The Bronze Serpent

Then they set out from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to bypass the land if Edom, but the people became impatient because of the journey. The people spoke against Moses and God: "why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water and we detest this wretched food! Then The Lord sent pipsonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many of the Israelites died.
The people came to Moses and said, " We have sinned by speaking against The Lord and against you. Intercede with te Lord so that He will take the snakes away from us." And Moses interceded for the people.
Then The Lord said to the people, " make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover." So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten, and he looked at the bronze snake, he recovered. Numbers 21:4-9

The very thing that troubled the Israelites was a critical, complaining spirit, much like a snake and the very thing they got as a reward was a physical snake intent on killing them.

God's remedy was not to stop the snakes but to give a way out. He who was bitten and looked at the snake on a pole would be healed. A choice was required, a humbling choice.

Jesus was hung on a pole for our sins, we can be delivered and forgiven by choosing to, by faith, to look at Him.

Salvation is a choice, just as sin is a choice.

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