Numbers 21

And Jehovah said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. And it shall be when everyone that is bitten, when he looks upon it, he shall live. And Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole. And it happened that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked upon the serpent of brass, he lived.
(Num 21:8-9)

This is such an interesting story… Imagine it if you will, the children of Israel are complaining against Moses again, and all of a sudden these fiery serpents show up. The word fiery means burning, and it probably refers to the effect their poisonous bite had on the people. People started dying from the bites, word spread quickly to avoid these snakes at all costs, but it seemed next to impossible to do that. They were everywhere, and they were vicious.

The people realize that this is judgment from God, so they go to Moses and they repent, asking that the Lord would take the serpents away. Instead of merely taking the serpents away, the lord provides a remedy, but it requires that a person act in faith. The bronze serpent was raised up, and the people were directed to look upon it, to set there gaze upon believing that in doing so they would be healed. Healing wasn’t automatic… the remedy was provided but the people had to take a step of faith, they had to receive the cure.

Jesus uses this story in John chapter 3 as a vivid illustration of what He came to do.

But even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.
(Joh 3:14-17)

We have been provided with a cure… sin is like the serpent, and sooner or later it will destroy us all. The only cure is to lift up your eyes, to look to the cross of Jesus Christ, and realize that provision has been made. Just like the cure was provided to the Israelites, so it is provided to us. We must act in faith to receive it; we must look to Jesus if we are to be cured. I know that you all know all about the cure… my question for you is this: have you lifted up your eyes and called out to Jesus? Have you been healed from the curse of sin? It is as easy as looking to Jesus!