The man who came to Jesus at night did not understand how God could give new life to people (v. 9). Jesus spoke to him of the people poisoned by the serpents in the desert and then given life. Do you know that story?
The large company of Israelites were traveling through the desert land near the Red Sea, and they were very tired of the unpleasant way. They spoke against God and against Moses, who told them God’s words: they said they would die there, that there was no water or bread. They were tired of the bread sent by God from heaven.
The Brazen Serpent
God showed them it was their sins that caused death by sending fiery serpents which bit them, and many died. The rest cried for God to save them, and He told Moses to make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. Anyone bitten, when he looked to that serpent, would live.
Moses made the serpent as God said and put it on a pole where the people could see it. When any man bitten by a snake looked to the brass serpent, he was saved from the poison and lived.
Jesus told the man that as that serpent was lifted up, “even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” He was telling him of His own death before it came. He, the One from Heaven, would be lifted up on a pole or cross, the most shameful of deaths, and as despised as a serpent.
The serpent on the pole had no poison, but was made like those poisonous serpents; Jesus was without sin, but took all sin upon Himself.
A person bitten by a serpent, who believed God’s words and looked to the serpent of brass, was given life awhile longer on earth. Jesus said “whosoever believeth in Him (lifted up on the cross) should not perish, but have eternal life.” That means have a life without an end, the life given by the Spirit, (See vs. 6).
Healing for Sin
Do you suppose there was one of the bitten persons who did not turn his eyes to look to the brass serpent when he heard that God said he should live if he would look? We do not know. It is only told that any man bitten “when he [looked to] the serpent of brass ... lived.”
But there are some persons now who have heard God’s words of the One lifted up on the cross, who have not yet believed and “looked” to Him to save them from sin’s poison; that is most serious.
Do you suppose all are not bitten by the “serpent” sin, and not “poisoned” by sin? The people in the desert were not stealing or committing what you may call sin, but they had not liked God’s way, nor His words, nor the food He had sent them, and complained as though He would not care for them.
Our hearts are the same as theirs. If we do not want God’s way, nor His words, nor Christ who came so humbly; we too must perish, unless we believe God and “look” to His Son in His death for us.
Further Meditation:
1. What sin did the children of Israel commit that caused the Lord to send the fiery serpents?
2. What happened to the brazen serpent after it was placed on the pole?
3. This story is found in God’s Word in the book of Numbers chapter 21. If you have access to Notes on the Pentateuch: Genesis to Deuteronomy by C. H. Mackintosh, you will find that it has many nice remarks on this subject.