(1) What was the serpent in v.14?
Numbers 21:5-9
21:5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and we detest this worthless food.”
21:6 So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit the people; many people of Israel died. 21:7 Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD that he would take away the snakes from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
21:8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a poisonous snake and set it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” 21:9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole, so that if a snake had bitten someone, when he looked at the bronze snake he lived.
21:5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and we detest this worthless food.”
21:6 So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit the people; many people of Israel died. 21:7 Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD that he would take away the snakes from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
21:8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a poisonous snake and set it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” 21:9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole, so that if a snake had bitten someone, when he looked at the bronze snake he lived.
(2) Similarity between the serpent and Jesus John 3:14-18
a. Both are lifted up so that those who believed Him/looked at it may have life J 3:14, Num 21:8-9
b. Both were given by God J 3:16, Num 21:8-9
c. People needed to be saved from the judgment of God because of their sins. J 3:17-18, Num 21:5-7.
d. People had already been condemned, now they were given the chance to get saved. J 3:18, Num 21:5-7
(3) Why John said people have already been condemned?
People were judged based on how they received the Light (Jesus) v.19. Sadly, God loved the world v.16, but people loved the darkness rather than the light v.19.
3:20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.
In other words, the reason why the Israelites were bitten by the poisonous serpent was because of their complaint. The reason why all people were condemned was because we loved darkness. We are afraid to be exposed, or we are afraid of shame and conviction.
Reflection: We are all like the Israelites who had been condemned and therefore, there was no other way out. The poisonous serpent had already bitten us, why wait for death? The logical choice was to believe, but we are not driven by our logic, but our love. We love to hide and do not want to be exposed.
Please pray for our unsaved friends. Their unbelief was more than their lack of knowledge or they are not convinced by the knowledge of salvation.
(4) What does v.21 mean?
3:21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.
Note the tense in this phrase, "
his deeds have been done in God." Those, in Jesus' time, came to the Light. They found out that they were able to do good just because God had done that for them. The Light had given them power to do so 1:5, 9.
Reflection: Do you ever feel like this? It is definitely not me who can claim the credit.
Audrey
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