John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:… I. THE INCIDENT REFERRED TO. This typical event occurred towards the close of the wanderings. The people's discouragements had been. many, and now the king of Edom suffered them not to pass through his border. The Church must lay its account with difficulty and checks and foes. The Christian who turns out of the straight path at the first menace of the Edomite will find more formidable difficulties before he gets to the heavenly Canaan. Now see the form their murmurings took. Aaron and Miriam are dead, and as Moses is not enough to receive all their taunts they "spoke against God." "There is no bread, neither is there any water," and this when they had the best of both; so easily does a fretful spirit turn into bitterness the best gifts of God. There was something of peculiar aggravation in this sin, and the retribution was awful. "Would God we had died in the wilderness!" and the prayer was answered. Now they humble themselves. What powerful teachers are sharp afflictions! Moses prayed for them, and God heard his prayer. To have destroyed the serpents would have been as easy as to command the setting up of the brazen one; but God would give His people a part in their own salvation. 1. Of this event there could be no doubt. (1) The witnesses were many. (2) The serpent was preserved as a memorial of it. 2. The serpent had a sacramental character. 3. When this sacramental character encouraged superstition, the serpent was destroyed. II. THE LESSONS FORESHADOWED. 1. The significant intimation that Christ should die. It was placed on a level with the sacrifices and other symbols which typified the atonement. 2. Salvation does not come to us through Christ's being lifted up merely, but through our looking at Him. In the other miracles everything was done by Moses alone. In this case the symbol had no power but that which the faith of the people gave it. The Cross is not a mechanical chain. We must believe.Conclusion: 1. As the Old Testament and the New are one hook, so the Old Testament way of saving is the same as that of the New. 2. Salvation is the free gift of God received by faith. (D. Moore, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:WEB: As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, |
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