| Numbers 21:1-22:20; Luke 1:26-56; Psalm 57:1-11; Proverbs 11:9-11
“The people spoke against God and Moses: ‘Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!’ Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died. The people then came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede with the Lord so that He will take the snakes away from us.’ And Moses interceded for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover.’ So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten, and he looked at the bronze snake, he recovered.” (Numbers 21:5-9)
What an awesome illustration. It is a type of what Jesus has done for us. The people sinned and the Lord made provision for them to be made whole. We have all sinned, if you’re still thinking you’re not that bad of a person then consider it has more to do with our innate sin nature than any particular sin we’ve committed.
Most of us come to recognize our sinful condition because of some situation we find ourselves in. For the Israelites it was the bite of the serpent that woke them up. For us, it is whatever state we find ourselves in when we are bitten by the truth. Thank God, we don’t have to stay stuck or die in this condition. When God opens our eyes we can cry out to Him. He points us to the work of Jesus on the cross which in turn begins the process that ultimately sets us completely free. Don’t make it any heavier than it is. God gives us a single step, just look to the cross of Christ and keep our eyes focused on Him, beyond that our salvation in Him will bring us where we need to be.
PRAYER:
Lord, I thank You that You have made a way for my recovery from my sinful state. I appreciate the work of Jesus. I thank You Jesus for the beating and humiliation, and the wrongful, painful, illegal death You suffered so that I might know freedom. I receive You as my Lord and Savior and I am forever grateful and forever in Your debt. It’s in Your name that I pray. Amen. |
