THE SERPENT IN THE WILDERNESS

(Message by Tanny Keng)

0. Introduction

a) Compare the texts for yourself .

i) ⁷ Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. ⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. (Numbers 21:7-9 NKJV)

ii) ¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15 NKJV)

1. Israelites: "Bitten by serpents"

a) Christians

i) Bitten by sin

2. Israelites: "Little initial pain, then intense suffering"

a) Christians

i) Little initial pain, then intense suffering.

3. Israelites: "Physical death from serpents' poison"

a) Christians

i) Spiritual death from sin's poison

4. Israelites: "Bronze serpent lifted up in the wilderness"

a) Christians

i) Christ lifted up on the cross

5. Israelites: "Looking to the serpent spared one's life"

a) Christians

i) Looking to Christ saves from eternal death.

The End ...