Monday, March 9, 2020

A Snake on a Pole


Monday, March 9, 2020

Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom.  But the people grew impatient with the long journey, and they began to speak against God and Moses.  “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained.  “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink.  And we hate this horrible manna!”  So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died.  Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you.  Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.”  So Moses prayed for the people.  Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole.  All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!”  So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole.  Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!  Numbers 21:4-9


There’s an easy leap in this morning’s text to a lot of imagery connected with the New Testament Gospel message.  There is a snake-problem like Adam and Eve experienced; sin is often represented as something willing to bite and devour. There is the pole representing the cross.  When people look to the cross for their salvation they’re healed from sin’s penalty. 

The wilderness complaining of Israel against the leader, Moses, and their God, Yahweh, is a loaded question for the ages:  Did you bring us out here to die?  And the answer is decidedly YES in the New Testament; Jesus told his disciples (followers):

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.  Luke 9:23


So, then there’s a huge connection that follows at the end of the passage.  God gave Moses instructions to place a replica of a snake on a pole and set it up so everyone would know where it is.  When bitten by a snake (sin), they must simply look at the pole (turn to the cross) to be saved.  This is a conditional forgiveness, extended to those who will turn to God by faith.  It isn’t being part of the group, like the Israelites were born into Abraham’s tribes.  It isn’t a matter of having trudged along with the wanderers or slaughtered so many pigeons or lambs on a certain holy day.  The essence and reality of their salvation was to be a simple act of humility, bowing not towards what they have done, but Whom they trust. 

And so it is today; to connect with God isn’t a matter of insider knowledge or blessing by the preacher.  Knowing God can’t be found in studying all the religions or following movements.  It certainly won’t be found in the wisdom of men, no matter how impressive the credentials.  Knowing God is only found in humbly turning to what God has said He is, and the evidence of what He has done in Jesus Christ on a cross; Jesus’ gift of his shed blood for our sins is the healing place. 

For You Today

Snake on a pole – Savior on a cross; God paints us pictures, so we won’t miss the point.  Like the old song has it, Look and live, my brother; look and live!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day! 

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Title Image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For another post on Numbers 21:4-9 see Fall, Repent, Repeat

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