It's Complicated

 

Pericope:  Numbers 21: 4-9 4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 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!” 6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 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.” 9 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.

Sermon Text:  Numbers 21: 9 9 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.

Sermon Title:  Its Complicated

Point 1:  Quick assessments aren’t always the best assessments.  Vs 4, 5 4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 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!”

Vs 5 5 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!”

James 1: 19 said we should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. Paul told Timothy 5: 22 don’t lay hands on any man suddenly. 

Point 2:  There is a purpose in the punishment. Vs 6-7 6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

1: God sent venomous snakes that bit many of them, many died others got sick.

2: They cried out to Moses to pray the snakes away.

3: They confessed their sin of complaining against God and Moses. Now they had to deal with the consequences.

Numbers 16: 31-33 31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.

1 Timothy 5: 20 20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.

Point 3:  Its not always what you think. Vs 8 8 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.”

Point 4: The power is in the original. 2 Kings 18: 4, John 3: 14-15

4 He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan). 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

John 3: 14 – 15 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him..

John 6:48 – 51 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Life Application:

1: Look and live

2: Wilderness living will reveal the real you

3: Obedience simplifies life