Subject Twenty-nine

LIFTING UP THE BRASS SERPENT

Scripture: Num. 21:4-9; John 3:14

1. Man has sinned
   1. Firstly tell how the Israelites committed sins against God in the wilderness.
   2. People in the world today are also doing evil things against God.
2. Sins brought in death
   1. When the Israelites sinned, the poisonous serpents immediately came to bite them, and that bite killed them.
   2. Today the people who are committing sins are also being bitten by Satan, and Satan injects the poison of death into man by his bites. The serpents represent Satan. Their biting the Israelites and putting them to death represents the fact that the one who holds the power of death has put man into death by sins. First Corinthians 15:56 says, “The sting of death is sin.” Satan puts man into death by luring him to commit sins.
3. God’s saving way
   1. God told Moses to put a brass serpent upon a pole.
   2. Moses represents the law. The brass serpent represents Christ who became flesh and died for our sins. Moses’ lifting up the brass serpent upon a pole represents the fact that the law crucified Christ on the cross. Just as the brass serpent received the judgment of the law for the Israelites, so also Christ received the judgment of the law for us. Brass in the Bible represents judgment.
   3. In that day it was the poisonous serpents that bit the Israelites and put them to death, and it was the brass serpent that made them alive. Both are serpents. This means that it was Satan who put men to death, and it was also Satan who was judged on the cross. Although it was Christ who was nailed upon the cross, it was actually Satan who was judged on the cross. Thus the death of Christ on the cross not only substituted for our judgment, but it also judged Satan.
4. The way of receiving salvation
   1. When the Israelites beheld the brass serpent, they were immediately made alive.
   2. Today if man wants to be saved out of sins and death, he must behold the Christ who was crucified on the cross.
   3. Beholding is believing and receiving. Believe Christ and receive Him as your Savior.