Salvation Just By Looking?
Reading: Numbers 18 - 21
My Verse: "And the LORD said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent [of bronze] and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live" (21:8).
This is a fascinating event. That You, LORD God would choose to use a bronze serpent lifted up on a pole as an instrument of healing for the Israelites. This is very curious. And those bitten by the serpent snakes had only to "look" at the bronze serpent to be healed from the deadly poison.
The ESV study bible speaks of how the Israelites ended up worshiping this bronze serpent. King Hezekiah had to destroy it. "He removed the high places, broke the images, cut down the Asherim, and broke in pieces, the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until then the Israelites had burned incense to it; but he called it Nebushtan [a bronze trifle] (2 Kings 18:4). This speaks to how prone we are to go astray. It is so much easier to look upon an actual object. And this object was something special as Moses himself, a man greatly revered by the people, made the serpent. One can see how easily the people made it an object of worship. They burned incense to the bronze serpent - performing a ritualistic act does tend to make oneself feel better. Oh, LORD God, we need to be so very careful of this sort of thing! We need to ever truly "look" to You for our salvation and for forgiveness of our sins! The act has to be of the heart!
The fiery serpent of bronze was to be symbolic. It was to be a symbol of You, LORD Jesus. It was a symbol of how we are to look up to You. You even used this event in Your teaching while You were here on this earth. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" (John 3:14,15). The Amplified Bible speaks of how this "look" was more than just a glance. Just as we look to You for our salvation so the Israelites had to look on the serpent believing that You would heal and save them from the poison of the serpent. It goes on to say that the Hebrew meaning of look in this case is "look attentively, expectantly, with a steady and absorbing gaze."
No, salvation does not come from just a glance. But You, LORD God did make it easy for us. You made it so very uncomplicated. For You alone are our salvation. "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36).
No program of works or rituals done a certain way will do it. Nothing that we can do on our own can save us. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6).
Putting this fiery serpent up on a pole and having the people look upon it to be saved from the poisonous bite of the snake was really a remarkable event. It was something that required nothing but faith from the people. The redness of the serpent represented Your blood shed for us. That the serpent was lifted up high on a pole represented how You were to be lifted up - first on the cross and then upon the throne of God. "he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted" (Isaiah 53:13). That the people were required to "look" upon the serpent with faith represents how we must "look" to You with faith for our salvation.
Thank You for this beautiful story, this beautiful reminder of Your provision for us.
"And my God shall provide all Your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19).
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Reading: Numbers 18 - 21
My Verse: "And the LORD said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent [of bronze] and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live" (21:8).
This is a fascinating event. That You, LORD God would choose to use a bronze serpent lifted up on a pole as an instrument of healing for the Israelites. This is very curious. And those bitten by the serpent snakes had only to "look" at the bronze serpent to be healed from the deadly poison.
The ESV study bible speaks of how the Israelites ended up worshiping this bronze serpent. King Hezekiah had to destroy it. "He removed the high places, broke the images, cut down the Asherim, and broke in pieces, the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until then the Israelites had burned incense to it; but he called it Nebushtan [a bronze trifle] (2 Kings 18:4). This speaks to how prone we are to go astray. It is so much easier to look upon an actual object. And this object was something special as Moses himself, a man greatly revered by the people, made the serpent. One can see how easily the people made it an object of worship. They burned incense to the bronze serpent - performing a ritualistic act does tend to make oneself feel better. Oh, LORD God, we need to be so very careful of this sort of thing! We need to ever truly "look" to You for our salvation and for forgiveness of our sins! The act has to be of the heart!
The fiery serpent of bronze was to be symbolic. It was to be a symbol of You, LORD Jesus. It was a symbol of how we are to look up to You. You even used this event in Your teaching while You were here on this earth. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" (John 3:14,15). The Amplified Bible speaks of how this "look" was more than just a glance. Just as we look to You for our salvation so the Israelites had to look on the serpent believing that You would heal and save them from the poison of the serpent. It goes on to say that the Hebrew meaning of look in this case is "look attentively, expectantly, with a steady and absorbing gaze."
No, salvation does not come from just a glance. But You, LORD God did make it easy for us. You made it so very uncomplicated. For You alone are our salvation. "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36).
No program of works or rituals done a certain way will do it. Nothing that we can do on our own can save us. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6).
Putting this fiery serpent up on a pole and having the people look upon it to be saved from the poisonous bite of the snake was really a remarkable event. It was something that required nothing but faith from the people. The redness of the serpent represented Your blood shed for us. That the serpent was lifted up high on a pole represented how You were to be lifted up - first on the cross and then upon the throne of God. "he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted" (Isaiah 53:13). That the people were required to "look" upon the serpent with faith represents how we must "look" to You with faith for our salvation.
Thank You for this beautiful story, this beautiful reminder of Your provision for us.
"And my God shall provide all Your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19).
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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