Turn your eyes upon Jesus,This song encapsulates such a beautiful concept that I've been meditating on a lot recently. The source for these cogitations comes from a somewhat odd story in the Bible.
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of this earth
Will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
I seem to be drawn to odd stories in the Bible...mostly because the more it goes against the grain of what I would naturally think or expect, the more likely there is that there's an important truth contained within it. The strange stories force me to study and contemplate more deeply than the ones everyone preaches about that have obvious practical applications.
With that introduction, I submit for your consideration the story of the "fiery serpents" in Numbers 21! The book of Numbers is the story of Israel traveling in the wilderness from Mount Sinai to the new Promised land and is chock full of some of the craziest stories in the entire Bible! From the earth swallowing people up, to talking donkeys to spies bringing back gigantic grapes and tales of gigantic people, expect your sensibilities to be challenged when you read this book! (Which explains why it makes recurring appearances in my blog, e.g., Sanctify the Lord (or Moses' Mistake; You Think You're Special?)
Our story we're focusing on today comes in the midst of Israel's 40 year long wilderness wanderings. It's on the heels of Miriam and Aaron's death, Moses's being banned from the Promised Land (if they ever get there!), and even a victory over the Canaanite king Arad. However, it opens with discouragement.
Numbers 21:4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
In the previous chapter we learned that Edom would not allow Israel to pass through their borders despite Moses's insistence that they would go straight through and pay for any resources they used. The king of Edom even comes out with an army to ensure that there will be no trespassers. Deuteronomy 2:4-8 gives us the additional information that God had forbidden Israel from fighting with Edom because He had not given Israel Esau's land. This meant that Israel had to go the long way around...through the desert, as you can note from this map.
The Bible tells us that the result of this detour was the people's soul being much discouraged because of the way. It is very common for us to find ourselves in similar situations. Life is full of ups and downs, victories and defeats, people we respect letting us down, others dying, and sometimes the way is just hard. The people may have questioned God's command. After all, they had just won a battle against the Canaanites, surely they could have won against the Edomites! And yet, here they were, marching through the wilderness the long way around. I am positive they were upset with the king of Edom. How unreasonable! What a jerk! We were going to pay after all! But nooooo, he just HAD to make our life more difficult for no reason at all! Sound familiar to things we might say? The people lashed out at their leaders, which we often do, and their specific respond is recorded in the next verse.
Numbers 21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
Ironically, these are repeat complaints which have already been dealt with several times in Exodus 15-18 and Numbers 11 and 20. Each time God has provided for them, yet they are making the same complaints. How often we fall into the same pattern. Complaining about things God has already given us answers for in the past. We quickly forget God's old provision when we're in a new situation demanding new provision. Unfortunately for the people, there are consequences for not trusting God.
Numbers 21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
The specific punishment about what was allowed in to inflict the people strikes me as interesting, as well as the words used. The word for "fiery", interestingly enough, is also used to describe the seraphims flying around God's throne in Isaiah 6. As for them being serpents, the first thing that comes to my mind when the word serpent is mentioned is the representation of the devil in Genesis chapter 3. Serpents are often used in Scripture to refer to punishment or consequences when going your own way (Proverbs 23:22; Ecclesiastes 10:8, 11; Isaiah 14:29; Jeremiah 8:17; Amos 5:19, 9:3). All that to say, to me, the fiery serpents in this story are representative of the consequences of going our own way, of the problem that is killing us as punishment for not trusting God.
Numbers 21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
The people realize their error in the face of the consequences and come in contrition and repentance. But what stood out to me recently was what they were specifically asking for. They wanted God to take away the serpents from them. This is similar to what Pharaoh continually asked Moses to do with each of the plagues...take away the frogs, take away the lice, etc. Each time in those instances God removed the offending punishment, once even allowing Pharaoh to determine the time period when it would happen. I've often prayed similar prayers and people have also related to me similar prayers. We usually want God to just remove the problem that is inflicting us.
- "Just take away my desire for this sinful thing (fill in the blank)."
- "Lord, just remove these people who cause me to have sinful attitudes from my life."
- "God, please take away the consequences for what I've done wrong! Shield me from the results of my sin!"
It's a perfectly natural prayer and desire with which I sympathize. However, I noticed that in this case, the request was not granted. Notice the solution given in the next verse.
Numbers 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
This is where the story gets odd, but also where the power and impact of the story comes in! Rather than complying with the people's request to take away the serpents, God has Moses make a replica of the very problem that is inflicting them, set it on a pole where people can look up and see it, and then AFTER a person is bitten, if they look at the serpent, they'll live. What in the world is going on here? There are so many questions that spring to mind when I read this. Aren't the Israelites supposed to avoid making images of any kind? Why make the image of the very thing that's causing the problem...a snake for that matter! The very thing we use to symbolize the devil! (Revelation 12:9) Why have them look after they've already been inflicted with the poison of the serpent? Why does just looking at this image bring healing? No doubt more questions as well as answers to these questions and possibilities are already flooding your mind. And unfortunately I don't even have answers to all of those questions! (I know, I know--why are you even reading this then? Please feel free to enlighten me with your ideas in the comment section...but don't leave, stay with me--I do have SOME good things to say!) Here are the thoughts that come to me.
- The people were being required to face full on the consequence of their sin up on that pole; to look on the results of their sin which was bringing death.
- Rather than removing the problem, as God did with Pharaoh (who never repented), God is requiring them to reverse the process that caused the problem. If a lack of faith in God brought on the problem, a renewal of faith in God by obeying this strange commandment will bring healing from the problem.
- The introduction of an act of faith (i.e. looking at the pole) separates the wheat from the tares, the sheep from the goats. Rather than removing the consequences from all the people, this leaves the outcome up to the individual. Will they have faith and obey or will they blow it off and die from the snake poison?
- Lastly, believe it or not, God is introducing a principle that points to a New Testament truth which is immensely applicable to us today answering our deepest problem.
The New Testament often refers to Old Testament passages and brings out incredible depth and truth, even from those which we find confusing (as may be the case for this one). And Jesus makes mention of this story in the middle of one of the most famous passages of the Bible (though his reference to the story is often unfortunately ignored). Let's take a look at the comparison Jesus makes. This is POWERFUL so buckle your metaphorical seat-belts!
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Do you see what famous passages this seemingly obscure reference is sandwiched between? First, the next verse is John 3:16, possibly the most well-known and oft-quoted Scripture in all of Western civilization. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." And the chapter opens with his conversation with Nicodemus about being born again of water and of spirit to enter the kingdom of God.
This analogy completely confused me when I first read it. Jesus is comparing himself to a bronze snake on a pole? Uh...weird! Let's skip over that and get to the woman at the well. But Jesus is making a powerful allusion.
First of all, in what way will the Son of man be lifted up as the serpent was on a pole by Moses the lawgiver? We find an answer later on in the book of John.
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
John 12:33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
John 12:34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
I can't dig into every aspect of this passage (you guys can do some inference on your own), but I do want to highlight John's commentary on what Jesus was referring to when he spoke of being "lifted up". It was the sort of death he should die. And in what way did Jesus die? He, of course, was lifted up from the earth on the cross.
But there's more to the analogy we see at first blush, that we must look to Jesus on the cross to be healed. Let's follow it through. What is our problem which brings death as a consequence for our lack of faith in God? I submit that our problem also began with a fiery angelic serpent in the Garden of Eden who tempted humanity to doubt God's provisions and sovereignty, to disobey His commands and go their own way, thereby introducing sin and death into the world. We've all been bitten in some form or another by that fiery serpent when we don't trust God and go our own way, complaining that He isn't providing for us in the way that we think He should. The problem lies within our own sinful flesh. So to follow the story, when we begin to experience the consequence of that fiery serpent bite, in this body of death, we sometimes come to God in repentance asking Him to remove the problem and the consequence. "God, take away my desire for cigarettes or pornography or my temper or my doubts!" Yet, many times God doesn't directly remove those things to our bewilderment. If He won't remove them how can we be healed? Ah, but He HAS provided a solution.
Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Let's look at the way the people escaped the consequences of their sins in the book of Numbers.
Numbers 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Moses made a perfect representation of the serpent causing the problem for the people but without any of the poison. In the same way, God sent his son in the as an exact representation of the problem--our sinful flesh--but without any of the poison (he was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin-Hebrews 4:15). And when that perfect, reflective representation was lifted up on a tree...on a pole...on a cross...whoever has been bitten by that fiery serpent of sinful flesh can behold the perfect image and live! Do you see what's happening here? This story is a type and shadow of the solution to our very deepest problem in this life! We must turn our eyes to the cross! We must look to the consequence of our sin which is death, and LIVE! That is cause for celebration! We can turn our eyes to Him and be saved!
There is one caveat I must make...one danger we must beware of...one pitfall we must avoid in this analogy. The children of Israel kept this bronze serpent which had healed those who looked on it in the wilderness, and it resurfaces in the Biblical story years later in the time of King Hezekiah. During his reforms, as he removed all the idols he came upon this ancient relic.
2nd Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
2nd Kings 18:5 He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.
The children of Israel had turned the instrument of salvation in the wilderness into a tool of idolatry. They had missed the point of what the thing represented and began worshiping the thing itself rather than the God who gave the thing.
We face a similar danger of becoming flesh worshipers. It's tempting to hang a crucifix on our mirror or neck or have a nice picture of the crucifixion or last supper on the wall and begin looking at that as some magical charm or even idol. But we must look past the thing itself to the God who made the ultimate sacrifice for us. We don't worship the broken body or the piece of wood upon which our Savior was crucified...though we must look upon the sacrifice in order to be healed...we don't worship the sacrifice itself. We worship the One who made the sacrifice. The One who provided a way out of our mess. Let's not make the mistake of the Israelites in the time of Hezekiah.
In closing, let these words from Isaiah become your mantra. Look to Jesus! He is the only means of salvation!
Isaiah 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
Isaiah 45:21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
Isaiah 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Isaiah 45:24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
Isaiah 45:25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
