The Israelites began complaining in the desert so God sent them fiery snakes to bite and kill many of them. Then they asked Moses to pray for them to get rid of the snakes, so Moses prayed.

God said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about that every one who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.” Numbers 21:8

 We too, like the Israelites are on a journey and whenever we are bitten by Satan we can look to Jesus on the cross and have relief and freedom from Satan.

 We look to Jesus on the cross for first time salvation, and also later as we continue our walk with Him, to remind ourselves that He destroyed Satan’s works in our lives for each of us personally. Each time we look to Jesus, He gives us relief from our snake-bites, which come all through our faith lives in the shape of trials, and persecutions.

 Jesus took the serpent to the cross, and destroyed all the poison, death and pain he causes to us there. We can have eternal life now and in the next life too. Each time we look to Him on the cross and remember that He destroyed sin and Satan for us, we have the venom of sin and death taken out of us.

The fiery snake on a pole was meant to help the Israelites for a short time in the desert. After that it had no use. Many years later it became a snare for Israel since some began worshipping it calling it Nehushtan. When Hezekiah became king of Israel he destroyed it (2 Kings 18:4). The pole once carried the power to give life, but it outlived its use.

 Jesus going to the cross, then rising on the third day is an eternally effective present tense highly powerful sacrifice. It is not a symbol, but a real event that took place. It never loses its potency.

 Let us always remember that Jesus though He died on a cross, now lives forever in the eternal present, and is always able to give salvation, peace and victory to those who ask, and look to Him.

Michael Hume. The Holy Spirit teaches you everything.  Copyright belongs to author.