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Introduction:
How many of you are scared by snakes? I am petrified of snakes.
Therefore, Numbers
21:6-9 makes a real impression on me. I can imagine the
Israelites’ panic and their relief when God gave them the means
to overcome. This story is parallel to our own attack from a fiery
serpent, the devil (Revelation
12:9). However, God has given us the ability to overcome
this fiery serpent. Take note of four parallels between the
Israelites’ situation and our own. Discussion: I. The serpent’s bite kills. A.
In Numbers
21:6, the fiery serpents killed “many people of
Israel.” B.
The same is true for us. Satan’s bites have
killed us all. 1.
I
Peter 5:8
claims Satan’s desire is to devour us. He does this by shooting
“flaming arrows” of temptation (Ephesians
6:16). 2.
According to James
1:14-16, temptation comes from our own desires. Note the
outcome. Our desires entice us, drawing us away from the path of
God, giving birth to sin and bringing about our death. 3.
Romans
3:23; 6:23
explain that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.
“The wages of sin are death.” Just as the Israelites died from
the bites of the fiery serpents in the wilderness, so do we die
from the fiery darts of the serpent of old. II.
God did not remove the serpents. He provided a
remedy. A.
In Numbers
21:7-8, the Israelites realized they were being punished
for sin. They asked Moses to intercede so God would remove the
serpents. However, God did not give what was requested. Instead,
He provided a remedy for the bites. B.
It is no different for us. When the serpent of old
(Revelation
12:9) first “bit” Adam and Eve, tempting them to bite
the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God did not
punish the serpent by annihilating him (Genesis
3). In fact, God promised there would be continued strife
between man and the serpent. However, God did not just promise
continued strife. He promised a remedy to the serpent’s bite. In
Genesis
3:15, God, alluding to the coming Messiah, promised that
the seed of woman would crush the serpent’s head. C.
After Paul had proclaimed that we have all been
bitten by the serpent, having fallen short of God’s glory (Romans
3:23), he taught the Romans about the remedy for sin. In Romans
3:24-26, Paul said we can be justified by God’s grace
through the redemption found in Christ Jesus. The children of
Israel had to look to the uplifted bronze serpent when the fiery
serpents bit them. Today, we must look to the uplifted Savior when
the serpent of old bites us (John
12:32). III.
The remedy was conditional and unmerited. A.
God told Moses to build a bronze serpent and then
essentially said, “He who has believed and has looked upon the
serpent will be healed. He who has disbelieved will die” (cf.
Mark
16:16). Numbers
21:9 tells us when Moses had built the serpent the people
who looked were healed, just as promised. We must note two
principles of this salvation from the fiery serpents. 1.
The Israelites did not deserve healing. They had
not merited healing. The healing was given to them by grace
through faith (cf. Ephesians
2:8). 2.
While the healing was unmerited, it was
conditional. Only those who looked upon the serpent were healed.
The others would die. Despite this condition, everyone knows God
was the one who by grace healed the Israelites. B.
Despite the modern religious rhetoric to convince
us otherwise, our salvation is no different. It is conditional,
yet unmerited. Jesus said, “He who has believed and has been
baptized shall be saved” (Mark
16:16). Luke
24:47 says “repentance for forgiveness of sins should be
proclaimed.” Acts
2:38 says, “Repent and be baptized everyone of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.” Acts
22:16 says, “Arise, be baptized and wash away your
sins.” Romans
10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as
Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,
you shall be saved.” Colossians
1:22-23 says Jesus will “present you before Him holy and
blameless and beyond reproach – if indeed you continue in the
faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from
the hope of the gospel.” 1.
We do not deserve this salvation. We cannot merit
the forgiveness of sins. Our salvation is completely by grace
through faith (Ephesians
2:8). 2.
While our salvation is unmerited, it is
conditional. Only those who believe God’s word, confess their
faith, repent of their sins, are baptized for the remission of
those sins and live faithfully until death will be saved. All
others will be condemned, without exception. 3.
Can you imagine the arguments among the religious
world if God sent fiery serpents among us based on the arguments
about baptism? a.
Some
would argue that since the healing is by grace, we do not have to
do anything. Whoever God chose to be healed would be healed, the
rest would die. b.
Some
would argue we could be healed by faith only, we don’t have to
look. Looking at the serpent is an outward display of the inward
healing. Granted, they would question the healing experience of
anyone who would not look at the serpent. But, they would condemn
anyone who said you had to look at the serpent as teaching works
healing. c.
Others
would say we had to do exactly what God said. Of course, after
some time, some would split from this group, not wanting to appear
too judgmental or critical. They would try to ride the fence
saying they believe looking at the serpent is scriptural. However,
because God can do what He wants, “who are we to say He won’t
heal others in a manner different from what He said? Therefore, we
need to be more ecumenical and allow others their right to be
wrong about the doctrinal issue of looking at the serpent.” d.
Some
would try to pacify the others by saying our differences didn’t
matter as long as Jehovah was Lord. “We will all be healed, but
in different ways.” e.
Do
you know how long these debates would last? Until everyone who
argued that they didn’t have to look at the bronze serpent died.
Regrettably, that is how long the arguments about baptism will
last, until all those who argue against baptism are dead and
facing the judgment. At that point though, it will be too late. IV.
It was not “judgmental” to tell the Israelites
they must look at the bronze serpent to be healed. A.
Imagine for a moment that you and I were
Israelites. I was bitten by one of the serpents. You then said to
me, “Edwin you need to go look at the bronze serpent which Moses
made. God said if you look at it you will live. Edwin, if you
don’t go look at it you will die.” What would you think if I
told you, “You are so judgmental. You think you are the only one
that is right. You bronze serpent lookers think you are the only
ones who will be healed.” What would happen to me? I would die.
Are you being judgmental simply by telling me what God said? Are
you being hateful or unloving because you demand others believe
and look at the bronze serpent if they are going to be healed. Of
course not. In fact, we recognize it is exactly the opposite. You
are demonstrating love and compassion when you tell me I must look
at the serpent. B.
Today is no different. I am amazed that people
consider Christians judgmental when we insist people do what the
Bible says in order to be saved. The response is often, “I
don’t think God will send me to hell just because I wasn’t
baptized.” Could you imagine the debates among the Israelites?
“I don’t think God will let the serpent bite kill me just
because I did not look at the bronze serpent.” In both
situations we must understand it is not about what we think or
feel, it is about what God said. God told the Israelites, “Look
at the bronze serpent and you will live.” God tells us,
“Believe and be baptized and you will be saved.” It is not
judgmental, unloving or cruel to insist people do what the Bible
says. Therefore, we should be no more ashamed to tell people they
must believe, confess their faith, repent of their sins and be
baptized for the remission of their sins than Moses was to tell
the Israelites they must look at the bronze serpent. Conclusion: Just as God gave the Israelites the ability to overcome the fiery serpents of the desert, He has given us the ability to overcome Satan, the serpent of old. The question is, will we obey God or will we argue against God’s word believing we can be saved in some other way. The Israelites could not be healed unless they looked at the bronze serpent. We cannot be saved unless we obey the gospel. That is, believe in Jesus, confess our faith, repent of our sins and be baptized for the remission of our sins.
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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