The Bronze SerpentThe Bronze Serpent

November 27, 2005November 27, 2005

Did God love His people?Did God love His people?

• How did God show His love?

• He gave them Moses, who showed them miracles that only God could do.

• He made pharaoh submit to His will and release his people

• Moses, with God’s hand, struck the sea and split it.

• The Lord led them with a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.

• The Lord sent His people manna and quails so that they wouldn’t starve.

• When they were walking in the wilderness and needed water, God gave them water from a rock.

• He cared about their souls and gave Moses the Two tablets of Covenant.

Would YOU give up on God?Would YOU give up on God?

• If God did all this for you…would you stop trusting him???

• His people did!! They complained bout the manna and quail that they ate for a long time in the wilderness.

• God punished them with serpents that bit them and a lot of them died. All because they spoke badly about God. This was their punishment!

““I’m Sorry”I’m Sorry”

• Why were they punished?

• Did they realize what they were doing was wrong?

• They went to Moses and said, “We are sinners, please take these serpents away. We are sorry we sinned against You.”

Forgive themForgive them

• Moses went to a lonely place, and prayed to the Lord and said, “I have sinned and these people have sinned against you. Forgive me and them and take these serpents away.”

• But God was sooo mad at them that He didn’t listen to Moses……….right?

The bronze serpentThe bronze serpent

• WRONG!• God LOVED Moses and

His people soo much…especially since they repented.

• He told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole so that anyone that was bitten could look at it and be healed.

• Did they believe this time?

What does the serpent resemble? What does the serpent resemble?

• Who else heals us from our sin, no matter WHEN, how MANY, and how HORRIBLE?

• The bronze serpent = The sacrifice of Christ

Conclusion: Why go through all this Conclusion: Why go through all this trouble God?trouble God?

• Why did God want to make them go through the trouble of making a bronze serpent? Putting it on a stick? Making people look at it? Couldn’t He just heal them right away? Without the middle man?

• What was He trying to teach his people?

Memory VerseMemory Verse

• “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you.”

• -Numbers 21:7