Adrian
Old-Sunday Worship August 10th, 2025
- How Great Thou Art
- Bless His Holy Name
Psalm 50ESV
Psalm 50ESV
- I Surrender All
- Doxology
Numbers 21:1–9ESV
- “Looking to Jesus” (Part 2)K. Adrian ScottAugust 10, 2025Numbers 21.1-9“Looking to Jesus.”K. Adrian ScottAugust 10, 2025Contextual Review.The preceding chapters of Numbers beginning with chapter 11 chronicle the deep dissatisfaction of the nation of Israel, or better said, their bitter disappointment with Yahweh after they had been delivered from the misery of slavery in the land of Egypt. They complained - “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and we detest this worthless food?” (21.5). God provided this miracle ‘bread from heaven’ every morning (Numbers 16) so the people would be sustained in their journey to the promised land. When the Israelites were weary of eating the manna from heaven, Yahweh then gave them quail to eat (Numbers 11). The Israelites also complained about the water or the lack thereof. Although the extended travel by the Israelites was their fault due to their disobedience, yet they complained to God and Moses about the hardships of travel.There is a cyclical history of sin by Israel, their eventual repentance, and then Yahweh’s merciful forgiveness.Question: Why do we complain? I say we complain primarily because of a short memory. Israel is a free people! My second question is, where do complaints come from? I believe they come from an ungrateful heart. A complaining spirit comes from not only ingratitude but a sense of entitlement. God owes humankind nothing; we owe God!The Israelites have now moved closer to the land God promised them, Canaan. Now in return for God’s favor of a victory over the Canaanites, they promised the Lord they in turn, would repent and return to God in obedience.If they are going to successfully overcome the Canaanites, they strategized to travel to Canaan taking the shortest route, then attack once there. However, Israel would have to travel through Edom to facilitate this. However, when Moses requested permission from the Edomites, they were refused.What do we do when our plans do not seem to work? Rather than being frustrated, we thank God that God’s purposes are being worked out.“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16.9).Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (Proverbs 19. 21).They then had to take the long way around the land of Edom along the Red Sea. It was an arduous journey for them. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness” (v. 5).To dare chastise God is the highest and most audacious of human acts, and to compare mere human intellect to divine wisdom is evidence of a significant lack of faith and sound judgment coupled with an over abundance of arrogant, self pride.With this latest and most blatant attack on God’s good character and judgment –v. 6; “the Lord sent fiery serpents (‘venomous snakes’) into the camp and bit the people, so that many of people of Israel died.”Preaching Point.A line had been drawn in the sand and Israel has crossed it. And even a casual reading of our text teaches us something basic – sin has terrible consequences.Some of the snake bites were fresher than others. The older complainers, those who had seen more of God’s work among them and should have known better, were probably among the first bitten by serpents and their venom was working quickly and potently against their bodies. The depth of their misery was evident as life was slipping from their bodies as quick as sand passes between one’s fingers. The aged, older Israelites who should have known better than to turn on God and God’s representative, Moses, by backbiting and lack of cooperation, and whose negativity because of their lack of faith and possessing a spirit of complaining had now affected the entire camp of Israel. These troublemakers were consequently bitten by the very evil enemy, Satan, whose behavior they had emulated. Unbeknownst to them they had conspired with the adversary in hindering the forward progress of God’s people. Fear to face life’s spiritual challenges can cause any Christian or any church to become stagnant and eventually die rather than experience real spiritual progress to the glory of God. In dealing with those who were motivated by fear rather than faith, and had given into dangerous complaining about God, Moses, their food and their water which God supplied, it was now if God/Yahweh was saying to them, ‘if you want to act like the devil, I’ll give you over to the devil!’ The venom from these person’s mouths was more potent than the venom from the snakes! We see it everywhere in Scripture. These unbelieving Jews were savagely bitten by the very evil enemy they emulated in with their behavior! It was as if God was saying, ‘If you want to act like the devil, I’ll give you the devil!’ There is not a more potent combination among God’s people than the wicked and the foolish who will not only rack up a tab too expensive to pay, but they will also invite God’s response to their complaints.In our minds eye we can envision fatalities strewn all over the Israelite camp. People are dying. It’s a mess! If something isn’t done everyone in the camp could potentially die. Death is everywhere! What do they do?Note: Do we see the importance of and the need for repentance? Repentance is an acknowledgement of our failure to live up to God’s standards, and genuine repentance is the difference between spiritual life and death.Note #2. Here is God’s response to repentance; it is forgiveness!Preaching Point.Here is one dying, a single breath away from eternal judgment! Another one whose strength was all gone and expiring from a blistering fever and shortness of breath. Over there is another one who is still angry, and they do not even know why they are angry, and they refused to look! Another just breathed her last breath dying needlessly, who out of pride refused to look at a bronze serpent. The serpent reminded her of her sin and God’s punishment for it! Someone else here who is weak, frail and devastated by the serpent’s sting and was too frail to even lift their head to look. The serpent had done its job well. It was too late for them! When they first heard the message of salvation from Moses – ‘anyone who has been bitten by the serpent, look as I stand here and lift up the bronze serpent’, they didn’t look. Some thought they had more time, but they didn’t. Somebody else did not look because they said, ‘my brother is a doctor, or my mother is a nurse, so I’ll wait for them to heal me.’ We see how holy scripture has once again chosen to portray sin (missing the mark) as an illness, a fatal illness. And no human effort from father, mother, sister or brother can heal this kind of hurt!And because of their sin Israel is clearly seen as an undeserving people.With the death count of family and friends dying from poisonous venom, it. Is obvious there is something deadly in this serpent’s bite! Here is the true appraisal of sin – it is deadly. “The wage of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6.23). It seems that every tent and every family have its victims. In the book of Genesis we also see the consequences of giving in to the charm of the serpent, or the devil, and that is, all of humanity has been bitten in the heel by Satan’s deceptive ways and his bite is fatal – all after Adam were born “dead in their trespasses and sins” Ephesians 2.1 says, – “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.”Homes are quickly being left fatherless, motherless, and even childless. In this instance the evenhanded and non-discriminating arm of divine judgment is the chilly hand of death.Question: Is this serpent’s bite somehow a picture of the stinging, deadly nature of sin with its dire consequences of pain, sorrow, regret, and ultimate death and separation? And if so, are these Israelites the only once bitten by the serpent? All of humanity beginning with Adam’s fall, are “brought forth in iniquity” (Psalm 51) which speaks of humanity’s total ‘inherited depravity’ (F. F. Bruce) or the state of human beings at birth. “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3.23).We were injected with the venom of disobedience and rebellion against the heavenly authority, and the effect of sin is, it still stings. Because of sin we live with the stress of balancing family and work life. That stings. The issues of aging poorly, crumbling family structure and personal relationships, ill health, and frail financial concerns, they all sting! The result of sin still stings.v. 7; “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he takes away the serpents from us.”Note: Here is confession. Do we truly see the importance of repentance? Repentance is an acknowledgement of our failure to live up to God’s standards, and genuine repentance is the difference between spiritual life and death.The people realized the snakes, these troubles, these fiery bites and deadly sickness; these feelings of self-righteousness, self-sufficiency and arrogance; this anger and bitterness and complaining will not leave on its own. “Pray to God that he takes away the serpents from us.” They need a God intervention! We need God to provide a remedy. Lord, help me was their cry! “If we confess your sins, He is faithful and just or righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1.9).But there were some who with the little strength they had left, lifted their heads and said, ‘tell me what I need to do.’ ‘How can I live because I don’t want to die like this.’ Like those gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, which is the birthday of the Church in Acts1, they asked, “what must I do to be saved?” I don’t want my life to be a hopeless and meaningless existence!II. The Lord would help them, but it would require a measure of their own faith –v. 8; “make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”Note #2. This is God’s promise, and here is God’s response to Israel’s repentance; it is forgiveness!Preaching Point.This is God’s remedy for the sick and dying in Israel. There is no other solution; no other cure is offered, just this one.To look at a dead, lifeless figure on a pole was the only instruction for life and healing! It is a simple prescription, however!Here is a glimpse into the future death of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for the sins of the world!And to those who dared cast a saving look, God promised to forgive their sins, and they would live. They would not have to die without a Savior! They could not save themselves, but they were to look at one who had the power to save and heal them in their dire circumstances!That serpent on the pole was an accurate representation of the fiery serpents whose sting had affected that whole camp. The serpent served as a mirror of their sin, the reason for their condition! They didn’t measure up to Yahweh’s standard of obedience! Jesus lifted up on the cross of Calvary is also a reminder to us of who and what put Him there! But it is also a reminder that Jesus died for those same transgressions you and I have and will commit.Oh, someone thought, ‘come on, this is too simple, and it does not make sense. The last thing I want to do is look at that pole and be reminded of my sin!’ But isn’t that the point? It served to remind them of their sin and guilt and remind them of the one who would take away their guilt and pain!They are weak and dying, the life is fleeing from their bodies. They cannot walk to the serpent, they cannot run to it, lest they think it's their efforts that saved them. So, a simple prescription must be written.v. 9; “So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.”Amid such pitiful conditions, such horrific suffering and numbing sorrow, Moses points them to the one hoisted on a pole! Look to the one who heals in sickness, who soothes our sorrows, and lifts heavy burdens; the one who gives us peace in troubling times and sends us a wave of hope when we’re otherwise drowning in hopelessness. Look to that figure who is hoisted high and that hung longenough for everyone who dared look would live. ‘People of Israel, Look to the one exalted high above the chaos of this camp.’ Look to the one lifted up for us!This text has its biblical historical significance, but it is also clearly pointing us to the One hoisted upon a wooden beam 2000 years ago, whose whole purpose was to be a reminder of our sin but more importantly, he was acting as our substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ. Be reminded of the simplicity of the Gospel message - “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3.15).Preaching Point.You can look at this One on the tree, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was stretched wide and hung highbecause this serpent on the pole, and the Son of Man hung on a tree has no poison; He knew committed no sin and therefore could die for us and bring us new life! Jesus did not represent death but life! “I have come that you might have life and that more abundantly” (John 10.10). He knew no sin!Notice that this figure on the pole has the power of life and death! If you will only look in faith. Look to this one lifted, elevated high above all others, easy to see, and fixed on the pole, you will not perish, but will have eternal life! An anonymous author once said, ‘This is a call to Israel’s obedience to exercise saving faith in the word of God’ (unknown).So, look this way! Romans 5.6 says, “while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.” The right time is while there is still time. Don’t look at the pole, it can’t save you. Look at the One hung on the pole! Don’t look at the institutional Church, its members or officers; she can’t save you. Look to the One lifted, exalted, and raised for our justification! If you’re tired, look! Frustrated? Look! Lonely?? Look. Heartbroken? Troubled? Hurting? Look! When you look, Jesus will work! And when they ‘looked that way’ death and separation was brought to its knees; sickness and pain was left fleeing, hopelessness took leave, and life replaced death! Because of that look death no longer had power of those who dared look to the One raised for them. This is the hope we have in Jesus, the beginner and finisher of our faith. Look at the one on the pole.The cross of Christ is the answer to the pain of sin.Christian, are you again weary of sin’s sting? Have you in your anger, bitterness or shame refused to look to Jesus our healer? Do you feel like you deserve the Lord’s forgiveness and healing? Isn’t that what. Maundy Thursday is all about? Our unworthiness?Saints and Sinners, I point you to Jesus, whose strength is greater than sin’s weakness, and whose love is stronger than our deficiencies, and the Lord’s grace is more persistent than our troubles. Look to Jesus! Call on Him! Reach out to His hand! Never let your faith flee or your hope die! Look to Jesus.Look this way and you too can be healed and live.Because as someone once said, “a cross-less Christianity does not exist.”And I must imagine that with what little strength they had, and as life was beginning to flow through their bodies once again, they said, “thank you!”If this is you, won’t you tell the Lord, ‘thank you?’ I was dying without hope in this world until you saved me. I was destined to an eternity separate from the loving embrace of the Father until you gave me new life!
Numbers 21:5ESV
Numbers 16ESV
Proverbs 16:9ESV
Proverbs 19:21ESV
Proverbs 16:9ESV
Proverbs 19:21ESV
Numbers 21:5ESV
Numbers 21:6ESV
Romans 6:23ESV
Ephesians 2:1ESV
Romans 3:23ESV
Numbers 21:7ESV
1 John 1:9ESV
Numbers 21:9ESV
John 3:15ESV
John 10:10ESV
Romans 5:6ESV
Acts 3:19NLT
Daniel 9:9NLT
- At The Cross
Galatians 1:3NLT
Adrian
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