Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from Radical.net.

Numbers chapter 21, verses 8 and 9.

And the Lord said to Moses,

make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole.

And everyone who is bitten when he sees it shall live.

So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit

anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. This is a very interesting story. So God's people

are yet again rebelling against God.

And what's happening is there's basically a curse among God's people, and they are all getting bit by snakes and dying.

And as a result of these fiery serpents among the people, God says, hey, take this pole, put an image of a fiery serpent on it.

And whenever people are bitten, if they look at this, then they'll be able to live.

So I'm putting myself in the shoes of Israelites at this point,

who are being bitten by fiery serpents.

The last thing I want to look to is a fiery serpent in order to live.

But this symbol, this picture of death,

actually becomes a symbol, a picture of deliverance.

So you find life in looking to a picture that symbolizes death.

And in this, the stage is set for Jesus to say in John chapter 3, verse 14, just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert,

so the son of man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

So think about it. How do you and I have eternal life by looking where to Jesus's death on a cross when Jesus talks

about being lifted up he's not talking about being exalted here in heaven at the father's right

hand he's talking about being lifted up on a cross,

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