January 31

From: Daily Sacrifice By: Henry Allan Ironside

Numbers 21:9

“It came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived” —Numbers 21:9⁹And 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. (Numbers 21:9).

BRASS is a symbol of judgment. The serpent is a type of sin which has poisoned the entire human race. The brazen serpent represents Christ as made sin for us on the Cross—there bearing the judgment that our guiltiness merits. In the wilderness when the bitten, dying Israelites looked to the uplifted serpent they lived. Nothing else was needed. There was life in a look.

Our blessed Lord has interpreted this for us in His words to Nicodemus, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14,15¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: ¹⁵That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:14‑15)).

“The serpent lifted up

Could life and healing give.

So Jesus on the Cross

Bids me to look and live.

For whosoever will believe

Shall everlasting life receive.”

A. T. Pierson.

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