UNTO HIM

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else [Isa. 45:22]. There is a simple look that saves and brings life, a look that heals, regenerates and refreshes. This is a look of faith.

When the nation of Israel sinned against Jehovah in the wilderness he sent a fiery serpent to bite them. As they were dying they cried unto the Lord for forgiveness and healing. Jehovah did not just forgive them without first all proving their faith. Therefore, to prove their faith he told Moses to make a serpent of brass, and put it on a pole, that whosoever was bitten by the serpent should look on the brass serpent and live [Num. 21:4-9]. Their salvation and healing was hinged on their acceptance of God's simple plan of salvation. Someone may choose to reject this plan of salvation for some reasons; when he judges God’s wisdom with human sense. Logically if we consider the nature of the serpent and God’s pronouncement concerning, one may conclude that Moses had acted outside the vision of God. For God said to the serpent "cursed are you above all the beast of the field” [Gen.3: 14]. This consideration may lead one to conclude that God shall have no reason to direct them to look on a cursed animal to be saved?

Yes, even so it is now, for as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life [John 3:14-15]. The serpent in the wilderness symbolized Christ: because God has chosen the base things of the world, moreover, the foolishness of God is wiser than men [1 Cor.1: 28&25] that was the reason why God used a look at a cursed creature to heal the Hebrews.

This is a mystery fulfilled in Christ because CHRIST WAS MADE A CURSE FOR US; for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree [Gal. 3:13]. The bite of the serpent which resulted in death was the punishment for the sins of the Israelites; yet their healing came by looking on the same serpent that bit them. Even so God has decreed an eternal death in hell fire as punishment to those who sinned against him. And yet on the other hand he decreed also that the healing of hell bound sinners must come from him who decreed the judgment. For this reason God sent his son Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins [1 John 2:1-2], and he also is our redemption, sanctification, righteousness, hope and life [1 Cor.1: 30]. By his stripes we are healed [Isa.53: 5].