Weekly Message: The bronze snake
(Num. 21:4-9 Jn. 3:14 Ps. 90) By Rev.Katherine
Liu Bruce Christian Arts
Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; pastoral ministry &
counseling
Introduction
In
all things, give God thanks! In Moses’
time, God had been granted His people victory over their enemies, and provided heavenly
manna, water, meat to Israelites 40 years. God was faithful and compassionate
to deal with His people. Many times Israelites grumbled, complained and harbor
a grudge and bitter against Moses and God for lacking meat and water.
Israelites looked back the delicious food in Egypt, and forgot that God had delivered
them out of the bondage of slavery. By Moses’
prayer, petition, God ceased His wrath and anger toward His people. A bronze
snake symbolized the Son of Man
must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. God’s salvation came to people though Messiah Christ
Jesus died on the cross as Moses lifted up a bronze snake, and put it up on a
pole, anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, and he
lived.
Christians’ Biblical precept of prevision is
that God owns it all. God provides all things to survive His people in victory,
not Moses. But it was Moses as a servant of God kept praying for His people so
that God’s mercy, forgiveness and favor may rest on people. In our daily life, we
shall gaze upon the grace of God who is true source, true provider, provide all
our needs. And pray and petition for people faithfully so that salvation may
reach out to the nations.
My friends, reading Numbers 21:1-9 there are two
major roles , one is Moses and one is grumbled Israelites, which group will you
join with? Will you join a group which prays for people constantly like Moses? Or
will you join a group of gossiping, complaining, and harbor a grudge against leadership
about the life?
Number
21: 1-6 God granted victory to Israel, gave the Canaanites over to them,
however, they forgot that their victory over Arad had been granted by the Lord.
And grumbled about detest miserable food – heavenly bread (Manna).
When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the
Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the
Israelites and captured some of them. The Israel made this vow to the Lord: “If
you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their
cities.” The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites over to
them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah. They traveled from Mount Hor along the route
to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;
they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up
out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water and we
detest this miserable food!” (Nu.21:1-5)
Moses’ determination not to engage Edom in
battle, the people became impatient with him and with the direction the Lord
was taking them. Flushed with victory, they were confident in themselves. They
forgot that their victory over Arad had been granted by the Lord in response to
their solemn pledge (v.2) they were ready to rebel again. (v.4). People’s
impatience (v.4) led them to blaspheme god, to reject his servant Moses and to
despise the “bread from heaven” (Ex16:4). This is the most bitter of their
several complaints about the manna. The people’s contempt for the heavenly
bread was more serious than one might think. Rejecting the heavenly manna was
tantamount to spurning God’s grace.
Num.
21:6-9 God’s compassion, and salvation through a bronze snake put on a pole,
anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, will live. As
Jesus must be lifted up died on the cross, everyone who believes in Him may
have eternal life.
Then the Lord
sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.
The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord
and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away for us.” So Moses
prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it on a pole; anyone who is bitten can
look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole,
then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he
lived.” (Num.21:6-9).
Only
those who believed God and looked on the bronze snake lived. The N.T. used this incident as an illustration
of Christ’s vicarious death on the cross and of the necessity of personal faith
for salvation. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in
the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in
him may have eternal life.” (John
3:14)
Moses’
prayer and petition in Psalm 90, a lament to the everlasting God asking for
compassion on His servants who through the ages have known Him to be their
dwelling place but who also painfully experience his wrath because of their sin.
Moses’
prayer as an intercessory prayer it fits well on the lips of Moses, the great
interceder for Israel. “Relent” is only found in Moses’ prayer and asked God
directly to relent from His anger toward Israel. For God is “dwelling place” to
them, the Hebrew translated “refuge” “home” or “safe haven”. Dust to dust
(Gen.3:19) express the human beings live under God’s sentence of death. Though
for God a thousand years are like a mere watch in the night , He cuts human
life short like new grass that shows itself as dawn’s light but is withered
away by the hot Canaanite sun before evening falls. Even life’s short span is
filled with trouble, as God ferrets out every sin and makes the sinner feel His
righteous anger. If God gives us the strength to live that long- seventy or
eighty, yet these are all soured by trouble and sorrow or disappointment. No
one can measure the extent of God’s anger. But everyone ought to know the
measure of their few days or they will play the arrogant fool, with no thought
of their mortality or of their accountability to God.
Psalm 90 is a prayer of Moses, the man of God.
A lament to the everlasting God asking for compassion on His servants who
through the ages have known him to be their safe heaven but who also painfully
experience his wrath because of their sin and his sentence of death that cuts
short their lives – a plea that through this long night of his displeasure God
will teach them true wisdom and in the morning after, bless them in equal
measure with expressions of His children and their daily labors may be blessed.
God’s
discipline humbles arrogant sinners and teaches them true wisdom. Moses prayed
to God to be compassionate and restore the joy of life. The petition as
follows,
- 1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (vv.1-2)
- 2. You turn men back to dust, saying “Return to dust, O sons of men.” For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning- though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered.(vv.3-5)
- 3. We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. The length of our days is seventy years or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. (vv.6-11).
- 4. Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom.(v.12).
- 5. Relent O Lord, how long will it be? Have compassion on your servant.(v.13)
- 6. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.(v.14)
- 7. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.(v.15)
- 8. May your deeds be shown to your servants your splendor to their children.(v.16)
- 9. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us, establish the work of our hands for us, yes, establish the work of our hands. (v.17).
Two
stanzas descriptive of the human condition under God’s aggrieved anger
(vv.3-6,7-10) are framed by two couplets (vv.1-2,11-12) that by their implicit
contrasts, highlight the major polarities over which the intervening stanzas
brood: 1) The Lord, who has ever been our “dwelling place” (v.1) has shown us
the power of His wrath (v.7). 2) God is the Everlasting One (v.2) while we must
come to terms with the small number of our days (v.12). These reflections lead
to the prayer with which the psalm concludes (vv.13-17). The good hope with
which such a prayer may be uttered comes to expression in Ps.91; 92. Let there be for us a dawning of your love to
relieve this long, dark night of your anger. The final answer to this prayer
comes with the resurrection. (Rom5:2-5; 8:18; 2Co4:16-18). “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the
desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.” (John
3:14).
My friends, in all things give God thanks, the length of our days is seventy years or eighty, if we have the strength, don’t let your days pass away under God’s wrath, but rather under God’s grace. Like grass in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. Don’t spend your lifetime to grumble, or harbor bitter against each other, complain, and compare with others about life and wealth. Anger, envy, jealous doesn’t reflect God’s deeds, characters and glorious image. James said, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes, if it is the Lord’s will, you will live and do this or that.” Godliness and contentment is great gain. Christians’ Biblical precept of prevision is that God owns it all. God provides all things to survive His people in victory, not Moses. But it was Moses as a servant of God kept praying for His people so that God’s mercy, forgiveness and favor may rest on people. In our daily life, we shall gaze upon the grace of God who is true source, true provider, provide all our needs. And pray and petition for people faithfully so that salvation may reach out to the nations. There are two major roles in Numbers 21:1-9, one is Moses, and one is grumbled Israelites, which group will you join with? Will you join a group which prays for people constantly like Moses? Or will you join a group of gossiping, complaining, and harbor a grudge against leadership about the life and live under God’s wrath? Read Psalm 90 Moses’ prayer and petition, you may gain a heart of wisdom. May our nation grow more and more prayer warriors as Moses to pray and petition all the consequences to God, instead of grumbling about the life. May the Lord’s deeds be shown to us, and His splendor to our children, and children’s children! May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us.
Bibliography,
Barker,
Kenneth L. NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1985.
King
James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company
Ryrie, Charles
C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible
Institute, 1986.
