Bible Baptist Church

I want you to think about Thanksgiving. You are inviting friends and family to come to your house for a feast. We are talking the turkey, stuffing and all the fixings including a buffet of all sorts of desserts. Out of nowhere the day before Thanksgiving a horrific snow storm hits. No one can make it, and you are left with all the turkey, stuffing, fixings, and desserts just for yourself and immediate family.
What everyone was looking forward to was the company, the great food, and the naps afterwards. It was no one's fault, but an unfortunate situation that took place with the snow storm. You can dream, wish and desire all you want, but there is no way people are making it to this year's Thanksgiving.
I want you to feel that disappointment, because that is what I want you to feel as we walk through today's message. Please go with me to Numbers 21:4-9 as we look at Sin's Complexity Dissolved By Grace's Reach.

Allow me one more example before we get into the Word. I remember one of my kids saying, "I do it Daddy, I do it!" It was a simple concept that whatever was being done at the time my child was capable of doing it. I wonder how often you and I can be guilty of the same thing toward God.

God can try to help us in multiple ways, but with the attitude of a child we say, "I got it Father, I got it!" Some examples could be:
1. You are struggling to pay a bill and God sends a friend along willing to
help, but your embarrassment or pride refuses the help
2. Your marriage is on the rocks and God brings along someone who can
help, but you want to continue to work on it alone without anyone else's
help
3. You get a new job, but instead of listening to someone who has worked
there for years you decide to adventure out on your own creating your
own path

Are these men and women showing maturity and adulting well? Possibly, but for a majority it is the simple fact they want to continue in the struggle alone.

Our text in Numbers picks up during Israel's fortieth year in the wilderness. Read with me Numbers 21:4. I want to show you a map of Israel's journey. What you will notice from the map is Israel seems to be heading in the wrong direction as they head toward the Red Sea. Why would Israel seem to be heading in the wrong direction?

Numbers 21:4 tells us they were going around the land of Edom. Edom had denied Israel access to their borders so Israel had to go around. A majority within this company of Israel were born in the wilderness. All they ever knew was the wilderness and now you hear there is a possibility to see civilization.

Edom was a city that seemed to be a stable existence without miracles. They hadn't experienced this before and there was a sense of excitement to see and experience with their own lives.

1. A major metropolitan
2. Located strategically along the King's Highway, this was a vital trade
route connecting the Arabian Peninsula and the Mediterranean.
3. Had prominent cities

I can only imagine as people spoke about the possibility to go through Edom they also thought about the culture, food, and change of scenery that cities can offer. Before they could enter the Edom area they were told, "No, you cannot come here." Now the journey will be longer and with that impatience begins to take place.

So picture it — the hope of a shorter route turns into another long, winding detour. Sometimes disappointment can turn even the most faithful hearts bitter. What can happen when people don't get their way, are disappointed, and denied (cf. Numbers 21:5)? They can turn on ones who are trying to lead them. In Israel's case it was Moses and God. There are three complaints:

1. Did you bring us here to die?
2. No food or water here
3. This manna is terrible

There is a alarming question that we have to answer, and that question is what did God do with their complaints? God does something very strange by sending poisonous vipers into the camp of Israel and the people were dying by the snake bites.

To read Numbers 21:6 it would seem that God sent these vipers into the camp to bite and cause death. Yet, here in this text this word "Sent" is vayishlakh. This word carries the meaning of being released or let go. So, in our text the Bible says, "God sent" which staying within the context of His Word is saying God took His hand of protection off. This wasn’t God causing evil, but rather allowing the natural consequences of sin and the wilderness to take their course once His hand of protection was lifted.

The snakes were a natural habitat in the desert and without God's protection they had free reign to slither, bit and cause death. They'd had always been a part of the dessert, but were kept at bay by God's protection. Now the people complain against God, Moses and the manna and God removes His hand of protection allowing the snakes to do what came naturally.

The people come to Moses admitting their sin against God and Moses and as Israel's leader Moses takes their before the LORD in prayer (cf. Numbers 21:7). Now another strange thing happens and the LORD tells Moses to make a brazen serpent and when the people look to the brazen serpent they will be healed.

It is here where people typically ask, "Isn't the brazen serpent a type of idol?" It is a great question with a great answer. The brazen serpent was not an idol. It was created as a direct command by God and was to be looked upon by faith and not worshipped. Later King Hezekiah would destroy the brazen serpent, because it became an idol.

Let us remember that we are looking at sin's complexity dissolved by grace's reach. The people have complained, many have died, and there are many who continue to be bit by these poisonous snakes. All they have to do is look to the brazen serpent and the LORD says they will live. Ever wonder if any:

1. Thought the plan for healing was too simple
2. It won't work so I won't look
3. There has to be many other ways to be healed by a snake bite

We don't have those those written in the Word, but I would not be surprised if some died refusing to look toward the brazen serpent.

What does a brazen serpent, snakes in the dessert and healing have to do with us today? I mean, the story we read in Numbers 21 is not overly complicated is it? People had one of two choices when they got bit by one of the snakes:

1. Die
2. Look to the brazen serpent raised on a pole

Jesus would point out that people in His day and our day would be left with one of two choices too. It would be during Jesus' ministry that he is talking with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He reminds Nicodemus of the brazen serpent story (cf. John 3:14, 15). Like the Israelites who were bit by a snake had to look up to the brazen serpent, people can look up to Jesus and receive healing from their sins.

1. Is it simple? Yes, but it is effective!
2. Do you have to look to Jesus? No, you can die in your sins!
3. Aren't there multiple ways? No, Jesus is the only way!

I want to close with a few questions:

1. Do your disappointments give permission to your complaints?
2. Are you dealing with natural consequences of not trusting God's
protection?
3. Does your sin tell you Jesus is not enough?

Where sin runs deep, grace reaches deeper still.

I want to pray for you this morning. "LORD, today there are people who are here who have been bitten by the snake of sin and to be healed they need to look to Jesus. I pray You'd give them the courage to look to Jesus this morning and be healed. I want to pray for those who have looked to Jesus, but are struggling with disappointments. I pray they'd receive encouragement this morning and walk away from here stronger in You.