Many years ago the children of Israel were travelling from Egypt to Canaan. They have become a nation of about 1,000,000 people. God led them out of Egypt in a miraculous way, with Moses as their leader. By night He gave them light from a pillar of fire and by day He shaded them from the heat with a cloud.

Soon after they were on their way their enemy, the Egyptians followed and overtook them at the Red Sea. There God commanded Moses to stretch out his hand and rod over the sea, and its waters parted for the Israelites to walk through on dry ground. When the Egyptians followed, the Lord caused confusion among them. Then the waters came together again and the Egyptian army drowned in the sea. When the Children of Israel saw that they were rescued from their pursuing army, they sang a song of victor's song. As they traveled on they met with other trials and temptations, such as lack of water and food. But the Lord heard their cries and gave them water out of a rock, food (manna) from heaven, and meat in the form of quail.

Many of these Israelites fell into temptation and sinned. But the Lord was kind and longsuffering toward them. Again and again He tried to impress upon them the need of having faith in Him and that they should follow His teaching as given to Moses.

At one time after many had fallen very deeply into sin, The Lord send "fiery serpents" (poisonous snakes) into their camp as a punishment (Numbers 21:6). Many were bitten. Those who were bitten died. There was much weeping and crying among them, for it was painful, deadly bite. Many of the people's friends and families died. After many had died the people came to Moses in their plight. They confessed "We have sinned, for we have spoken against thee, pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us….Moses interceded for them at the mercy seat of Lord God. The Lord told Moses to make a brazen serpent and set it upon a pole so that whoever was bitten by the poisonous snakes and looked up (in faith) to the raised serpent, should be healed. Those who looked were healed. What a wonderful and simple method of healing that was. Do you suppose there were any that were bitten who refused to look for healing.

We noticed in Numbers 21:7 that the people first of all recognized their sin, were sorry for their disobedience, and were anxious to be healed. God does not save us (neither are we in a position to be saved) until we repent and turn away from our sins. John the Baptist as well as Jesus, preached that we must repent and believe the Gospel (Matt 3:2, 4:17). As we receive God's grace, which leads us to repentance, we then are invited to look to the Crucified One, the One who was "lifted up" that we might be healed.

Sin, like the bite of the poisonous snakes is very deadly. There is only one cure for it---the cleansing by "the blood of Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:7). Our heavenly Father has provided this wa6y to heal all who have been bitten by Satan; that is, all who have sinned. It means looking by faith to Jesus who was nailed to the cross and shed His blood for the remission of sins (Rom 3:24-25). Jesus himself says" "As Moses lifted up the serpent in wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (john 3:14-15). "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:22).

There is life for a look at the Crucified One. There is life at this moment for thee. Then look sinner, look unto Him and be saved. Will you look?