The Poisonous Bite of Sin

Numbers 21:4-9

New generation, same attitude. Complaining. One of the Israelites' snares into sin time after time. God did not and will not put up with the same sin over and over again. He punishes them with deadly, venomous snakes. But this time, Moses does not fall face down and petition God to forgive them and remove the plague. Interestingly, when Moses did not plead for them, they turned to God for forgiveness. This is the first time they have confessed and repented of their sin.

God tells Moses to do something that seems very strange. God told Moses to make a bronze snake, put in on a pole and lift it up. Anyone who looked at it would be healed from the poisonous bite. This would have seemed strange for at least three reasons:

1. It takes time to make a bronze snake so the people had time to truly feel the effects of their sin.
2. According to Exodus 20:4, they were not to make any images.
3. Snakes are cursed, associated with Satan, and are considered repulsive by many.
   

However, Moses did what God said even though it seemed bizarre and even repulsive.

The people had to believe what God said and look to the snake in order to be healed from the poisonous bite. And this was the only way they could be healed. Any human remedy would only result in death. This may seem like "foolishness", but "the cross is foolishess to those who are perishing" (1 Corinthians 1:18). Jesus hung on a tree and we know from scripture, that makes Him cursed. However, the only way to be saved from the poison of sin is to look in faith to Jesus.

The snake, as strange as it may seem, is a picture of the Son of Man being lifted up. Jesus himself even refers to this story in John 3. To look to the cross where a cursed Man hung may seem foolish or even repulsive, but it is the only way to come to God, because it is the way He says were are to come.

Have you looked to Jesus for salvation? Saving faith is believing what God says and acting on it. This is a committment that each individual must make for herself. Will you look to the cross today and believe? I can think of no better time that right now. He is the only cure for the poisonous bite of sin.