“Look Up And Live - Sermon Outlines. Org



“Look Up And Live!"

Numbers 21:1-9

INTRO. Jesus said in John 12:32, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” Jesus is the only cure for the sin-sick soul! Only He can bring love, joy, and peace. He was lifted up for us because we are weak, helpless, and hopeless to save ourselves! Romans 5:6 says, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly." He died for me because I was powerless to change my situation!

In our text Numbers 21:1-9, we see a typical experience in the spiritual life of Israel. They were a lot like us. They would walk close to God for a while, then they'd wander away From Him; and then draw close again. King Arad of Canaan heard that Israel was moving from Kadesh to Mount Hor, coming along the Road of Atharim, which was the way of the spies. Feeling it a threat to his security, King Arad fought against Israel and took some of them as prisoners. Israel vowed a vow to the LORD, that if He would deliver the Canaanites over to them, they would utterly destroy their cities.

The LORD answered and Israel destroyed many Canaanite towns. To honor the LORD'S faithfulness, they called the region Hormah, which in the Hebrew tongue means "destruction." You would think that the Israelites through the victories given by the LORD would have drawn closer to Him and their faith would have grown, but that wasn’t the case at all. As they journeyed from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to compass the land of Edom; the people became discouraged and they began to complain.

They complained about the route, about the desert, about the lack of water, and the manna. God's anger was kindled and He sent fiery serpents among the people. Many of the people were bit and died. But God had a cure for those bitten, just as He has a Cure for sin-sick souls today, The LORD JESUS CHRIST!

NOTICE, GOD SAID:

(1) The Serpent Must Be Lifted Up

Text: Numbers 21:8a—“And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a

fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole…”.

A. THE PROCLAMATION OF THE LORD. Here was God’s answer, God’s remedy for the plague of the people of God. Jesus is God’s answer, God’s remedy for the plague of sin (John 3:14-16).

B. THE PROVISION OF THE LORD. Please note the nature of the

remedy: “a fiery serpent…set…upon a pole.” To those dying of these

deadly snakes bites this may have seemed to be a foolish thing for

Moses to do. But it was God’s way and God’s will! Jesus is God’s way

and God’s will to deal with the sin problem. In fact HE IS THE ONLY

WAY (Acts 4:11-12)!

(2) The Sinner Must Look Up

Text: Numbers 21:8b—“and it shall come to pass, that every one that

is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.”

A. THE SINNER MUST FOCUS. “and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” For a person to be healed of the serpent’s bite he had to look upon the serpent of brass. For a person to be saved that person must look upon the Savior (Isaiah 45:22). The word “focus” means “to fix the eyes upon.” The hymn writer wrote: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

B. THE SINNER MUST HAVE FAITH. “…he that looketh…shall live.” “He [Moses] was directed to make the figure of a serpent in brass, to be elevated on a pole or standard, that it might be seen at the extremities of the camp and that every bitten Israelite who looked to it might be healed. This peculiar method of cure was designed, in the first instance, to show that it was the efficacy of God's power and grace, not the effect of nature or art, and also that it might be a type of the power of faith in Christ to heal all who look to Him because of their sins” (Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary). Barnes wrote: “As the brass serpent represented the instrument of their chastisement, so the looking unto it at God’s word denoted acknowledgment of their sin, longing for deliverance from its penalty, and faith in the means appointed by God for healing” (Albert Barnes’ Notes On The Bible). For a person to be born again, that person must place their faith in Christ and Christ alone (John 6:40)! It does no good for a person to merely see without believing. Many see Christ as the Savior but do not receive Him as their Savior!

THEN:

(3) The Sinner Shall Live

Text: Numbers 21:8c-9—“ …every one that is bitten, when he looketh

upon it, shall live. And Moses made a

serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole,

and it came to pass, that if a serpent had

bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent

of brass, he lived.”

A. THE SYMBOLISM. V9--Moses made a serpent--symbolic of sin judged,

of brass--divine judgment of sin.. "(Hebrews 9:22b). John Wesley

wrote: “The serpent signified Christ, who was in the likeness of sinful

flesh, though without sin, as this brazen serpent had the outward

shape, but not the inward poison, of the other serpents: the pole

resembled the cross upon which Christ was lifted up for our salvation:

and looking up to it designed our believing in Christ.” (John Wesley’s

Explanatory Notes).

B. THE SACRIFICE. We have seen that the brazen serpent lifted up was

typical of Christ was who made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21)

bearing OUR JUDGMENT! Matthew Henry wrote: “There was much

gospel in this. Our Saviour declared, Joh_3:14-15, that as Moses lifted

up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up,

that whatsoever believeth in him, should not perish. Compare their

disease and ours. Sin bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.

Compare the application of their remedy and ours. They looked and

lived, and we, if we believe, shall not perish. It is by faith that we look

unto Jesus, Heb_12:2. Whosoever looked, however desperate his case,

or feeble his sight, or distant his place, was certainly and perfectly

cured. The Lord can relieve us from dangers and distresses, by means

which human reason never would have devised. Oh that the venom of

the old serpent, inflaming men's passions, and causing them to

commit sins which end in their eternal destruction, were as sensibly

felt, and the danger as plainly seen, as the Israelites felt pain from the

bite of the fiery serpents, and feared the death which followed! Then

none would shut their eyes to Christ, or turn from his gospel.”

(Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary).

CLOSING: Sinner without Christ, Will you "look up and Live" today? It takes

faith to believe God can and will save You. But if you will only

believe He WILL SAVE YOU!! (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10, 13)

Christian, Are you looking up in your Christian life, so you can live

a joyful Christian life? (Hebrews 12:1-2).

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