INTRODUCTION: This lesson points out another great failure on the part of God’s people. In this instance, the Lord shows us that one of the most dangerous times for the people of God is the time immediately following victory. When the people fail, the Lord sends serpents among them to bite them. The only hope is an uplifted brasen serpent.

1. WAR WITH THE CANAANITES (Numbers 21:1-3 [1] And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. [2] And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. [3] And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.
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1. Attack from King Arad (Numbers 21:1And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.
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1. The Israelites went by the way of the spies.
2. King Arad fought against them.
3. Some Israelites were taken prisoners.
2. The Vow of the Israelites (Numbers 21:2And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
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1. If the Lord will deliver the people into their hand
2. They would destroy their cities.
3. The Lord Delivers (Numbers 21:3And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.
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1. The Lord delivered up the Canaanites.
2. They destroyed the cities.
3. The Lord called the place Hormah.
2. THE JUDGMENT OF THE FIERY SERPENTS (Numbers 21:4-9 [4] And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. [5] And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. [6] And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. [7] Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. [8] And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. [9] And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
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1. The Problem of the People (Numbers 21:4-5 [4] And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. [5] And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
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1. The path
1. They journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to compass the land of Edom.
2. The soul of the people was much discouraged.
1. Miriam died (Numbers 20:1Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
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2. The people rebelled (Numbers 20:2-3 [2] And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. [3] And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!
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3. Moses and Aaron sinned (Numbers 20:11-12 [11] And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. [12] And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
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4. Edom refused passage (Numbers 20:14And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
   See All..., 17-18).
5. Aaron died (Numbers 20:24Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
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6. The people fought Arad (Numbers 21:1-3 [1] And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. [2] And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. [3] And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.
   See All...).
3. God’s purpose for the way
1. To prove Israel (Deuteronomy 8:2-3 [2] And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. [3] And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
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2. To prove Himself to us (Psalm 37:5Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
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4. Practical application: We have a direction in mind that we believe the Lord ought to lead us. God does not always follow our plans, and often leads us in ways we would not choose, and we too become discouraged because of the way. We must not only turn our destination over to the Lord, but we must also turn our “way” over to the Lord.
2. The persons
1. They spake against God.
2. They spake against the man of God – Moses.
3. Practical application: Most of our anger in this life is aimed at one person. We would never admit it, but it is a fact. When we are angry, we are angry with God. Oftentimes we direct this toward the man of God over us, but it is ultimately a problem we have with God.
3. The provision
1. No bread
2. No water
3. Our soul loatheth this light bread.
4. Practical application: We believe we deserve good things from this life. We deserve to always have the necessary funds to pay our bills. We deserve to be able to have some of the finer things this world has to offer. The fact is that we do not deserve anything. Those things that the Lord supplies for us are the best things we can have, and these things ought to satisfy us.
5. No bread vs. light bread
1. The Israelites claimed to have no bread. This is the statement of modern Christians and theologians. They would say to you that the bread of God (His word) is not available to us today.
2. The Israelites claimed to loath the light bread. Apparently there was actually bread available, but they detested the bread that the Lord provided. No version on this planet bears the hatred as does the King James Bible. They loath it as light bread that doesn’t meet the needs of the people. The Israelites detested the bread from God and constantly longed for the food from Egypt. So it is today. The modern versions come from Egyptian manuscripts, and people would rather get their food from Egypt than from heaven.
2. The Judgment from the Lord (Numbers 21:6And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
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1. The Lord sent fiery serpents.
2. They bit the people.
3. Much people died.
3. The Plea of the People (Numbers 21:7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
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1. The people came to Moses.
2. The people recognized their sin.
3. The people asked Moses to pray for their deliverance.
4. The Remedy from the Lord (Numbers 21:8-9 [8] And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. [9] And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
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1. The directions for the remedy (Numbers 21:8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
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1. Make a fiery serpent.
2. Set it upon a pole.
3. Every one that looks upon it shall live.
4. This plan compared to the plan given in John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
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1. A divine remedy
1. Numbers 21:8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
   See All...  – “The LORD said”
2. John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
   See All... – “For God” (1 Peter 1:18-21 [18] Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: [20] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, [21] Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
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2. A simple remedy
1. Numbers 21:8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
   See All... – “a fiery serpent…upon a pole”
2. John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
   See All... – “his only begotten Son” (John 12:32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
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3. An instantaneous remedy
1. Numbers 21:8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
   See All... – “when he looketh”
2. John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
   See All... – “shall have” (Acts 16:30-32 [30] And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? [31] And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. [32] And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
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4. An effectual remedy
1. Numbers 21:8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
   See All... – “he…shall live”
2. John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
   See All... – “everlasting life”
5. An individual remedy
1. Numbers 21:8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
   See All... – “every one that is bitten”
2. John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
   See All... – “whosoever” (Romans 10:13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
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6. The only remedy
1. Numbers 21:9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
   See All... – “when he beheld the serpent of brass”
2. John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
   See All... – “in him” (John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
   See All...; Acts 4:12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
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7. A free remedy
1. Numbers 21:9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
   See All... – “when he beheld”
2. John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
   See All... – “he gave” (Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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2. The performance of the instructions (Numbers 21:9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
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3. The worship of the brazen serpent (2 Kings 18:4He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
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1. The serpent began to be worshipped.
2. King Hezekiah broke it in pieces.
3. The children of Israel burnt incense unto it.
4. Hezekiah called it Nehushtan which means the brazen thing.

CONCLUSION: Man’s failure always requires God’s intervention. In this lesson, He uses a brasen serpent. In the New Testament, our Lord explains that this serpent was a foreshadowing of God’s solution to mankind’s problem with sin. Have you looked to the Saviour for relief from the sting of sin? The call still goes out today, “Look and Live.”