Daily Devotional--9/6/2010

Numbers 21:4-9

⁴ They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; ⁵ they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"

⁶ Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. ⁷ The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.

⁸ The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." ⁹ So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

As Israel travels through the wilderness they become impatient and begin to grumble against God so He sends fiery serpents among them and many die from the snake bites. God judges their sin with a severe penalty but also provides a means of salvation.

• What was the only way to survive the venom of the serpents?
• How does Jesus compare Himself to the serpent Moses lifted up?
• To whom are you looking for life?