The Road to Deliverance
Numbers 21:4-9
May 21, 2006
Morning Service
Introduction
John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see their attackers leave. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept him from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, "Who were all those men with you there?" Paton knew no men were present--but the chief said he was afraid to attack because he had seen hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station.
God is in the delivery business or more aptly in the deliverance business. He has a way of showing up just when we need Him.
Examples of deliverance in the Old Testament
The release of Joseph from prison
The sending of the ten plagues and the escape from Egypt
The parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharoh’s Army
God supplied Manna from heaven each day to feed the people of Israel
God gave water from a rock when the people needed water
God has shown us a history of great faithfulness. He has proven Himself to us over and over again. He is the one who brings deliverance in the midst of our distress. This morning I want to look at a familiar story from the Old Testament to see how God deals with disobedience and still offers deliverance. Open your Bibles with me to the book of Numbers 21:4-9
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "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!" 6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people. 8 The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
I. The people acted in disobedience and discord (4-5)
The actions of discord
1. The people grew impatient
This may seem like a small thing but we have to remember that these people were impatient with God. These are the same people that were led out of Egypt. These were the same people that crossed the Red Sea when God parted it. They had walked on dry ground. These are the same people who had accepted a covenant with God at Mt. Sinai. They had seen the glory of God fall upon the mountain. These people witnessed the power of God over and over again but still they were not satisfied.
The reality is that the people were no longer willing to live in God’s time. We are a lot like this aren’t we. We want what we want and want it now. We get impatient when the line a Mc Donalds is too slow. We gripe when traffic is only going 65 when we want to go 75. We complain when church service is too long. We want God to give us everything we want at the precise moment that we want it with no regard for His time or His plan.
2. The people spoke against God and Moses
The people openly voiced their discord with God and Moses. This was more than just a simple disagreement, the people alllowed their spiritual discernment to become marred. The important fact was that they were speaking. this means that they were allowing the problem in their heart to flow out if their mouth and effect their lives
The people were voicing a protest against the actions of God. There is little difference today, people still have a problem with God and voice it in unhealthy ways. Look at what the Israelites did they had a problem with god and took it out on Moses. nine times out of ten when people have a probelm with God, they will take it out on leaders of the church.
The Actions of Disobedience
The people have four major complaints that they brought against God.
1. Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert?
The people were once again coparing the life they had with God and the life they had in Egypt. They wanted to trade Godliness for godlessness.
God Egypt
Life Death
Children Slaves
Freedom Bondage
The people were speaking non-sense. They were more focused on the world around them than the God who created the world. We do the same thing today. We can come up with any excuse to miss church. We get too busy to read our bibles. We negelect the priviledge of praying with God. We make time for everything under the sun except God.
2. There is no bread
There was more than enough food to eat but they just didn’t want to eat it. This almost sounds like a child complaining about what is for dinner. This issue is totally without merit. The people really wanted what they were comfortable with. they wanted what was familar to them.
They wanted what they missed from the world. Are we any different? We want just enough of God to make us happy but not so much that we become uncomfortable with the way we live.
3. There is no water
The fact is that God had supplied the people with water in the past and there was at least a suplly large enough to sustain them. The last time checked we can’t live more than a few days without water. So what was going on here? They wanted more and they wanted it there and then.
4. We detest this miserable food
Just to show the contradictions in what they were complaining about. They first complained about having no bread and now they complain about the food that they do have. Do you see a problem here? Manna came down from heaven to feed the people every day. The people had been supplied by God with food to eat each and every day but the Israelites no longer wanted the the food God supplied. The issue is that they no longer were satisfied with the blessings God had given them.
II. The Israelites were impacted by a declaration
The declaration of God
The response of God was to send venomous snakes into the camp. More than likely these wer either Asps which were native to Northern Africa or they were Carpet Vipers. Even today these snakes still kill people in that region of the world. Either one would have been incredibly deadly.
Why did God do this? To say this seems cruel would be the understatement of the century. The purpose was to remind them of something absolutely vital that the people seemed to have forgotten. The snake was associated with Satan from the Garden of Eden. God was giving the people a not so gentle reminder of how Satan works and the results his work brings.
Satan wants for nothing more than to get the oportunity to sink his fangs into your life and inject you with his vemon. His goal is to destroy you and it doesn’t take much for him to get a foothold. What was it that started the Israelites down this path of destruction? They were impatient with God. Now that doesn’t sound like much but Satan will use any chance he can to poison your life.
The declaration of the people
When the people were faced with a crisis, they returned to God. Far too often it takes a crisis for us to wake up and see what a mess we have made of things in our life. The time to confess is before you die. Some of these people were given that chance. They came to Moses and confessed their sin before God. They admitted that they were wrong to God almighty.
Why do most people not confess?
1.) Fear - Many fear that God will reject them. God already knows everything about you, even your sins, and loves you with an undefinable love.
2.) Time - Many people have said that they will make themselves right with god before they die. You’re not dead yet, today is a day odf decision.
3.) Arrogance - many feel that they have nothing to confess. These people had the same thought until the snakes came to camp.
III. The people are promised deliverance by God
The deliverance God offers
God tells Moses to make a snake and stand it up on a pole. Is this what the people prayed for? Absolutely not. God could have easily removed the snakes but chose to give a different dileverance than what was expected.
The snake was a symbol of their suffering. Each time that the people looked at the snake they would be reminded of several things. They would be reminded of the suffering that sin causes. They would be reminded of the result that sin brings. they would be reminded of the grace that God had given to them.
The promise of God was to those who were bitten, a promise to those who suffered. if the people bitten would look at the snake they would be healed. When you suffer I am there with you and you will not suffer alone. The promise was life in the midst of death. The promise was one of grace instead of the grave.
The people had to place their faith in God to receive the cure for the crisis. they would have to look to the serpent if they wanted to live. Faith is the key to experiencing the life God has for you. God still offers the same promise of deliverance today
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Just about everyone is familar with these verse of scripture and we hold them as precious promises from God about salvation. But what about the verses that coem right before John 3:16. Let’s look for just a moment at verses 14-15.
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
The promise of eternal life is directly connected with the promise of life in exchange for death.
IV. The Israelites had to make a decision
The people had to look in order to live. the choice was theirs and theirs alone. God never forces us to do something we do not want to do. Each time they were bitten they had to make the choice to look to the snake. Look and live, how could it be any easier? The call is still going out today for people to look and live.
Today, we do not look to a bronze snake but instead to a Roman Cross. The Son of Man, Jesus Christ was lifted up once and for all. He is the source of our help. He is the the source of our hope. He is the source of our healing.
When you are bitten with impatience, look to the cross. When you are bitten with temptation, look to the cross. When you are bitten with a crisis, look to the cross. When you are bitten with pain and suffering, look to the cross.
Today the cross holds the power to heal, to help and to forgive. This morning why not step out and give your life back to Jesus and come back to the foot of the cross. Jesus is waiting for you to look and live.
