Numbers 21:8-9 NKJV
[8] 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, shall live.” [9] So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
There are three kinds of people; those who perish because they never heard the Word of God. Then those who hear the Word and perish because they don't put it to work. And yet there are those who overcome because, not only do they hear the Word of God but they actually put it to work. This latter group are the doers of the Word whose blessing is in their doing (James 1:22-25).
The fact that something was designed or meant to harm you doesn't mean that it should harm you. Rather what you need is to know how to overcome it and you would. And this is what our theme passage tells us.
The people of Israel sinned against God and serpents were sent to their camp and they were dying as a result of the venom of the serpents. Then they asked Moses to ask God to send the serpents out of the camp. But instead the Lord sent forth his Word to bring healing in spite of the snake bites (Psalm 107:20).
The message was simple; if you look at the serpent Moses was asked to hang on the pole after being bitten, you shall live. God demonstrated that anyone could make his power available if he would hear and apply it without questioning it. But I'm sure some doubted and died because it probably didn't make sense to them. Those who didn't hear the message died, but the same poison couldn't harm those who believed.
Brethren, sin kills but it doesn't have to kill you. Although you have been bitten by the serpent (satan/sin), and venom (death) is your heart, you come overcome and live by faith in the Lord Jesus because He died in our place and rose up for our righteousness (John 3:14-18; Romans 4:23-25). And any manner of sickness or desease that is hurting or killing people doesn't have to kill you. And whatever rules of over people can be dominated too! Hear the Word of God concerning it, know what God has done aboutthat situation through Christ, then confess it and do what the Word says and you too shall live!
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