Numbers 21:1-9  Israel begins to fight against the many enemies surrounding the promised land.  Edom had refused them passage through their land, so Israel goes around.. but immediately is challenged by the Canaanites of Arad.  The Lord hears the vow of Israel to destroy these enemies and He gives them victory. 

But, just as things began to go right.. the people became "impatient".  Once again they complained about Moses and the "miserable food" and brought judgement upon themselves. "And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died,"  At last, they people recognized their sinfulness.. "We have sinned because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us." 

When Moses interceded the Lord had him do something really unusual .. "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live."  Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Anyone who was bitten by a fiery serpent and looked at the bronze serpent lived. 

Jesus said, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." ( John 3:14-16)

As those who were bitten by the fiery serpents found deliverance when they believed and obeyed God's command to look up.. and found physical life...  Jesus  was lifted up on a cross.. so that we can look up to Him.. believing and obeying God's command.. and find eternal life.  God's grace was displayed that day when Moses lifted up the standard.. and God's grace was and is displayed as we look up to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain.. who died on a cross.. who rose again and conquered death forever!  Grace.. instead of death.. Give praise to the Lord!  Come before Him with thanksgiving!

Father, we are so grateful for the truth that You reveal to us through every book of the Bible.. it all points us to Jesus.. Oh what a Savior!  Thank You for this amazing gift of eternal Life in Christ Jesus the Lord. Amen.