Look at this picture and find the hidden numbers from 1 to 20.
This is exactly the kind of mindset we should have when we read the Old Testament. Of course, we are not looking for the numbers here, but we want to search for Jesus hidden in Old Testament. For He is the shadow of good things to come in the Old, we want to unveil Him.
Just like the hidden numbers in the above picture, we may not notice that the numbers are there if we were not told. The numbers remain hidden until we look for them intentionally. Likewise, Jesus will remain hidden in the Old Testament until we read the Testament with the right intend. For the New (Testament) is the Old revealed, the Old is the New concealed.
We are in the series of examining the Old Testament with the objective to reveal Jesus. Jesus is hidden everywhere in the Old Testament. Let's have a hunger to see Jesus. Every time when we hear a sermon or read the Bible, we want to see Jesus and behold His glory. Ask the Holy Spirit to open up the Scriptures to us so that we can encounter Jesus.
Today, we shall examine the story of Moses lifting up the bronze serpent.
Numbers 21
The Bronze Serpent
4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.
5 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 our soul loathes this worthless bread.”
6 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
7 Therefore 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 take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Here we see that the children of Israel murmured and complained. In verse 6, it says that "the Lord sent fiery serpents", and they bit the people and many of the Israelites died.
Now, it seems like the Lord "sent" the serpents to bite them. When we check the word "sent" in Hebrew, one of its meaning is "lift off" or "let go".
It is important to recognize that the serpents were always there in the wilderness. When the Israelites murmured against Moses, all God did was that He lifted off His protection over them since they were under the old covenant of law.
Praise be to God that we are not in such inferior covenant anymore. Under the new covenant of grace, God will NEVER lift His protection over us! Amen! Hallelujah!
Back to the story, the people then came to Moses in repentance. In verse 8, the Lord instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole and " if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived."
The bronze serpent on the pole is a picture of Jesus on the cross. Jesus liken Himself to a serpent because on the cross, Jesus became cursed with the curses that we deserved for our sins. He who knew no sin became sin. Jesus became a serpent - a picture of a cursed creature - so that in exchange we could go free from curses and the judgement of sins.
Because that would have spoiled the typology. Jesus did not come to this earth in "sinful flesh" to die for our sins.He came in the likeness of sinful flesh.
This is a huge difference. Jesus had no sin and in Him is no sin, He cannot be depicted as a real serpent. He was depicted as a bronze figure which was made in the likeness of a serpent.
But why bronze? In the Bible, bronze speaks of judgment. So to see Jesus as the bronze serpent is to see a picture of God's judgement falling upon Jesus at the cross.
The bronze serpent was raised on a pole and Moses lifted it high so that all the children of Israel could see it.
Likewise, God lifted Jesus up on the cross for the whole world to see Him. Whoever looks to Jesus and sees their sins, curses and sicknesses punished on His body shall be saved. They shall be healed. They shall live! Amen! Hallelujah!
John 3:14-17
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
And as we fix our eyes on Him, we will be transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). Let's start to occupy ourselves with Jesus and His finished work.
Begin to search the Scriptures for all the things concerning Himself and feel our hearts burning within us as the Holy Spirit unveils to us about our Lord, Jesus. We will find peace for our souls, strength for our bodies and clarity for our mind. Symptoms of death will give way to manifestations of His abundance and resurrection life! Amen! Hallelujah!
Grace and peace be with you.
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