The Lenten Season: Healing for Sin

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived" Num:21:8-9

When we read the Scripture thru the view as to who Jesus Christ is we see Jesus and his saving acts symbolized and prefigured in all the Holy Bible.

We can also see in the lives of many Biblical personalities and the struggles that they faced,  many of the very things which each , and all,  of us face as well for we like they are all human facing the great common enemies of sin and even death.

The people of Israel as God's Covenant people had a unique relationship with God. God had drawn them out of the slave pits of Egypt and led them forth, thru Moses ,  to what they had longed hoped for the Promised land  which the Lord had given to their Fathers  Abraham, Issac and Jacob. 

Turned Against Moses 

As Israel sojourned thru the wilderness,  the way became long and the Promised land seemed afar off, the people of Israel began to focus on the difficulties of the journey and became inpatient and   began to complain and turn against  God's servant Moses and even against the Lord God who had set them free.  Moses became the object of Israel's anger.

"They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” Num:21:4-5

They condescended to their base nature, that is the adversity of the journey brought out the truth which was in their hearts all along,  and they behaved accordingly.  The people of Israel lifted  voice against Moses and put the blame upon him for the situation which they all shared in.

 Snakes in the Camp

God responded to the ranker which they displayed thru an act of divine discipline sending snakes thru the camp of Israel which bit at the complaining Israelite resulting in the deaths of many.

"Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died".(6)

It became obvious to the people of Israel that God's hand was involved in the plague of  venomous  snakes among them, caused by their bitter complaints stemming from their inpatients to let God work in their lives as he will.  They approach Moses and ask him to intercede with God  on Israel's behalf that the plague might come to and end.

"So Moses prayed for the people." (7c)
   

A Healing Provided

When Moses went to God in prayer the Lord answers and by instruction Moses to make a Bronze Serpent  and affix it to a pole, that who ever looks upon it will be  miraculously healed of their snake bites. 

"The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived".(8-9)

We Like Them

In so many ways we, each and all of us , are like the people of Israel. God intervenes in our lives  we come  to believe in  Jesus;  and he  and sets us free from Egyptian slave pit of sin and fear and leads us out with promises of an whole new life awaiting us, yet when our journey in the wilderness of this life  to all that our God has for us becomes difficult or we find ourselves disappointed with how God is handling our lives,  we like Israel can begin to complain at the adversity and the truth about  us all comes to the surface; we are all sinners, bitten by the snakes of sin with it's venomous effect upon our lives and those around us.   

 Jesus Lifted Up

But God has given us answer and a healing to the very issue of sin in our lives; his own Son Jesus Christ. Jesus himself likened his crucifixion to be like the lifting up of the Bronze Serpent  fashioned by Moses for the healing of the bitten.

"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up",Jhn:3:14



Jesus is the answer to all human sin even when believers stumble or fall into regression,  even as the bronze serpent that was lifted up so that all the people could look to it for healing ,was the the answer to the snake bites that the Israelites received so is Jesus' death is for all our sins, to bring us forgiveness. 

When the people of Israel looked upon the bronze serpent healing came to them, there was nothing else that they had to do just look to it. This speaks  to regarding the grace of God extended to each and all all due to his love for us.That we might be healed of sin. he has saved us all we need do is look to him even when we are bit by the temptation and pressures  we face in our journey thru the wilderness.

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God"—Eph:2:1-8

The healing thru Jesus by his cross was looked ahead in the writings of Isaiah when he wrote of the suffering servant in his prophecy regarding the coming Messiah who would be lifted up for all. The Apostle Peter address the Prophets words regarding the healing that Jesus accomplished for us on the cross

"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."1Ptr:2:24


The context of this verse is our spiritual healing which the Messiah would accomplish
 "For "you were like sheep going astray," but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.(25)

  Jesus Intercedes for us

When we find ourselves going astray, bitten again by the snakes of our carnal nature  we need only look to Jesus who is there to interceds  for us as our High Priest as Moses did for the people of Israel.
 
"Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." Heb:7:25

Jesus,  as the one who has saved us completely,  has healed us of our need, even when we stumble we we can confess to him our need and thank him for the accomplished healing that is already ours in Jesus, we are healed, of sin. The Lenten  season reminds us of the finished work of Jesus upon the cross that heals us of all our sins...Amen

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

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