Christ and the Fiery Serpent Christ and the

Christ and the Fiery Serpent

Christ and the Fiery Serpent The Old Testament is filled with examples of things that are forms or figures of things we find in the New Testament. These “like figures” are used by Jesus and others to teach lessons in the New Testament. The similarities in these situations make for some very interesting studies

Christ and the Fiery Serpent I want to mention just a few of these before we get into our topic for today Noah and his family being saved in the ark is similar to us being saved by baptism today in 1 Peter 3: 21 The Children of Israel while wondering in the wilderness are compared to the Church today in 1 Corinthians 10.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent The office of High Priest and his work under the Law of Moses is compared to Christ and His work today several times in the book of Hebrews. The sacrifice of the Passover lamb under the Law of Moses is comparable to Christ sacrificing Himself for us. John the Baptist calls Jesus the “lamb of God” in John 1: 29

Christ and the Fiery Serpent The “like figure” we want to discuss today is the similarity between Jesus and the Fiery Serpent we read about in Numbers 26 The Children of Israel had been slaves in the land of Egypt. God delivered them from Egypt after devastating the country with the 10 Plagues Israel had crossed the Red Sea on dry land

Christ and the Fiery Serpent After crossing the Red Sea they came to Mt Sinai. It was at Mt Sinai that they received the Law of Moses which included the 10 commandments After Leaving Mt Sinai they traveled to Kadesh Barnea on the southern border of the promised land. From Kadesh Moses sent 12 spies into the promised land including Joshua and Caleb.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent 10 of the spies brought back an evil report of the land saying the people of the land were to strong to conquer. Of the 12 spies, only Joshua and Caleb said they with the help of God could conquer the land The Israelites believed the evil report and revolted against God and Moses.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Because of their sin, God sentenced them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until all who were 20 years old and older died in the wilderness. They only exception to this would be Joshua and Caleb The story of the “Fiery Serpent” takes place near the end of these forty years.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent After all of these years of wandering because of sin, Israel still has not learned its lesson. Nu 21: 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.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent 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.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent “Fiery Serpent” probably just refers to the severe burn caused by their bite. The bite of some of the snakes in this region are said to cause a burning inflammation and severe thirst. Nu 21: 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.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent 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.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Israel God They sinned against God provides salvation They realized the Consequences of their sin Not by removing the snakes But by lifting the image of a They repented Snake up on a pole God healed them when they They turned to God for help Looked at the snake

Christ and the Fiery Serpent God’s stipulation for salvation was clear and simple. If you are bitten look at the snake on the pole and live Those who refused to look at the bronze serpent died when they were bitten. Those who didn’t know to look at the bronze serpent died when they were bitten.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent How does this story compare to Christ and what He has done for us? There are several similarities to our spiritual situation today

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Israel Us They sinned against God We have sinned against God They realized the Consequences of their sin They repented They turned to God for help

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Every human being who is capable of understanding the difference between right and wrong has sinned. All of us stand guilty before God. Ro 3: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, We may not be involved in the same sin that Israel was by making accusations against God

Christ and the Fiery Serpent But, there are many other ways to get involved in sin. All we have to do in order to sin is violate God’s law. 1 Jo 3: 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Big sins or little sins (man’s idea) are all transgression of the Law of God

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Israel Us They sinned against God We have sinned against God We need to realize They realized the Consequences of their sin The consequences of our sin They repented They turned to God for help

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Our sins separate us from God. Isa 59: 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. This separation is a form of spiritual death that all who have ever sinned suffer from. Ro 6: 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent This separation from God if not remedied will eventually lead to an eternity in Hell. Mt 25: 41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: What a terrible eternal existence this would be! Since this is the consequence for our sins then what should we do?

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Israel Us They sinned against God We have sinned against God We need to realize They realized the Consequences of their sin The consequences of our sin They repented They turned to God for help We need to repent!

Christ and the Fiery Serpent We need to be sorry we have committed sins in the past and make up our mind that we are no longer going to participate in these same sins! Mt 4: 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. “ Mr 6: 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Repentance is certainly necessary on our part just like it was with the Israelites But, is repentance alone enough? What else did we see the Israelites do when confronted with the consequences of their sins?

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Israel Us They sinned against God We have sinned against God We need to realize They realized the Consequences of their sin The consequences of our sin They repented We need to repent! They turned to God for help We need to turn to God

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Men are sorry for things they have done all the time but unless we turn to God for the remedy for our sins then we still face the consequences of them. Israel’s salvation from the snakes came only after they turned to God in order to hear his commands and obey them. We can be healed from our spiritual problems when we turn to God for instruction.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Mt 13: 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them. ‘ Are we willing to turn to God, hear His commands and obey them so that we might have deliverance from our sin?

Christ and the Fiery Serpent God does for us God Did For Israel God provides salvation Not by removing the snakes But by lifting the image of a Snake up on a pole God healed them when they Looked at the snake

Christ and the Fiery Serpent God has certainly provided us with salvation today if we will only accept it on His terms Tit 2: 11 ¶ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, It is God’ desire that all men be saved! 1 Ti 2: 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. How then did God provide this salvation?

Christ and the Fiery Serpent God does for us God Did For Israel God provides salvation Not by abolishing Hell Not by removing the snakes But by lifting the image of a Snake up on a pole God healed them when they Looked at the snake

Christ and the Fiery Serpent God did not remove the punishment for sin! Hell is still a very real consequence for those who reject God’s salvation. Heb 2: 1 ¶ Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Heb 2: 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, There will be no escape from the punishment of Hell by those who have rejected God’s salvation. It is a very real place!

Christ and the Fiery Serpent If God didn’t provide salvation by abolishing the consequences of sin then how did He provide salvation? It was in a very similar way to how He provided salvation for the Israelites.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent God does for us God Did For Israel God provides salvation Not by abolishing Hell Not by removing the snakes By lifting up His Son on The cross for our sins But by lifting the image of a Snake up on a pole God healed them when they Looked at the snake

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Christ was lifted up like the serpent was. Joh 3: 14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Our salvation comes thru the crucifixion of Christ.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent His sacrifice paid the price for our sins. Ga 1: 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, His sacrifice was strong enough to forgive the sins of all the world. 1 Jo 2: 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Does this mean that all of the world will be saved? Certainly not! Most of the world will be lost! Mt 7: 13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Why will so many be lost? Because they refuse to follow the stipulations placed on salvation.

Christ and the Fiery Serpent God does for us God Did For Israel God provides salvation Not by abolishing Hell Not by removing the snakes By lifting up His Son on The cross for our sins God will save us when we Look to Christ But by lifting the image of a Snake up on a pole God healed them when they Looked at the snake

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Without obeying God’s commands we cannot expect to be saved. Did God heal the Israelites who did not look at the snake on the pole? No! What do you think will happen to those who don’t obey the Gospel of Christ? We don’t have to wonder the Bible tells us

Christ and the Fiery Serpent Ro 2: 6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds": 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation and wrath,

Christ and the Fiery Serpent 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 2 Th 1: 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Conclusion 2 Th 1: 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, What will we do? Will we learn the lesson from what happened to the Israelites? Or will we reject the salvation of God by refusing to submit to His will and spend an eternity in Hell?