9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. Numbers 21:9 | NASB
When things on the ground bite us we are apt to walk with our heads down. This is even more so when the bite results in our death. Such was the situation in OT book of Numbers 21:9.
Of course we always assume we will know when we have been bitten. While this may be true in the case of a fully living, ground crawling serpent, a supernatural bite from satan may not show its impact for some time.
The problem with constantly looking down is that we miss what’s going on around us and equally important, what’s above us. I was reminded of this yesterday when walking with my wife Sylvi in a forest quite close to our home. A few weeks ago while walking Sylvi had twisted her ankle and subsequently damaged the tendons. Since then, when walking she has naturally looked down to avoid a recurrence of her ankle damage. As we were walking I caught sight of deer moving through the forest. I stopped suddenly and quietly pointed in the direction of the deer. Sylvi said to me, “whenever this happens I miss so much because I have to keep my eyes towards the ground.”
In the instance of the ‘bronze serpent,’ God had provided a supernatural vaccine for Israel against the fatal bite of the serpents. All they had to do was look up and cast their eyes on the ‘bronze serpent.’ The solution to their plight was in front of their very eyes. Yet many lost their lives due to fear. A fear that prevented them from seeing what God wanted them to see. He didn’t ask them to understand its significance, neither did He require them to pray and fast about it, He just wanted them to cast their eyes on the ‘brazen serpent’ that had been set on a standard.
Jesus referred to this event when speaking with Nicodemus in John 3, when discussing the need for men to be ‘born again.’ As the ‘brazen serpent’ had been set on a standard and lifted up, so would Jesus also be lifted up; onto a cross.
The ‘Cross of Christ’ is in itself a powerful symbol of victory over death. It’s a constant reminder of its purpose and power. Many of us walk with our eyes fixed on the ground; we miss the ever present symbol of our victory and our protection.
Once again, the solution to the woes of this world stand before us. If only we would stop, look up. Even when our eyes fail to see, our spirits and our souls will openly rejoice at the sight of the cross. In times of great uncertainty, we must stop looking at what the world sees as solutions. It’s time to look up, today is your day to be healed from the bite of the serpent and everything associated with him.
In the Kingdom of God there are no noughts only crosses, let’s keep our eyes fixed on the ‘Cross of Christ.’
Much love in Christ
David Conlon
Pursuing Holiness
