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Numbers 21:9
by Don Costello Numbers 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. 1."And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole" a. This was a type and foreshadow of Jesus dying on the cross. 1). John 3:14, 15 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." a). Amplified Bible Note under Numbers 21:9. "Jesus said that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, "that everyone who believes in Himwho cleaves to Him, trusts and relies on Him-- may not perish, but have eternal life and actually live forever!" (John 3:14, 15). Obviously this implies that the look that caused the victim of a fiery serpent to be healed was something far more than a casual glance. A "look" would save, but what kind of look? The Hebrew text here means "look attentively, expectantly, with a steady and absorbing gaze." Or as Jesus said in the last verse of the chapter quoted above, "He who believes on, has faith in, clings to, relies on the Son has (now possess) eternal life." But whoever does not so believe in, cling to, and rely on the Son, "will never seelife." The look that saves is not just a fleeting glance, it is a God honoring, God answered, fixed and absorbing gaze!" b). Christ the Healer, F.F. Bosworth, Published by Fleming H. Revell Company, 1973, Reprint of 8th Edition, Copyright, R.V. Bosworth, p.20. "If healing was not in the Atonement, why were these dying Israelites required to look at the type of the Atonement for bodily healing? Since both healing and forgiveness came through the type of the Atonement, why not to us through Christ the antitype? If we cannot, then the type is placed in higher ground than Christ Himself, and the type becomes a false prophecy." 2. "and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." a. beheld [5027 * nabat] [Strongs: to scan, look intently at; by implication to regard with pleasure, cause to consider, behold, look.] [Note: Strongs gave a wide variety of definitions and I was respectful of those that applied to the context.] b. Why would Jesus be typified by a serpent? Because the bible says he became our sin. 1). 2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." c. Jesus is Jehovah-tsidkenu, the LORD our Righteousness. 1). Jeremiah 23:5, 6 "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: this is the name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." My name is Don Costello. Ever since I received Christ in November of 1976 I have had a passion to study and know God's word.My wife Melissa and I have 5 children. My e-mail address is [email protected] I have a blog located at: www.theophilus-loverofgodsword.blogspot.com/ Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |