Numbers 21:4-9 - Where to Look for Healing

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.

Amen is right. That's beautiful. Thank you, Michael, for that beautiful song and reminder of our glorious Savior.

What a great, great Savior we have. Turn with me to Numbers chapter 21. Numbers 21.

Numbers 21 · chapter mention

It's exciting to get to celebrate the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, coming as the King on Palm Sunday.

We see Jesus there as the true King coming into Jerusalem, but we also see that Jesus is a very unusual kind of King.

The sobering reality is that He's coming to be exalted on a throne that you'd never expect.

He's coming to be lifted up, but like that song Michael just sang, lifted up was He to die on a cross.

So as we anticipate that kind of, that's a unique coronation.

One that involves death and resurrection again before the end of this week.

We've been talking about some images of the cross from the Old Testament.

Some foreshadows of what it will mean for Jesus to give His life in our place.

We started talking about the scapegoat in Leviticus 16 on the Day of Atonement.

And saw how part of what was happening on the cross is that Jesus was being sent away from the presence of God

to die in our place so that we could come into the presence of God and live on His merit.

Then last week we looked at the blood of the Lamb from Exodus 12 and the Passover.

And we saw how another facet of the cross is that sinners find safety

and are covered from the death their sin deserves only by the blood of the spotless Lamb.

This morning we're looking at one more, a short story.

It's represented there in the middle of that slide.

Numbers 21, as God's people on their way to the promised land are wandering for 40 years in the wilderness, right?

They're wandering because of their sin.

And time after time, what God is doing is He's teaching them to trust Him.

Often by showing them some very painful consequences of their sin and their lack of trust in Him.

This story is no exception to that.

Let's read Moses' account of this situation together.

This is God's holy word.

Numbers 21 at verse 4.

From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom.

And the people became impatient on the way.

And the people spoke against God and against Moses.

Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?

For there is no food and no water and we loathe this worthless food.

Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people.

And they bit the people so that many people of Israel died.

And the people came to Moses and said,

We have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against you.

Pray to the Lord that He may take away the serpents from us.

So Moses prayed for the people.

And the Lord said to Moses,

Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole.

And everyone who is bitten when he sees it shall live.

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.

Pray with me.

Father, this is Your Word.

And we would see Jesus in it this morning.

We need to see Him.

Would You show Him to us by Your Spirit?

We ask in His name.

Amen.

Amen.

As our story opens this morning,

we find God's people, the Israelites,

wandering in the desert, right?

Remember, God had delivered them out of slavery in Egypt

to bring them to the promised land of Canaan.

He was taking them somewhere,

but they didn't trust Him, did they?

They didn't trust Him to get them into the land,

to care for them as they went in.

So now they're wandering away from the promised land.

And they're becoming impatient, verse 4 says.

The word here, impatient, is the opposite of long-suffering.

They're tired of any suffering or difficulty very quickly.

No patience for it.

And as a result of their impatience, verse 5 says,

they spoke against God and against Moses.

Why have You brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?

For there's no food and no water,

and we loathe this worthless food.

If you're familiar with the story of the Old Testament,

this sounds a little bit familiar, doesn't it?

It's not the first time that God's people have asked a question like this.

Why did You bring us out of Egypt

if we're just going to die out here in the wilderness?

It seems that the setting sin of this generation of God's people

was discontentment, distrust of God's good care for them

and grumbling against Him.

They asked that question right when they had just gotten out of Egypt.

Did You just bring us out here to die?

There's no food and water, they say.

Or, well, we'll be honest, there is some food.

There is manna God sends every day,

but it's worthless.

So dull and so boringly the same every day when He sends it.

The way You're providing for me, God,

is not meeting my expectations.

They've complained about that

even though God has sent manna from heaven,

water out of a rock,

again, it's not good enough.

And they don't look trustingly to God, do they?

Thankfully, distrusting God's provision

and discontentment about the way that God has cared for us

and provided for us

is not something that anyone struggles with anymore.

It's one of those Old Testament sins, isn't it?

That none of us has ever experienced or known what that feels like.

Aren't you glad for that?

Plus, we don't even know what it would be like

to struggle with the same sin more than once, do we?

I mean, to come back and mess up in the same way again,

none of us can relate to that.

Let's be honest.

We're an entitled bunch of people, aren't we?

We know the things we think we deserve.

We deserve better.

And we're not willing to suffer very long

while waiting on God's promises to come to fruition, are we?

And we know very well, don't we,

what it's like to struggle with a sin

and think we've got it behind us

and then see it show back up.

Back to the same destructive patterns,

the same selfish habits,

the same empty idols that we think we deserve

and are going to fulfill us this time.

You see, that's the poison of discontentment,

of distrusting God

and always feeling He should be caring for us differently.

That lie of Satan back in the garden

creeps in again

and tempts us to believe that God's not really good.

He doesn't really have your best interest at heart.

You know better.

It keeps coming back, doesn't it?

It looks different each time,

but it keeps rearing its ugly head in our hearts.

It's poisonous in our hearts like that.

And God sends among His people here

the manifestation of that toxic venom in their hearts.

That poison of discontent that has spread

shows up in the form of poisonous serpents

that are there to remind them of

the toxic venom in their hearts

that has come out of their lips as well.

They've spoken against God and against Moses

whom He's sent to represent Him.

So the snakes are a constant reminder of what?

Of their sin.

That poisonous venom that is killing them spiritually

just as the snakes are killing them physically.

So what happens after God sends these snakes

and many are dying?

God's people respond to His discipline

and they turn back to Him for help, don't they?

They're desperate.

The snakes are killing them.

And they plead with Moses to intercede for them

and take the snakes away.

Verse 7.

The people came to Moses and said,

We've sinned for we've spoken against the Lord

and against you.

Pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.

So Moses prayed for the people

and the Lord said to Moses,

Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole

and everyone who is bitten when he sees it shall live.

So Moses made the bronze serpent and set it on a pole

and if a serpent bit anyone,

he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Notice a couple of things here.

Notice first the merciful heart of God, right?

God who with these people having turned away from Him

and spoken against Him

and grumbled and complained.

He woos them.

Their distrusting and their grumbling hearts

He brings back to Himself

so that they cry out to Him.

And when they do, He provides healing for them.

He shows them mercy.

But notice also one other thing.

God doesn't actually do what the people ask Him to do, does He?

What is it that the people ask for?

What do they want God to do?

Pray, Moses, to the Lord

that He take these serpents away from us.

They're killing us.

Pray that He would make them go away.

Does God do what they ask?

No, apparently people are still getting bitten by these serpents

even after God responds mercifully.

The serpents are still there

but God does provide a way to be healed, doesn't He?

Looking to the bronze serpent held up on the pole.

It's interesting.

What are God's people told to do if they want healing?

They're told to look at the same thing

that is killing them.

God uses the same word here

for the fiery serpent that He tells Moses

to put up on the pole.

The same word as the serpents that are killing them

and He says, look at that in order to be healed.

Now imagine for a minute

that you're one of the Israelites in this situation.

Of all the things in the world,

what is the one thing you are absolutely sick

of looking at at this point?

Snakes, right?

They're all over the place.

First of all, they're everywhere.

I can't get away from them.

And then remember,

what do the snakes remind you of?

Do you remember what they represent?

They're reminding me of,

not of healing and deliverance

and what I'm longing for,

but my sin.

They remind me of the poison,

of distrust.

How I've abandoned and failed Yahweh

over and over.

And Yahweh says,

look at that

and you will live.

I can imagine I'd want to look anywhere else.

It's like sometimes when you have to look away

when you're watching something develop

in front of you

and you've seen too much devastation

and you see that there's more coming

and you think,

I can't bear to watch it.

I know what's about to happen.

You don't want to look at all.

But you have to.

Because people still get bitten.

The serpent is held up

and people trust God

what He says to do

and they look at it

and the toxic venom inside them

is healed and they live, right?

People full of poison

look at the very thing

that is killing them

and are healed.

And Jesus tells us

that we shouldn't miss

the foreshadow of His cross,

of His healing work.

We don't have to wonder about

whether or not we get a picture of Jesus here,

do we?

Are we making this up

in trying to connect this story to Jesus?

Jesus tells us

when He speaks with Nicodemus

in John chapter 3.

John 3 · chapter mention

This is what Jesus tells Nicodemus.

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.

That sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

Eternal life.

The people in the wilderness

didn't even get that.

They were just healed temporarily

from the snake bite.

Eternal life

when the Son of Man is lifted up.

In fact, the next verse is what?

What comes after John 3.15?

That's right.

John 3.16.

Very good.

Very good.

You're awake.

John 3.16

where God so loves the world

that what He does is send His Son

because everyone needs to believe in Him

and therefore not perish

but have eternal life.

It sounds wonderful.

It sounds exciting

that Jesus will be lifted up

and people will have eternal life.

But what does it mean

that Jesus will be lifted up

as Moses lifted up the snake

in the wilderness?

That's why we started

with understanding the story

in numbers.

And so what we understand

from that story

is that Jesus, like the snake,

is not merely a picture of healing.

Right?

But rather as He is lifted up

on the cross,

He is a picture

of what is killing us.

Isn't He?

That sounds odd.

It was okay to talk about the snake

like that, Will,

but now you've confused me.

Jesus as a picture

of what is killing me?

That's not how I usually think

of Jesus.

Remember that these people

full of poison,

they look at the very thing

that is killing them

and they are healed.

With Jesus,

He Himself

bore our sins

in His body

on the tree

so that what is happening

on the cross

is that Jesus,

yes, He's a Savior,

yes, He's bringing healing,

but Jesus is actually

becoming sin

for us.

Do you remember

how Paul explains

the work of Christ

in 2 Corinthians?

God made Jesus,

the one who knew

no sin,

the one who'd never sinned

and didn't know

what that would be like,

God made Him

to be sin

for us

so that in Him

we might become

the righteousness

of God.

God made His

holy,

undefiled Son

to be

sin.

not just to bear sin,

but to actually

become sin

for us

so that we could

become righteous.

That's how eternal life

happens.

In other words,

on the cross,

Jesus receives

the curse

that sin deserves.

Cursed is

everyone

who is hung

on a tree.

Jesus

hangs on the cross

first

as the sin

that kills us

as an object

of scorn,

of rejection,

of cursing.

And only when we

see Him as such

in our place

can we receive

the healing

that He provides.

He does provide

healing there.

But until

He becomes

our sin,

we don't get

His righteousness.

Right?

Isn't that what

2 Corinthians 5 says?

It's when He

becomes our sin

that we

become

righteous.

So for those of us

who find ourselves

time and again

going back

to the same

sins

rather than

trusting God.

For those of us

who are dying

from the poison

of sin

that runs in our

blood,

from the toxic

venom that comes

from our hearts

and destroys us,

we must remember

that we will be

healed by looking

at what is

killing us.

Not perhaps

where we might

think to look,

but looking

at our sin,

we will be

healed by looking

at our sin

on another.

God has provided

for us a cure

as He did

for the people

in the wilderness.

A Savior

who as He is

lifted up

on the cross,

beaten,

bloodied,

dying,

is not

perhaps

what we would

expect

or even

want

to look at,

but who truly

does save us.

Let me share

with you a picture

of this from a

children's book

called The Watsons

Go to Birmingham.

Sometimes when we

don't think about

things a particular

way,

having a picture

of it,

especially a

children's book

picture,

can be a little

bit helpful.

In this book,

the main character

Kenny is a

ten-year-old boy

who regularly

gets picked on

and teased

and bullied

at school

and particularly

on the bus

this happens

to Kenny.

He writes about

and what I'm about

to read you

that the day

that all of

that stopped

when some new

boys came on

the bus.

Two new boys

who were late

getting on

the bus.

I'll read it to you

as he writes.

It starts with a

little bit of

background for this

day.

Every once in a

while,

Mama would make

me go to Sunday

school with Joey.

Even though it

was just a bunch

of singing and

coloring and

coloring books

and listening

to Mrs. Davidson,

I had learned

one thing.

I learned about

getting saved.

I learned how

someone could

come to you

when you were

feeling real,

real bad

and could take

all of your

problems away

and make you

feel better.

I learned that

the person who

saved you,

your personal

saver,

was sent by God

to protect you

and help you

out.

Now he takes us

to the day

that his trouble

stopped.

When the bigger

one of the two

boys who got

on the bus

late said to

the driver in

a real down

south accent,

thank you for

stopping,

sir.

I knew right

away.

I knew that

God had finally

gotten sick of

me being teased

and picked on

all the time.

As I looked at

this new boy

with the great

big smile and

the jacket with

holes in the

sleeves and the

raggedy tennis

shoes and the

tore up blue

jeans, I knew

who he was.

Maybe he didn't

live a million

years ago and

maybe he didn't

have a beard

and long hair

and maybe he

wasn't born

under a star,

but I knew

anyway.

I knew God

had finally

sent me some

help.

I knew God

had finally

sent me my

personal saver.

Not what Kenny

expected his

personal saver

to look like.

He says,

I was kind of

surprised that

God would send

a saver to me

in such raggedy

clothes.

Not what he

expected.

Perhaps he

expected someone

strong, someone

dashingly dressed,

someone noble to

come in and be

his saver.

But he knew him

when he saw him,

didn't he?

Someone who

looked like

everything he

felt and feared

he was as the

kid who got

picked on.

Outcast.

Tattered.

Shameful.

Worthy of

scorn.

Someone else

was going to be

the butt of all

the jokes.

The one who

suffered what

Kenny had

endured for so

long.

And Kenny

would be

saved.

So at the

cross, we

find healing.

A personal

saver,

Kenny would

call it,

when we

look at

our sin

on another.

When we

look to the

cross and

see Jesus,

this very

unusual kind

of king,

suffering shame,

rejection,

punishment,

that we know

are rightfully

ours.

When we see

him actually

become sin

for us.

So we

look to the

cross over

and over

because of

that perplexing

reality that

God doesn't

just take all

of our sin

away as we

often wish

he would.

He instead

provides a way

to be healed

from the sin

that keeps

plaguing us,

doesn't he?

It's just like

with his people,

isn't it?

Why not just

remove all the

snakes, God?

That would be

easy.

I've got a way

out of this

mess.

Just get rid

of the snakes.

Well, the Bible

doesn't tell us

all the reasons

why he doesn't

do that in this

story, but I

think at least

one is quite

apparent.

What happens

to God's people

over and over

and over when

his discipline

is removed?

They forget

the danger of

their sin,

don't they?

And in their

discontentment

with God and

how he cares

for them,

they go seeking

fulfillment in

other places

over and over.

And God wants

to teach us

to look trustingly

to him.

So he says,

if you want

to survive,

you are going

to have to

keep trusting

me,

seeing your sin

for what it is

and looking to

me for healing.

I'm convinced

that's at least

part of why

we still

struggle against

sin.

Because God

knows what we

need every

day is to

be looking

away from

ourselves

and to

him,

depending not

on what we

think is best,

but trusting

him to

heal us

from the

poison that

is running

through us.

So practically

speaking,

what happens

when we look

to Jesus

over and

over?

We talk a lot

around here

about experiencing

his grace

every moment,

right?

of our

constant needs

being constantly

met in

Christ.

You've heard

preachers like

me say things

like,

preach the

gospel to

yourself every

day.

You need to

remember it

all the time.

What happens

when we do?

I think at

least two

things happen

constantly.

The first is

that looking

to Jesus

helps me

hate my

sin.

As opposed

to my

natural tendency

to minimize

or ignore

or downplay

my sin,

I have to

look at it

head on.

I have to

face my

distrust of

God for

what it

really is

when I

see what

it cost

Jesus.

When I

look at

Him and

see the

shame

and the

disgrace

and the

pain my

Savior took

on the

cross.

And so I

hate the

sin.

But at the

same time,

I experience

freedom from

that shame

and disgrace

and pain

that I

feel as I

experience

God's

forgiveness.

As I see

someone else

become my

sin so that

I will never

be defined

by it.

I'm now

free and

when He

becomes my

sin, I

become His

righteousness.

The famous

Scottish

pastor Robert

Murray McShane

talked about

it this way.

I love

this quote.

He says,

For every

look at

yourself,

take ten

looks at

Christ.

He is

altogether

lovely.

Such

infinite

majesty and

yet such

meekness and

grace and

all for

sinners,

even the

chief.

He says,

live much

in the

smiles of

God.

I think

that's what

he meant

by preach

the gospel

to yourself

every day.

That's what

he's saying.

Live much

in the

smiles of

God.

Bask

in his

beams.

Feel his

all-seeing

eyes settled

on you in

love and

repose in

his almighty

arms.

Let your

soul be

filled with

a heart

ravishing

sense of

the sweetness

and excellency

of Christ

and all

that is in

him.

Let the

Holy Spirit

fill every

chamber of

your heart

and so

there will

be no

room for

folly

or the

world

or Satan

or the

flesh.

For

every look

at yourself

take ten

looks at

Christ.

He says

when you

see your

sin the

poison and

of your

anger

of your

lust

of your

discontent

of your

self-focused

self-obsessed

life.

Look quickly

to him

who has

taken your

sin.

See Jesus

actually

becoming

anger

anger and

lust and

discontent

and self-obsession

for you

so that you

can be filled

with him

and leave

no room

for sin

in your

heart

that you

hate it

and there's

no room

for it.

You then

experience

the freedom

of God's

forgiveness

and can

rest

in your

father's

arms.

That's the

good news

of the

gospel.

It's the

glorious reality

of preaching

the gospel

to yourself

every day.

Every time

you see

the sin

that is

killing you

looking at

it in

Jesus

and remembering

that you

are free

and righteous

in him

because he

has taken

your sin.

Can I push

one more step

with this

while we're

on it?

Would you

be willing

to consider

this morning

the more

difficult

and painful

task

of doing

the same

with the

sin of

your

brothers

and

sisters?

For every

look at

their sin

take ten

looks at

Christ.

You see

Christ

became

their

careless

words

their

unloving

spirit

their

prideful

condescension

their

abusive

actions

which have

hurt you

so deeply

and realize

as you

look at

Christ

ten

times

that if

God

has

forgiven

them

at the

cross

you

must

too.

Other

people

must

get to

live

in the

same

freedom

that you

are

enjoying

in

Christ.

It's a

little bit

harder

isn't it?

I don't

like that

application

so much

pastor

come on

what about

preach the

gospel

to myself?

This is

preach the

gospel

to yourself

it's the

gospel

that applies

not just

to you

but to

all of

your

brothers

and

sisters

who are

hidden

in

Christ.

He's

paid

for

their

sins

he's

forgiven

their

sins

too.

It's

how the

gospel

transforms

us

in our

relationships

because

not only

has

Jesus

become

my

sin

in

my

place

he's

become

their

sin

in

their

place

hasn't

he?

he's

become

your

sin

in

your

place

too.

Now

remember

I'm

not

saying

you

quit

hating

that

sin

or

all

its

painful

effects

disappear

and

shouldn't

be

dealt

with

not

at

all

seeing

our

sin

on

Jesus

makes

us

hate

the

sin

all

the

more

but

it

also

calls

us

and

drives

us

to

forgive

sins

that

we

could

otherwise

never

imagine

forgiving

and

the

freedom

of

Christ

is

for

you

and

for

them

are

you

expressing

the

grace

that

you're

experiencing

for

yourself

one

last

thing

as we

close

this

morning

I

hope

you're

seeing

the

beauty

of yet

another

facet

of the

cross

of

Christ

today

but

I

think

lots

of

times

this

can

remain

very

theoretical

look

to

Jesus

preach

the

gospel

to

yourself

every

day

that

sounds

so

nice

doesn't

it

you

know

preacher

just

say

that

thing

I

don't

know

what

you're

talking

about

but

sure

that

that

sounded

really

spiritual

when

you

said

that

I'm

going

to

preach

the

gospel

to

myself

every

day

I'll

try

that

let

me

tell

you

I

hope

very

practically

what

it

looks

like

in

my

life

to

try

to

help

us

put

some

legs

on

this

I'll

just

use

one

story

and

we'll

be

through

a

couple

weeks

ago

my

wife

joined

many

of

you

on

Southwood's

women's

retreat

which

was

fantastic

and

meant

for

me

that

I

got

an

entire

weekend

just

me

and

my

three

girls

whom

I

love

dearly

I

was

looking

forward

to

that

time

together

and

probably

to

be

honest

a

chance

to

prove

to

myself

what

an

amazing

stop

laughing

at

me

I

am

amazing

I

wanted

God

to

give

us

a

special

weekend

together

that's

what

I

expected

by

the

end

of

Friday

which

in

fairness

to

me

was

a

day

off

of

school

I

mean

come

on

really

a

full

day

by

the

end

of

Friday

I

was

impatient

my

girls

weren't

giving me

the

space

to do

what

was

on

my

schedule

they

were

responding

disrespectfully

to

me

and

the

volume

of

my

voice

was

getting

louder

and

louder

with

every

interaction

I

was

discontent

I

wasn't

trusting

God

that

he

knew

what

was

best

for

the

weekend

and

what

it

should

look

like

I

had

my

own

plans

and

my

kids

weren't

cooperating

with

them

I

was

the

first

parent

ever

to

find

himself

in

that

position

before

and

I

lost

my

temper

I

yelled

at

them

I

hurt

them

I

could

see

it

in

their

eyes

that

night

I'd

like to

say

it's

the

first

time

that's

ever

happened

but

I

don't

want

to

add

lying

to

my

rap

sheet

for

the

weekend

but

I

was

a

failure

again

the

same

sin

that

I

hated

and

after

I

got

them

to

bed

that

night

I

sat

down

and

I

started

going

through

all

the

excuses

in

my

head

for

how

I

treated

them

why

I

was

still

a

great

dad

in

that

moment

but

pretty

quickly

I

saw

the

horror

of

my

sin

I

felt

like

such

a

miserable

failure

somebody

else

in

here

has

felt

that

way

before

I

think

I

was

just

ashamed

remember

this

was

my

dad

of

the

year

weekend

I

didn't

get

many

chances

like

this

I

built

myself

up

I

was

going

to

prove

it

to

myself

if

nobody

else

and

I

blew

it

I

was

so

disappointed

in

myself

I

deserved

none

of

God's

love

I

hated

myself

for

my

sin

and that

night

I had

to preach

the gospel

to myself

I had

to see

Jesus

on the

cross

becoming

a self

centered

dad

who yells

at his

kids

again

I

had

to see

what

happened

to him

because

of

that

sin

that

was

mine

and

then I

had to

see

God

forgiving

and

loving

me

right

there

because

of

Jesus

so

that

I

could

be

free

and

not

be

and

not

take

what

Jesus

was

taking

for

me

and

then

to

make

it

worse

as I

plotted

how to

teach

my girls

to be

respectful

the next

day

I

had

to

see

him

do

the

same

for

their

sin

I

had to

wait

until

the next

morning

to

apologize

to

my

girls

I

tell

you

if

you're

ever

hurting

in

your

sin

there

there's

very

few

balms

of

the

gospel

like

the

forgiveness

of

a

child

for

a

parent

to

have

your

child

forgive

you

to

show

the

love

of

God

to

you

we

agreed

that

they

still

needed

to be

disciplined

for

their

disrespect

but

I

asked

them

in the

same

moment

to help

me

remember

not to

yell at

them

but to

show them

God's

patient

love

and we

all were

free to

love each

other as

righteous

not in

how we

performed

on

Friday

but in

Christ

and in

how much

he

loved

us

which

is

much

more

special

than

that

of

the

year

weekend

I

had

planned

for

where

do

you

need

to

preach

the

gospel

to

yourself

what

sin

that

is

poisoning

your

heart

do

you

need

to

see

Jesus

on

the

cross

becoming

for

you

it's

a

painful

place

to