A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Related Articles
RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 21
LESSON #25
THE IMPORTANT SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SERPENT ON A POLE
v MEMORY VERSE: JOHN 3:15
v FROM NUMBERS 14-20 ISRAEL WANDERED IN THEWILDERNESS BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF. HOWEVER, FROM NUMBERS 21, GOD AGAIN LEADS THEM, ANDTHEY BEGIN TO MARCH.
Ø WHEN THEY BEGAN TO FOLLOW GOD, THERE WASOPPOSITION FROM THE ENEMY.
§ WHAT WAS TRUE OF ISRAEL ISALSO TRUE OF THE CHRISTIAN. OUR ENEMY IS SATAN WHO WOULD RATHER SEE US WANDER IN UNBELIEFTHAN TO BE LED BY GOD.
v READ NUM 21:1-4 THE BATTLE WITH THE CANAANITES
Ø SUDDENLY WE SEE THE PEOPLE AGAIN FOLLOWINGGOD. WHAT WAS DIFFERENT IN THE ATTITUDE OF THE PEOPLE? (2)
§ THEY MADE A VOW TO GOD.
· A RE-DEDICATION TO TRUST GOD,GAVE THEM THE VICTORY OVER THE CANAANITES. THIS IS THEIR SECOND VICTORY AFTER LEAVINGEGYPT. THE FIRST ONE OCCURRED IN EXO 17 AGAINST AMALEK AT REPHIDIM.
¨ THEY CALLED THE PLACE OF VICTORY HORMAHWHICH MEANS = DESTRUCTION.
§ HOWEVER, THE LONG WAYAROUND THE LAND OF EDOM CAUSED THE PEOPLE TO BECOME DISCOURAGED.
v READ NUM 21:5-9 THE SERPENT ON A POLE
Ø THE EIGHTH MURMURING (THE LAST ONE)
§ WHEN THE WAY BECAMEDIFFICULT, THE PEOPLE AGAIN COMPLAIN TO MOSES.
· HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT WHEN YOUBEGIN TO MAKE PROGRESS IN YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK, AND YOU THINK YOU HAVE IT MADE, THATSUDDENLY DIFFICULTIES ARISE AND YOU BECOME DISCOURAGED? OFTEN IT IS BECAUSE WE BEGIN TOPAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK AND SAY, I AM DOING A GOOD JOB LIVING THE CHRISTIANLIFE. THIS IS AN ATTITUDE OF PRIDE, AND GOD WILL NOT LET US TAKE THE GLORY.DIFFICULTIES ALONG THE WAY HUMBLE US SO THAT WE MUST RELY ON GOD EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
· HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT WHEN YOUBECOME DISCOURAGED, YOU FALL BACK INTO THE SAME SIN PATTERNS AS BEFORE. THIS IS WHATHAPPENED TO THE ISRAELITES. WHEN THE WAY BECAME DIFFICULT, THEY BEGAN TO COMPLAIN.COMPLAINING PREVIOUSLY LED TO THE SIN OF UNBELIEF. THEY ARE NOW FALLING INTO THIS SAMEPATTERN OF SIN AGAIN. THE SAME OLD SIN PATTERNS IN OUR LIVES NEED TO BE BROKEN. GOD GIVESTHEM AND US THE REMEDY IN THIS CHAPTER.
§ WHAT WERE THE COMPLAINTS?
· THEY ARE TIRED OF THEIR LOCATIONIN THE WILDERNESS.
· THEY AGAIN COMPLAINED ABOUT THEMANNA. THEY SAID THEIR SOULS HATED THIS BREAD.
· THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE LACK OFWATER.
Ø THE PLAGUE OF SERPENTS:
§ GOD SENT SERPENTS TO BITETHE PEOPLE AND MANY DIED.
· WHY DO YOU THINK GOD SENT THESERPENTS?
¨ AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THEIR HABIT OFCOMPLAINING.
· WHAT DO THESE SERPENTS REPRESENTIN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE?
¨ SIN PATTERNS (OR ADDICTIONS) THAT LEAD TODEATH.
Ø THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF SIN PATTERNS THATLEAD TO DEATH. HERE ARE A FEW:
§ ALCOHOL
§ IMMORALITY
§ DRUGS
§ SMOKING
§ OVER EATING, ETC.
¨ WHEN THE PEOPLE BECAME AWARE OF THEIR SINFULCONDITION, THEY CALLED OUT TO GOD FOR MERCY.
Ø GODS BEAUTIFUL REMEDY: THE SERPENT ON APOLE
§ MOSES WAS TOLD TO MAKE ABRONZE SERPENT AND PUT IT ON A POLE. EVERYONE WHO SUFFERED A SNAKE BITE ONLY HAD TO LOOKAT THE BRONZE SERPENT ON A POLE, AND HE WOULD NOT DIE.
· THE MEANING OF THESE ITEMS:
¨ -THE SERPENT REPRESENTS SIN BROUGHT INTO THISWORLD BY SATANS TEMPTATIONS.
¨ -BRONZE ALL THROUGH THE BIBLE REPRESENTSJUDGMENT.
¨ -THE POLE REPRESENTS A METHOD OF DISPLAY SOEVERYONE COULD OBSERVE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BRONZE SERPENT.
§ WHAT IS THE NEW TESTAMENTSIGNIFICANCE OF THE SERPENT ON THE POLE?
· READ JOH 3:14-16
¨ JESUS USED THIS INCIDENT IN NUM 21 TO REFERTO HIS COMING CRUCIFIXION.
· HOW DOES THE SERPENT ON THE POLEGIVE US A PREFIGURE OF JESUS CRUCIFIXION?
¨ WHEN JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED, HE TOOK ON HIMSELFALL THE SIN OF THE WORLD, PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. HE NOT ONLY TOOK ALL SIN ON HIMSELF,BUT HE BECAME SIN FOR US SO THAT GOD COULD JUDGE SIN ON THE CROSS. REMEMBER BRONZE MEANSJUDGMENT.
Ø READ 2COR 5:21
¨ CRUCIFIXION WAS DONE PUBLICLY. ACCORDING TOROMAN PRACTICE, IT WAS TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE CRIME BEING JUDGED. BYCALLING ATTENTION TO THE JUDGMENT OF THAT CRIME, IT WAS TO DETER OTHERS FROM DOING THATSAME CRIME. THE CROSS CALLED ATTENTION TO A PUBLIC SHAME.
Ø READ GAL 3:13
§ JESUS DIED ON BARABBASCROSS. JESUS TOOK BARABBAS PLACE ON THE CROSS. HE ALSO TOOK YOUR PLACE AND MY PLACE.
§ JESUS CRUCIFIXION ON A WOODCROSS WAS TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT SIN BRINGS DEATH AND TO TELL US THAT GODJUDGED SIN WHEN HE PLACED JESUS ON THE CROSS.
§ WHAT IS GODS REMEDYFOR US THAT WILL BREAK OUR SIN PATTERNS?
· IN THE SAME WAY THAT THEISRAELITES HAD TO LOOK AT THE BRONZE SERPENT ON A POLE, WE MUST LOOK AT JESUS ON THE CROSSWHO BECAME OUR SIN SO THAT GOD COULD JUDGE IT. THEY WERE TO LOOK AT THE SERPENT ON THEPOLE IN FAITH. WE MUST LOOK AT JESUS ON THE CROSS IN FAITH.
¨ READ ROM 6:2-11
Ø WHEN YOU MEDITATE ON THESE VERSES AND SEEYOURSELF COMPLETELY IDENTIFIED WITH THE CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, THE SINPATTERN IN YOUR LIFE WILL BE BROKEN. IT IS NOT EASY BUT BY FAITH IT WORKS!
v READ NUM 21:13-20 THE PRAISE SONG
Ø THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE FIND THE ISRAELITESPRAISING GOD AFTER THEY LEFT EGYPT. NOTICE THAT THIS PRAISE SONG COMES AFTER THE INCIDENTOF THE SERPENT ON THE POLE AND GODS PROVISION OF WATER.
§ IT IS BECAUSE OF JESUSCRUCIFIXION ON THE CROSS THAT WE HAVE THE WATER OF ETERNAL LIFE. IT IS BECAUSE OF GODSLOVE THAT SENT JESUS TO BRING US ETERNAL LIFE THAT WE GIVE GOD PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING.
· WE NOT ONLY HAVE FREEDOM FROM THESIN PATTERNS THAT PLAGUE US, BUT WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE AS WELL. BECAUSE OF THE CROSS, WECAN MOVE ON IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK AND SEE GOD BRING US THE VICTORIES.
v READ NUM 21:21-25,33-35 TWO VICTORIES
Ø NOTICE THAT VICTORIES CAME AFTER THE INCIDENTOF THE SERPENT ON THE POLE AND THE GIVING OF PRAISE TO GOD.
§ VICTORY #1 OVER THEAMORITES
§ VICTORY #2 OVER THE KING OFBASHAN
v APPLICATION:
Ø STEP #15 IN BECOMING A MOVE-ER INTHE KINGDOM OF GOD:
§ LOOK IN FAITH TO THE CROSSTO GAIN VICTORY OVER THE SIN PATTERNS THAT PLAGUE YOUR LIFE.
v HOMEWORK
v NUMBERS22
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION OF NUM 21
Ø WHAT SIN PATTERNS PLAGUE YOUR LIFE THAT YOUWOULD LIKE TO SEE BROKEN?
Ø WORK ON ONE AT A TIME EVERY DAY UNTIL YOU SEETHE VICTORY.
Ø MEDITATE ON ROMANS 6:2-11 FOR 15 MINUTES EACHDAY.
§ PRAY AND VISUALIZE YOURSELFAND YOUR SIN PATTERN BEING CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST, BEING BURIED, AND BEING RAISED UP WITHHIM.
§ MEMORIZE ROM 6:11.
§ WHEN TEMPTATION COMESREMIND YOURSELF OF ROM 6:11.
Ø WRITE YOUR PROGRESS HERE.
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 22
Ø READ NUM 22
§ WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT THECHARACTER OF BALAAM?
§ WHAT LESSONS DO YOU LEARNABOUT GODS PERMISSIVE WILL?
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 10:3
