank God for the manna this morning! If it weren't here, think of how hungry we would get."
Complaining is a state of mind. I'll say, "You won the Irish sweepstakes!" The complainer will say, "That's horrible. Think of all the taxes I'll have to pay!"
Though there was something perhaps to gripe about, on the other hand there was plenty to be thankful for, as God did provide them with the manna to keep them from starvation. It was no doubt extremely nutritious. It had all they needed as far as vitamins and minerals to sustain their lives and keep them going. In fact, Psalm 78:24-25 says that this manna with which God fed them was actually angel's food. But even when you give some people angel's food, they can find something to gripe about.
The people of Israel confessed, "We have sinned because we spoke against God and against you." They recognized that their complaining was actually a sin. The Word of God tells us to be thankful in everything.
That seems to be true of every circumstance in our lives. No matter what happens to us, we can find something to gripe about; or no matter what happens to us, we can find something to be thankful for. Some people have that beautiful capacity of seeing something good in everything. No matter what has happened, they can accept it, they can flow with it and see some potential good in every situation. Some people can see potential danger or evil in every situation. It's how you have set your mind. Your mind can be set in a pattern of thanksgiving, or your mind can be set in a pattern of complaining. That becomes the pattern of your life itself.
One viewpoint says that no matter what happens, be thankful, be happy, and watch God work things out. The other believes that no matter what happens it's horrible, it's the end of the world, you're never going to make it beyond tomorrow, this is the end. Some people live in these crises all the time. They go from one to the next. Life is just one continual disaster, because that's the way they look at it. That's their mind frame and attitude. Expect the worst, then you'll never be disappointed.
What many people don't realize is that complaining is a sin. The fiery serpents came into the camp and began to bite the people, and they began to die. The people of Israel recognized this was a judgment of God because of their complaining. So, they came to Moses and said, "We have sinned because we spoke against God and against you." They recognized that their complaining was actually a sin and that God looked upon it as sin. The Word of God tells us to be thankful for everything. "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (I Thessalonians 5:18). Since God has ordered you to be thankful, for you to complain is a sin.
Once each year in this country we celebrate Thanksgiving. We have set aside one day when we say "We need to be thankful." So, for one day we're thankful. I feel it would be much wiser if we would set aside a national Gripesgiving Day. One day each year we would air all of our gripes and complaints. Then the other 364 days we would be thankful. We'd go around thanking God for everything! Actually, we shouldn't even have a Gripesgiving Day because complaining is a sin.
God gave a choice to the people. "I'll provide the healing. But you're going to have to do something about it yourselves. You'll have to exercise your power of choice."
God brought judgement into the camp of Israel because of their complaining. Deadly snakes began to bite the people, and they began to die. So, the people came to Moses, confessed their sin, and said, "Pray for us." It's interesting that when Moses prayed, God didn't just heal the people. He could have, but He didn't. Instead, He said to 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 looketh upon it, he shall live (Numbers 21:8).
God gave a choice to the people. "I'll provide healing. I'll provide for your forgiveness. I'll provide for your living. But you're going to have to do something about it yourselves. You're going to have to exercise your power of choice."
Moses made a serpent of brass. Brass is a symbol of judgment, and the serpent is a symbol of sin. "When you've been bitten by the snake and you're lying there dying, turn and look at the serpent on the pole. You'll be healed. You'll not die of the snake bite."
Imagine a man in convulsions lying on the ground. He has been bitten by one of these snakes, and he's dying. I run up to him and exclaim, "Hey, friend, look! Take a look in the center of the camp. There's a brass snake up on a pole. Just look at it and you'll be all right!"
He whines, "Don't give me that, man! I don't understand that at all. How can looking at a brass snake help me in this condition? Do you expect me to look at that when I don't understand it?"
"Hey," I reply, "I don't know how it works, but I know it does! I've seen hundreds of people all around you in the same condition. They were dying, too! But they looked and now they're all right! They're walking around in good shape."
"Yeah," he says, "but get a load of all those hypocrites who are looking. I don't want to look when there are so many hypocrites looking!"
I plead, "You're going to die if you don't look."
"Ah, don't bug me, man! Get off my case! I'll look when I'm good and ready." And the guy dies.
I say, "You fool. All you had to do was look and you would have lived. That wouldn't have been so difficult. God didn't lay out some big trip. He made it so simple for you. You could have lived so easily. All you had to do was look at God's provision and you would have lived. But you have chosen death in your own folly, for whatever reasons." God has looked upon man that way throughout time. God cried out through Ezekiel, "...turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?" (Ezekiel 33:11).
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 (John 3:14,15)
In the New Testament (John 3:1-15) Jesus confronted Nicodemus. Nicodemus came to the Lord at night and said to Him, "We know you're a teacher that has come from God: for no one can do the things you do unless God is with him." Then Jesus said to him, "Nicodemus, you've got to be born again."
"What are you talking about, Lord? Born again? I'm an old man. I can't go back to my mother's womb and be reborn." "No, no, Nicodemus, you don't understand. That's a fleshly birth. Each man must also have a spiritual birth. For that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Don't be surprised because I tell you that you've got to be born again."
Confused, Nicodemus asked, "How can these things be?"
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.
That's the answer to the question of how a man can be born again.
Even as the brass serpent on the pole was a sign of God's judgment for their sin, our sins were all judged at the cross. Jesus bore the sins of the world at the cross. The Bible in Isaiah 53:6 says,
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
So there at the cross Jesus Christ bore the judgment of God for all the sins of mankind.
The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart... That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
God is saying, "If you'll just look at my Son hanging there on the cross and believe that I have sent Him to bring you life, you can live, you can be healed, and you can be forgiven of your sins. Just by looking and believing." God has placed salvation within the reach of every man.
Paul said that salvation isn't something way up in heaven unattainable by us, where we have to say, "Who can go up there to bring it down to us?" Nor is it down in the depths so some guy has to "descend into the deep" and get it for you. But it is very close to every one of you. In fact, it's as close as your very mouth.
The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth that Jesus is the Lord, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:6-9). But you have to exercise your capacity and power of choice by looking to the Lord Jesus Christ; and see in Him God's provision for your sin, for He bore the judgment that was due you for all your sins and transgressions. He died on the cross in your place, and as He died He bore the guilt of all your sins. That's why He died. If you'll just believe in Him and trust in Him, you'll be born again. Only then will you experience that glorious change in your nature.
You may have your reasons for not looking to Jesus Christ, but let me assure you, they are all stupid. If you don't look, you're going to die.
There are some people who say, "Chuck, I'm a chronic complainer. I know I make people miserable around me. I wish I could look at the bright side of things, but I don't. That's just my nature." Yes, I agree, that's just your nature. But if anyone is in Christ he has a new nature. Old things are passed away and everything becomes new (II Corinthians 5:17). That's what the Gospel is all about. God can change your nature from one of chronic complaining to one of continual thanksgiving. He can change you from what you are and make you what He wants you to be.
You may say, "Chuck, I would like to quit drinking. I know that it's destroying me, but I can't stop. I just have that kind of nature." Or you may say, "I don't like my horrible temper. I don't like what I do. I know it's destroying me and those around me, but that's my nature." Yes, that's your nature, but thank God your nature can be changed through the power of Jesus Christ. Just look to Jesus, and you can live.
The person I feel sorry for and have little hope for is the moral do-gooder. He doesn't realize how dangerous his condition really is.
You know, I have great hopes for that person who recognizes his need. Man, I know I'm guilty, but I've tried so hard. You don't know how hard I've tried, and I just can't do it. It's just not in me to do it." Such a man is close to salvation.
The person I feel sorry for and have little hope for is the moral do-gooder. The one who says, "I try to live by the golden rule. I do the best I can. I try not to hurt anybody. I always look at the positive side of everything. Really, I'm very satisfied with my life." That person is far from the kingdom. In fact, he is like a person in a euphoric state of mind who is freezing to death. "I'll just take a nap for a few moments, and then go on," but he doesn't realize how dangerous his condition really is.
This is the condemnation, that God sent light into the world, but men won't come to the light (John 3:19). It's the man who realizes that he is a sinner and in need of help and willing to turn to Jesus Christ who will be saved. In turning to Jesus Christ he finds the life and power of God infused into him, and he is changed. He knows and experiences that glorious power of God.
Sin is the deadly malady that is destroying our world today. It's destroying humanity. It may be destroying you.
You may have your reasons for not looking to Jesus Christ, but let me assure you that they're all stupid. If you don't look, you're going to die. If you will look, God's promise of eternal life is yours. You can be free from the guilt of your past sins. You can be innocent and pure before God. For "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness," even so was the Son of God lifted up, that whosoever would look and believe would be saved and not die.
Can any of you claim that you haven't been bitten by that deadly serpent of sin? Can any of you deny the presence of sin in your life? Romans 6:23 tells us, "the wages of sin is death." Sin is the deadly malady that is destroying our world today. Take a look at what it's doing to people's lives. Look at the confusion and chaos in the world today. Why? Because of sin. It's destroying humanity. It may be destroying you.
There's only one provision that God has made - and that is through Jesus Christ, who took the judgment of God for man's sin upon Himself on the cross. He died in your place and provided for your salvation. Just look to Jesus Christ in faith and in trust, and you'll live forever with Him.
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