LOOK AT IT!

So, I was in the Word, looking for a word and I got one! 

I love when I get one and my eyes are opened and I’m excited all over again like it’s the first time I’ve ever received one! 

My family is in a valley right now. 

I’ve not been feeling well and add that to the military picking my main man to go…well, it’s been a pit. 

So, my word came in Numbers. 

Numbers is not usually my “go to” book of the Bible. I’m more of a John, Psalms, and Proverbs type of gal…but, there I was and there it was…

A WORD! 

So, the Israelites are wondering through the wilderness in Numbers. 

Let me set the stage for you: 

Aaron, the priest has just died and his son, Eleazar has been made priest. 

The Israelites have mourned for thirty days and you know that mourning was not just moping around and crying—for these people, it’s intense. 

THEN, they GO TO WAR!!! 

The Canaanite king knows they, the Israelites, are coming, so he attacks them and takes some prisoners. 

Well, what did the Israelites do? They made a vow to God that if He would hand the Canaanites over, they would completely destroy ALL of them and their towns. So He did and that’s what they done. 

So they were mourning and warring and walking. 

And then they started complaining: “whyyyyy did you do this to us? WHYYYYY can’t we just stay here and die? WHHHYYYYYY??? We’re hungry, this BREAD FROM HEAVEN isn’t good anymore and the WATER GOD HAS PROVIDED isn’t enough….” wah wah wah! 

Yeah. 

I won’t even get started on the whole complaining issue because you know better. 

The next verse is interesting though: 

“So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died”. 

Hold the phone. What? 

Yeah, that happened. Numbers 21:6. Read it. 

What do you think the Israelites did then? 

They cried some more! They ran to Moses and said “we have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.” 

Moses prayed. 

And this is what the Lord told him to do: 

“Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!”

Look at it. 

And live. 

Those were the instructions. 

Moses made the snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole so that anyone who was bitten could LOOK AT IT and BE HEALED!!! 

Now, how many Israelites do you think died anyway from a snake bite? 

How many Israelites do you think were so consumed with their pain and fear of the bite that they couldn’t look up? 

It was that easy. Look at it. Live. 

And this is where it got ME! 

The WORD!!! 

The Israelites asked Moses to ask Jesus to take the snakes away. 

But that’s not what He did. 

No. 

He didn’t take them away. 

He gave them an out. 

He came to their rescue. 

Get bitten. 

Look at the snake on the pole. 

Live. 

That simple. 

Friends, you still have that same opportunity today. 

The devil will strike you like a snake. 

He seeks those he may devour. 

You have an out. 

But instead of looking at the snake on the pole…

you have Jesus hanging on the cross. 

Refocus. 

Pull yourself away from focusing on the issue. 

LOOK AT IT! 

Don’t wallow in it. 

Don’t be embarrassed by it. 

DO NOT BE AFRAID!

LOOK AT IT!

Look at the cross. 

Live. 

That simple.