"LOOK TO JESUS"
TEXT: NUMBERS 21:4-9
INTRODUCTION
[Numbers 21:4-9]
PRAYER
The greatest event in the life of God’s people in the Old Testament was their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Time and time again this historic event is mentioned throughout the pages of the Old Testament.
And the greatest event in the life of God’s people in the New Testament is also a deliverance, It is our deliverance form slavery to sin. Time and time again, our deliverance from the cruel and crushing bonds of sin, is mentioned by the God inspired writers of the New Testament.
There is an obvious parallel, that God wants us to understand between the Israelites deliverance and Our deliverance. There is a similarity between their journey from deliverance to their promise land, The Land of Canaan, and our journey from our deliverance to our promise land, the heavenly city, The New Jerusalem.
In our text today we will see that the specific experience of Israel in the WAY OF THE RED SEA is also much like our journey to the heavenly promise land.
In Numbers 21:4-9 we will see 4 things that the Israelites encountered along their way, that are very much like, the things that are encountered today, by Christians along their way.
I. WE, LIKE THE ISRAELITES WILL ENCOUNTER DETOURS THAT CAN SOUR GOD’S PEOPLE.
A. THE ISRAELITE
1. A detour can be a discouraging thing, to have to change our course, to have to slow down and go a different direction when we are almost to our destination can be A hard THING to take.
When I used to go out to sea, I was on a missile submarine that had 2 crews and a definite schedule. I knew when I left when I would be home. And I had about 3 different calendars where I would mark off the days as they passed.
After one patrol was just about over, all the X’s had been marked on the calendar, I remember coming up the channel expecting to see my wife in less than 3 hours. But to my surprise and horror we were meet by a Tug and a surprise inspection team, who told us to turn around and go back to sea for an examination.
It was really hard for me to feel the Sub turn around and know that we were heading away from MY destination of home and my family.
The Israelites were nearing there destination and were close to the promise land and they had been traveling for nearly 40 years to get to this point. In numbers chapter 20 we find Moses asking the king of Edom if the could pass through their land. Moses told him that they would not take anything from the land, not even drink the water, all they wanted to do was to pass through the land of Edom.
The King of Edom (now remember the Israelites were related to Edomites. Isaac’s first born son Esau, who was Jacob’s brother was the father of the Edomites) not only said no, but he also mounted an army to convince the Israelites to turn around, and this is exactly what they did.
2. And now in Numbers 21:4 we find the Israelites traveling form Mount Hor along the way of the Red Sea.
This detour was especially discouraging to the Israelites because it was in a direction away from the promise land. You can just about hear them saying, "for forty years we’ve in this desert, and just as we are about to make it to the promise land, here we are going in the opposite direction". It must have been hard for the Israelites to turn around and go the other way.
This detour was discouraging also because it was through a very rough and cruel piece of land. The hills were steep, the rock were hard, the sun was hot and the water was scarce.
3. As the Israelites journeyed, along the way the encountered a detour that could sour God’s people.
B. THE CHRISTIAN
1. Many times in our Christian journey we encounter detours along the way. There are times in our Christian life when we have to turn off the main road and travel down a course that we would rather not take.
2. It is interesting to note that the detour through the rough territory that we see God’s people taking in our text follows right on the heels of a great victory.
Chapter 21 begins with a Canaanite King’s attack on Israel. He attacked them as they were traveling and he even captured some of them and made them prisoners. The Israelites after this made an appeal to God, They asked for His help, and God answered their plea and the Israelites won a tremendous victory as they completely defeated the enemy.
The Israelites must have been pretty pumped after that great victory. But as the chapter continues we find them encountering a detour that could (and as a matter of fact, did) sour God’s people.
3. Sometimes that seems to be the way that detours come up on us as we travel the Christian life.
Sometimes a detour comes upon us right after a great victory. We are feeling great and things are looking good and the road is smooth and the scenery is great. We have the music playing, the cool wind is blowing through our hair, and the kids aren’t even fighting in the back seat. We feel like things couldn’t get any better. Then as we look up at the road, we see just up a head we see a big orange sign that says, "detour 100 feet".
That detour that pops up and places us on a rocky road could be; a personal sickness, a death in the family, it could be marital problems (maybe your spouse walks in and tells you "I don’t love you anymore), it could be trouble with your teenager, a pink slip from your boss, AN UNDESIRED TRANSFER AND MOVE, .... it could be any number of things. But whatever it is, the ride is now rougher, the bumps are larger, the wind isn’t blowing, the music stopped playing and you begin to wonder if your car can even make it through this detour. and get you back to the main road.
4. And this Detour has the potential of souring us, of discouraging us. We thought we had everything worked out and now it seems we are headed in the opposite direction, sliding a steep and icy hill. We begin to doubt whether we can make it through this detour before we run out of gas.
WE LIKE THE ISRAELITES WILL ENCOUNTER DETOURS ALONG THE WAY
THAT CAN SOUR GOD’S PEOPLE.
II. WE, LIKE THE ISRAELITES WILL ENCOUNTER A DISEASE THAT CAN STRIKE GOD’S PEOPLE.
A. THE ISRAELITE
1. The fact that they were on a detour, the fact they were a little discouraged by the route they were forced to take, is not the disease.
2. You see, as the Israelites were on thIS detour they grew impatient along the way. Things were not happening the right way or fast enough for them. And so they spoke out against God and against Moses saying, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!
3. The disease they encountered and the disease that struck many of them was the disease of sin. In verse 7 of our text the people admit to this as they said to Moses, "We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you...".
4. And as with all sin the guilty party suffers the consequences. Here we sin a very direct and obvious consequence OF SIN, as God strikes the camp with a plague of venomous snakes. These snakes move among the people in the camp and they bit them and many people died.
B. THE CHRISTIAN
1. CHRISTIANS CAN ALSO become impatient along the way. AS we travel on the rocky roads of life’s detours many times things don’t happen the way we want them to, OR at the rate we want them to occur. And if we are not careful the Detour that lead to Discouragement can lead to the Disease of sin.
2. As I looked at the statements of the Israelites that they were thirsty and that they were hungry. I thought to myself, WHY? Doesn’t scripture tell us that God provided them with food and water. Yes it does!
But the Israelites problem was not that God didn’t provide, But RATHER that, they ignored the provision of God. They ignored and disregarded the bread that came down from heaven.
3. Many times as we travel through the rugged, rough and perilous terrain of "Our Detour" (be it sickness, family conflict, financial difficulties or some other problem), there are times when the path narrows, the hill climbs and the solid rocks press against our worn bodies.
And we may say in our anger and our impatience. Why did I ever choose this way in the first place? Why did God deliver me from my sins just to bring me out here, to the harsh barren deserts of life, just to die? There is no help! There is no one who cares! I’m all alone! I’m thirsty! I’m hungry! And I detest this miserable life!!
4. But I ask, why are we hungry? Why are we thirsty? Why are we alone? Doesn’t the scripture say that God will provide for His people?
It most certainly does! Jesus said in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty".
And Jesus said in the sermon on the mount:
[Matthew 6:31-33]
5. I really don’t know why so many Christians instead of running to Jesus, "The Great Provider", when they are forced by life’s circumstances to take a less pleasant and more difficult road. I don’t know why they instead, run from Jesus, from His Word, from His Church and from His People.
Though I have seen this happen far too many times, I still don’t understand it. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
6. When we are faced with an unwanted Detour.
When we become Discouraged.
If we ignore the provision of the bread of life that came down from heaven.
If we turn our back on AND blame God, and thereby get struck by the disease of sin we will suffer sin’s consequences.
III. WE, LIKE THE ISRAELITES ENCOUNTER A DELIVERER THAT CAN SAVE GOD’S PEOPLE.
A. ISRAELITES
1. The people came to Moses (and I imagine rather humbly) and asked him to pray to the Lord to take to snakes away.
And Moses prayed to the Lord, and the Lord told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it up on a pole, and anyone who looked upon the bronze snake would be live.
2. It is interesting to note here that God did answer their prayer, but not in the way they wanted. The Israelites wanted the snakes removed but God did remove the snakes he just provided a cure for their bite.
Though the Israelites would live, they still had do deal with the consequences of their sin, "the snakes".
3. In the desert the Israelites encountered a deliverer who could save God’s people.
B. CHRISTIANS
1. As we travel through the roads of life and as we are bitten by sin. God has also provided for us a deliverer. A deliverer that can save not only God’s people but all of mankind.
2. In the 3rd Chapter of John, Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus about the new birth and the new Kingdom. And Jesus said in John 3:14,15 "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life".
3. Through the precious blood of Jesus Christ God has provided a cure for the bite of sin.
IV. WE, LIKE THE ISRAELITES ENCOUNTER A DECISION THAT CONFRONTS GOD’S PEOPLE.
A. ISRAELITES
1. Just because God provided a cure for the bite of the snake, as He had Moses make and lift up a snake, just because He did this didn’t mean everyone was automatically cured.
The text says they had to do something, they had to look at the snake being lifted up.
2. This cure offered by God was a test of the faith of the Israelites. This command to look at a bronze snake for the cure could not be rationalized, there was no logical connection between looking at a bronze snake and being cured of a snake bite.
To be cured of the snake bite, the Israelites had to respond to the command of God, not because they fully understood the relationship between carrying out the command and receiving the pardon of God, BUT because they believed God meant exactly what he said (God certainly had given them enough examples of this during the 40 years); And said that he would punish the disobedient and show favor unto the obedient.
3. The Israelites were confronted with a decision, To Look up and live, or to not look up and die. The decision was theirs, God would not force Himself on anyone. I know what I would be doing if I was there (how about you?) I’d be looking up at the snake.
4. The text says, "then when anyone looked at the bronze snake, he lived". Did you notice the text doesn’t say everyone looked at the bronze snake and lived. Knowing the stubborn and prideful heart of men I am confident that many didn’t look up and that many in fact died, needlessly.
B. CHRISTIANS
1. Brothers and sisters, let me tell you something, GOD WILL NOT FORCE HIMSELF ON ANYONE TODAY EITHER.
WE TOO ARE CONFRONTED WITH A DECISION.
2. The fact the Jesus has died and His blood has bought forgiveness for mankind. The fact that Jesus will provide for His people. Does not mean that it will happen automatically. We too must be obedient and look to Jesus.
3. Non Christians need to look to Jesus and be obedient to His word. If you are here today and the blood of Jesus has not been applied to your life. If you are still trapped in the world of sin. If the venom of sin is destroying your life LOOK TO JESUS! LOOK TO THE ONE WHO WAS LIFTED UP ON THE CROSS!
Just like the Israelites you need to be obedient to His command to receive the cure. And God’s Word say’s clearly that to be saved ny our deliverer, we need to BELIEVE, WE NEED TO REPENT,
WE NEED TO CONFESS AND WE NEED TO BE BAPTIZED (IMMERSED INTO HIS NAME). Don’t be like some of the Israelites who looked for a rational connection between the cure and command. And refused to look up and died. Maybe they decided it would be good enough to say a pray "sinners snake prayer", and asked the snake to save them. But that is not what God said, we don’t make the rules. God does!!!! We are to simply to obey.
4. Christians you need to look up to Jesus too. He won’t force himself on you. He wants to provide you with food and drink so that you will never be thirsty or hungry. But we must look to Him we must feed on Him, we must drink from the well that never will run dry. The decision is ours! it’s yours!!
5. Are you here today and on a rough detour. Is the road you are traveling rough and rocky. Look to Jesus. Look to Jesus! Are you having marital problems, look to Jesus! He wants to help you, to walk with you, to bring through to the other side.
Are you having health problems, financial problems, work problems, spiritual problems, if you are having any problems, LOOK TO JESUS! LOOK TO JESUS! HE MAY NOT DO EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT, BUT HE WILL help us, He may not remove the consequences of our sin, but we will live, His death on the cross has assured us victory, He has given us eternal life. WE ARE DESTINED TO WIN IF WE KEEP LOOKING UP, TO HIM.
CONCLUSION
I really like the Apostle Peter and one of my favorite accounts of Peter was when he walked on the water. You know the story, Jesus came walking out to the disciples on the water and some thought it was a ghost and were afraid Jesus Said "don’t be afraid it is I" And Peter said Jesus if that is you let come out on the water to you". Jesus said, "come"
And Peter walked on the water, but when he took his eyes off Jesus and saw the wind and waves crashing around him he began to sink. But as he began to sink Peter knew what to do, and who to look to for help, He looked up to Jesus, And Jesus reached down His powerful and loving hands and pulled Him up out the Stormy waves.
Have you taken your eyes off Jesus, are the storms of life crashing around you, threatening to pull you under. Don’t wait until you go under all the way, look to Jesus NOW!, and He will reached down through The stormy waves OF YOUR LIFE, with his powerful and loving arms, and lift you up.
WE, LIKE THE ISRAELITES ENCOUNTER
DETOURS THAT CAN SOUR US
A DISEASE THAT CAN STRIKE US
AND A DELIVERER THAT CAN SAVE US
SO NOW WE ARE LEFT WITH A DECISION THAT CONFRONTS US/YOU
WILL YOU LOOK TO JESUS (IF NOT A CHRISTIAN WILL YOU OBEY HIS COMMAND AND BE SAVED) (IF A CHRISTIAN, WILL YOU LOOK TO JESUS FOR HELP) WHATTCHA GONNA DO????????
