The Serpent and the Cross. (Numbers 21: 1-9)

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Welcome and Episode Notes:

Welcome, everyone, to today's episode titled 'The Serpent and the Cross.' 

Today, we delve into one of the most intriguing passages of the Old Testament, where the narrative takes a symbolic turn, revealing  intensely profound truths about both human nature and salvation.

Imagine the scene: the Israelites, weary from their journey through the desert, find themselves once again grappling with doubt and discouragement. Despite recent victories and divine guidance, they falter, longing for the comfort of their past captivity. They complain bitterly, even expressing disdain for the miraculous provision of manna from heaven.

But their discontentment leads to dire consequences. Fiery serpents, sent by the Lord, strike the people, bringing death and despair. In their desperation, they turn to Moses, seeking deliverance from the deadly serpents.

Now, here's where the story takes an unexpected turn. Instead of simply removing the serpents, God instructs Moses to fashion a bronze serpent and raise it on a pole. Those who are bitten need only to look upon this image to be saved from death.

It's a perplexing solution, isn't it? Yet, in its symbolism lies a lesson for us all. Just as the Israelites were saved by gazing upon the bronze serpent, we, too, find salvation by fixing our eyes on the cross of Christ.

In John 3, Jesus himself references this very passage, likening his impending crucifixion to the lifting up of the serpent in the wilderness. He declares that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The cross, much like the bronze serpent, becomes a focal point of salvation. It is where our sin and suffering meet divine grace and redemption. By looking upon the crucified Christ and believing in his sacrifice, we find deliverance from the sting of sin and the promise of eternal life.

So, as we reflect on this ancient allegory, let us remember that salvation is not about our own efforts or merits but about trusting in the promise of God's grace. 

May we, like the Israelites of old, fix our eyes on the cross and find in it the hope and salvation we so desperately need."

Transcript

The Serpent and the Cross.  (Numbers 21: 1-9)

Full Transcript. 

"Welcome, everyone, today, we dive deep into one of the most intriguing passages of the Old Testament, where the narrative takes a symbolic turn, revealing unimaginably profound truths about human nature and salvation.

Imagine the scene: the Israelites, weary from their journey through the desert, find themselves once again grappling with doubt and discouragement. Despite recent victories and divine guidance, they falter, longing for the comfort of their past captivity. 

But their discontentment leads to dire consequences. Fiery serpents, sent by the Lord, strike the people, bringing death and despair. In their desperation, they turn to Moses, seeking deliverance from the deadly serpents.

Now, here's where the story takes an unexpected turn. Instead of simply removing the serpents, God instructs Moses to fashion a bronze serpent and raise it on a pole. Those who are bitten need only to look upon this image to be saved from death.

It's a perplexing situation, isn't it? Yet, in its symbolism lies a profound lesson for us all. Just as the Israelites were saved by gazing upon the bronze serpent, we, too, find salvation by fixing our eyes on the cross of Christ.

Welcome to today edition of TBPDP.

Before I read for you the opening section Numbers chapter 21.

Let's review, we they have been up to so far.

They were slaves in Egypt, and miraculously, God delivered them, calling it the Exodus. They journeyed to Sinai, where God gave Moses the law and instructions for the Tabernacle. Then, they left Sinai and travelled to the southern part of the Holy Land, 

There, they sent 12 spies into the land to assess it. When they returned, ten of them said, "We can't do it," while two (Caleb and Joshua) said they could. They followed the majority, but God then said, "You've chosen not to go into the land so you are going to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, and that generation will die in the wilderness. 

We don't have a detailed account of those years of wandering and dying, but when we get to chapter 21, we find them back in the southern part of the land, near Kadesh. From there, they are going to journey up to a point east of the Jordan river. 

In this journey they are about to undertake, in this chapter and this journey, and they experience one success after another, but they also  will then encounter a few problems which lead to discontent again, and God coming up with this perplexing response.

Arad Destroyed.

21 The king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atharim. Then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners. 2 So Israel made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” 3 And the Lord listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So, the name of that place was called Hormah.

The introductory events unfolds as they encounter a Canaanite king, and they engage in battle, which they win. So, Israel makes a vow to the Lord, saying, "If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities". The word "destroy" used here actually translates as, to be destroyed completely. 

The point is, they've just been defeated, and now they're depending on God. If He helps them, they'll conquer all the cities, as God intended from the start. 

Remember we know for elsewhere these cities were centres of appalling pagan and with religious practices.

This victory marks the first time they've obeyed the Lord completely. In contrast to their disobedience while wandering in the wilderness. They are now obedient and are consequently victorious, city after city. 

These victories underscores the importance of trusting the Lord and they call the place Hormah which means victory.

Now what follows is one of the most unusual and allegorical passages of scripture in the Old Testament. But it of profound important to try and get to the bottom of what it all means. 

The Bronze Serpent.

4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So, Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

As they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom, the people became discouraged. Despite their recent victory and trust in the Lord, they found themselves discouraged again. 

This journey was tough, they went through rough desert terrain with many obstacles, probably scarce food, and limited water as well. So, they again became impatient and discouraged.

In verse 5, the people speak out against God and Moses, echoing a familiar refrain of complaining and rebellion we have seen many time before.

Despite their recent victory, they have fallen back into their old patterns of doubt and murmuring. This passage illustrates the very real danger of becoming demotivated after experiencing great success and victory. 

This should remind us that even victorious Christians can become discouraged following a down turn, so to speak, emphasizing the need to trust in the Lord continually.

Here we are again, just after a great victory, and they're blaming God and Moses, saying, "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?”  It's a familiar complaint, even after a victory. They're back to their old habits. The "worthless bread" they refer to is the manna from heaven, and they are even expressing the fact they are tired of it, even saying they loath it.

So Moses leads his people out of the tyranny but strangely they don’t go to the promised land they end up in the desert yearning to be back in Egypt.  

We’re all in danger of becoming prisoners of our own tyrannical missteps, psychologically and spiritually.  

So, let’s say we free ourselves from that which has troubled us. Individually we often long to return to our harmful behaviours. That’s they very definition of addictive behaviours

Frequently, illogically we can often long for times past when things were clearly not as good as they are today. 

In our fallen human nature we can  have a nostalgia for living under the tyranny of the devil and an end up saying things to ourselves like at least I had my ducks in order in those days. Like some Germans said after the war, at least the Nazis made the trains run on time. 

So, if you’ve decided to drop it the past, you remain stuck in the desert.  

Here too the Israelites end up in the desert. 

They are they there for 40 years and that is because it takes generations to recover from tyranny?  

So there stuck in the desert and the Israelites start worshipping idols. 

Idols then, and ideologies today are the same thing, and they get all fractious and they fight with themselves and with Moses again.  

So, it tells us the Lord sends, what are called, “fiery serpents”, among the people, and when they bite people, many are seen to die.

These serpents, which most bible experts I have read suggest are poisonous snakes that caused intense burning and death if one is bitten.

In verse 7, the people confess their sin to Moses, acknowledging that they've spoken against the Lord and him and they ask Moses to pray to the Lord to remove the serpents.

God could just call off the snakes, right? That’s what you’d expect him to do.  

But that isn’t what happens. The Bible is never boring or predictable Instead He says, “go make an image of a snake in bronze and make an image of a stick like a staff and put the snake on the staff and then stick it in the ground.  

And then have the Israelites go and look at the snake, (Not worship it, that’s important just pay attention to it, gaze upon that which once harmed you. And it won’t have the power to kill you anymore.  

Ok, here’s a doctrine that matching one of the major tenants of psychology. 

Look at what you’re terrified off and you will get braver. 

That the classic therapeutic treatment for acute anxiety. Exposure you self voluntary to that which causes you anxiety.

So God doesn’t chase away the snakes, he makes everyone braver.

So we see in this unusual section where it says that the Lord instructs Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. Adding that, whoever is now bitten and looks at it will live.

The implication is that you must believe and that you won't die if you look at the serpent on the pole. 

To get some help in interpreting this passage we can turn to Jesus himself who references this passage in John chapter 3.

This is the passage, where Nicodemus comes to Him at night, acknowledging His divine nature due to the miracles He has seen him perform and asks Jesus, “How might I be saved”.

Jesus responds by discussing the necessity of being born again, confusing Nicodemus with Jesus clarifying that being born of water and the Spirit is required to enter the Kingdom of God.

He explains it in the next verse in John chapter 3 verse 16 says that which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of spirit being born of water is being born of the flesh.

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. Listen to Jesus’ reply.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things, and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 

(John 3: 10-15)

So, that's the solution to this: recognize this. Christ says that he has to be lifted up like the serpent in the desert.  

The sacrifice of Jesus is more than a story it is an archetypal event, and what I mean by that it that is that it is what is called a threshold story. 

You cannot think of a more dramatic or more tragic story.  It is the accumulation of everything that as human being we are afraid of.  

There was no death more painful than crucifixion, that is why the Romans invented it was to punish what they saw as political terrorists. 

It was a slow, agonizing death extreme pain followed by dehydration and exposures.  

Extraordinarily physically painful, and if that weren’t bad enough there is physical plain plus.

Plus, the fact your best friend betrayed you.

Plus, your people turned against you. 

Plus, you’re completely innocent. 

Plus, everybody knows it. 

Plus, they choose to release a criminal instead of you. 

Plus, though they know he’s a criminal . 

Plus, and they know you’re innocent.  

Plus, you’ve done no wrong. 

Plus, all you’ve done is help people.  

So, this is a story of pain injustice and suffering that demonstrates the limits of just what human suffering can be. 

And people have been looking at, gazing upon this story of the extremes for 2000 years and seeing it as the only way to escape the suffering of this life. 

I want to close this morning by speaking to those who today have listened to story of Jesus and have gazed upon the cross but not made their mind up yet.

You are meant to hear the crucifixion story, and gaze upon the saviour on the cross and here is the hard, it, the part of all this that needs real courage.

Because you are meant to gaze upon the cross and you see your own sin as part of what put the Son of God on the cross. 

Maybe you rejected him just because you went along with the crowd and didn’t want to be made fun of. 

Maybe you were like pilot and rejected what you knew to be true. 

Maybe you’re Judas because you betray someone you loved..  

Maybe you’re just one of the mob.

Maybe you’ve been a criminal and would rather think you got away with it, that take it to the cross. 

Maybe we are meant to look on all those things that you hate about yourself or all those things you which you hadn’t done, and you are terrified by them. Frightened by the consequences of that which you fear most  

Well look harder. Look harder, what do you see?  

The Son of God who died in your place and took upon himself all the limits of your punishments and then you might not just see his death but his resurrection as well.  

You look far enough into yourself and if you look long enough upon the cross and you see the light.

So, Jesus said, look, you don't get saved by simply being transported to heaven because of something you have done. Nobody's ever done that, or ever will.

It starts because the Son came down from heaven and the new birth is by the Son.

So Jesus says. “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up”. 

So, He is saying it's by the cross. He had to die, so  that "whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." 

So, Jesus uses the serpent in the wilderness as an illustration of him being lifted up on the cross and to be saved all you have to do is look at him and what he did there, and believe. 

He gave his life for you to be saved. You don’t make him the saviour, He already is. 

"Whosoever believes in him will have eternal life." It's not believing about him; it's believing in him. 

So, what the Bible teaches is all you have to do is trust Jesus Christ, who died for you. In this passage from John’s gospel Jesus says it as clear as any passage in the New Testament. 

But this is pictured here first allegorically here in Numbers 21. 

This gets to the heart and core of what it's all about. What they did in Numbers 21 was believe a promise God said, 

"God has said put that thing, which is meant to kill you on a pole, if you just look at it, confront it, you won't die, you will be saved from it." Salvation is always believing and embracing a promise. 

As a matter of fact, in several places, it talks about the word promise. 

So, I think this story in Numbers chapter 21 just really clearly indicates that salvation is not doing something. It's not me doing something; it's God doing something. 

We’ve been bitten with the sting of sin and are going to die, but that which might causes our spiritual death is nailed to a cross. 

They got delivered from physical death by looking and believing a promise, and we get delivered from spiritual death by looking and believing in a promise.