There were millions of people walking through the wilderness in the middle east….. They had a leader who was called Moses. Moses was known by God and man. God had met him in the wilderness tending sheep for forty years…. Then God instructed Moses to lead His millions of people from Egypt. He was to lead them out of Egypt. They journeyed from Egypt to the land which God had promised them generations ago. This also took forty years.
God had instructed Moses to lead them a way so the people could learn about their God and His supply…..and His protection…..One condition was set by God:…..listen to My words and obey them.
So the journey was a long one. The people grumbled and complained against Moses and even God. Now was it long because they grumbled and complained? Just wondering….
God had supplied their water from a rock…… A trillion quail flew in and landed at their feet….. He even gave them something like a wafer every morning for their breakfast. He gave them instructions on what they should and shouldn’t eat for their own health protection……..
But they complained and spread contention through the camp against God and Moses……
One day, they really provoked God to anger….. He allowed serpents into the camp which bit the people…….They were dying from these serpents…..Let’s read what is written in Numbers 21-5-9: And the people spoke against God and Moses: Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food or no water, and our souls loathe this worthless bread.
So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people.
Then the Lord said to Moses, make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it. He shall live.
So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Did you know this symbol of the snake on a pole topped with wings which represents medicine came from this? Isn’t that cool?
Paul admonishes us this day as when he sent this letter to the Corinthians: 1 Corinthians 10:1-14: Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all through the sea,
all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock is Christ.
But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty three thousand fell;
nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition upon whom the end of ages have come.
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but GOD is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation wll also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it.
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
There was a day when a learned man named Nicodemus met with Jesus at night……. I call him Nic at night. Anyway, Nic had planned to ask many questions from this Jesus of Nazareth. Check out the chapter yourself in the Gospel of John chapter 3……..Jesus’ reply in verses 3:3-21 : Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus said to Him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?
Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again.
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Nicodemus answered and said to Him, How can these things be?
Jesus said to him, You are the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that who ever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world. but that the world through Him would be saved.
He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
I love that conversation. Jesus spoke to an avid learned man of God and totally got Nicodemus confused with the Truth. Jesus came to be lifted up on the cross because our God so loves this world…….
Jesus came to take our punishment of idolatry, complaining, striving and living as unloving beings towards God and our neighbor. Most of all taking our own living breath for granted.
Look at verse 14–And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so the Son of Man must be lifted up……
He was lifted up on the cross at Calvary. The place of the skull…. Crucified to take our thoughts, deeds and actions that were against God and man for us…..
And as we look to Him on the cross, and believe, we shall not perish but have everlasting life because of this GREAT GOD/MAN- named Jesus Christ.
This is where the symbol of medicine has it’s origin…… May we know and believe by every stripe He took on our behalf, we are healed…….
AS written in: 1 Peter 2:23-25: who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return, when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness- by whose stripes we are healed.
For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.
Our President and all his staff and the best doctors in the world , as well as, all our hospitals doctors and nurses and techs should be lifted up continuously in prayer for their sacrifice to help this country through this plague……
But I just wonder, if we all look to Him, who was lifted up on the cross with a crown of thorns and nails in His hands and feet and slash from a sword on His side…….. If may be, we look to Him, who took all our sins on His shoulders so that we may be healed and be in everlasting life, that the plague finds no empty host to attack.
Our God so loved this world in all it’s craziness and sent His Son to heal us and bring us into everlasting life today and tomorrow until He returns. He knows our nature and made a way to escape the temptation of sinning against Him and ending in the lake of fire….. His Son, Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords…..
I pray we all look to Him who now sits at the right hand of the Almighty, but He gives us grace to see His eyes looking down at you from the cross, with so much love that we melt at His gaze….. So if, we receive this grace this day from His Spirit, we then will be given more to see the King who has been King over our lives, even though we thought we were……. Oh, the Truth be revealed to our hearts as this next week draws nigh…. May we see the Son was and is and is to come…… So we may fear Him and see Him and bow to Him…..
Repent America and be saved and healed. Pray to the Lord of hosts to free us from this plague….. The burden on our President and all his staff is enormous, please intercede for them. Our government and hospitals are doing everything they can, interecede for them…….
This is a God problem and He has given us the Solution….. His name is Jesus Christ. May we think of our King and His blood that was shed before we complain or point fingers of judgment…….Who knows if we bow our knee to the King of glory- a vaccine will made visible.. Do you or I know what God may do if we really humble ourselves and turn to Him as a nation? Let us look to the One who has been lifted up and pray.
May our Mighty God give us eyes to see His Son who suffered for you and me……..May we really live this week coming as a holy week, ( holy simply means set apart to and for Him alone) . As we draw near to Him, it is written He will draw near us…… And then, – may we see the miracles of His life touch our hearts, our minds and our bodies.
May we seek His Truth, the Son of Man whom He sent to us.- There is not one righteous but Him. We thank God for His Son and His mighty Spirit of Grace touching each one now……
Let us bow our heads and knees to the Mighty of One, the Holy One that hears our cries.
Heavenly Father,
We thank you for our breath. We thank you for all You are and of Your great love.
We come to You, and repent. We turn from our wicked ways that are against You and Your word.
We apologize for our wicked hearts that do not want to be humble before You.
We ask for forgiveness of our actions and thoughts and disregard that are and were and will be against Your commands to love You with all we have and our neighbor as we love ourselves.
We believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, took our iniquities and sins on Himself and received our punishment of death….. We believe and we will leave our life behind and grab hold to Your Everlasting Life. We ask Your Holy Spirit come now to dwell within us as as we believe we have been born again.
We ask Your Spirit as He comes to dwell within us and teach us Your ways…. Give us the Grace to live unto righteousness in all we do and say…. May we live for You and be living sacrifices unto You. May You be pleased by our faith as we learn all You have planned and have given us by Your Son.
In Jesus name, we ask this and thank You for Your hand leading us into everlasting life from this moment forward.
We love You and will worship You by our lives of love.
AMEN!!! AMEN!!
Happy Resurrection Day!! May His grace permeate the hearts of every person in this world today…. Lord, I pray they see Your face and know Your hand of Love surrounds them. Your perfect love casts out all our fear, so we come to learn and know Your never ending never failing love.
