Moses and the Brazen Serpent in Numbers 21:4-9

Look And Live! (Because Sin Bites) Numbers 21:4-9 Attribution: images.google.com, versebyverseministry.org and Dr. Adrian Rogers

Are you afraid of snakes? Dad standing on a tractor seat vs. 3 green snake on the ground

700 years later Hezekiah broke up the brazen serpent because they were worshiping it. 2 Kings 18:1-4 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.2He was twenty- five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.

3And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.4He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).

The focus of our study is found in Numbers 21 At this point in the book, Israel has already been wandering for 40 years and their time in the desert is coming to an end Aaron is dead, as is Moses wife Marion Moses himself is nearing the end of his life as well Now the people of God are moving northward through a sandy valley that connects the Red Sea in the south with the Dead Sea in the north They re on the last leg of their wanderings

Soon they will enter the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua, but first, they must walk over 165 miles through this wilderness The route was dry with steep mountains bordering on either side It was a rocky route, and terrible sand storms would appear out of nowhere. It s the kind of miserable trek likely to make anyone grumpy But for the Israelites, it triggers an old weakness

Num. 21:4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. Num. 21:5 The people spoke against God and 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 miserable food.

Here we see the classic Israelite response to hardship during their wanderings In v.4 we hear they are impatient because of the journey And their impatience leads them to speak against both God and Moses

Outline Outline I. Rebellion a) They doubted God s promise b) They distained God s provision c) They despised God s prophet II. Retribution a) A fitting response b) A fiery bite c) A fatal bite

Outline Outline III. Remedy a) It was God s remedy b) It was the only remedy c) It was a sufficient remedy d) It was a never failing remedy

Outline Outline IV. Requirement It was easy It was simple It was personal It was absolutely necessary

God delivered the Israelites from the power of the snake bites (fiery = venomous = deadly just like sin), but not the presence of snakes.