John 3:14-21
Numbers 21:4-92
Kings 18:1-4
Numbers chapter 21, the first nine verses of that chapter tell the story of the Hebrews, wandering in the desert. They had won some minor victories they had been saved from bondage, they’ve crossed the Red Sea, God had done miraculous things in their lives. He was feeding them with manna from heaven. They complained about Manna.He had quail come and land in the village screaming eat me and still they complained at every turn. God finally said, you know what? Okay have it your way. And the serpents of the desert came in and bit the people and some of the people died. Serpents weren’t new, they were in the desert the whole time and God in his protecting nature had kept those dangers from the children of Israel, and it finally got to the point where he just gave them their heart’s desire. You want to complain and fuss? guess what, here's the world, come on in and let the children see what the world is. Many of them were bitten and died, and they repented then and they begged Moses to intercede for them. He did and God said, okay, here's what you do. I want you to make a serpent, a representation of the serpent and put it up on a pole and anybody who looks at that serpent will be saved. So Moses makes the serpent and he raises it up on a pole and he tells the people that if you would be saved look on the serpent. Such a simple thing, reckon how many of those Israelites would not look at that snake? How many people today refuse to look at the way of salvation God provides for us? A couple of weeks ago, I had a professor at seminary "question my notion" that Jesus is the only way to eternal life in the presence of God and then recommend a book where the author argues that the notion of hell as eternal punishment is not a biblical notion. There are many people who refuse to look at the cross and, while it will break His heart, God will let them have it their way.