Page 32 - Biblical Theology Textbook - masters

To lead the people out of Egypt, God raised up Moses. In many ways,
Moses illustrated God’s plan of redemption. Though the people were stiff-
necked and rebellious, God over and over forgive them and provided for
them, despite their rebellion. In their wanderings, the Israelites set out by
way to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. The people became
impatient and complained against the Lord and against Moses. They called
the food God gave them “worthless.” In response, God sent fiery serpents
who bit the people and they began to die. The people called out to Moses
and God told Moses to make a fiery serpent of bronze and place it on a
stake or pole. He then told Moses to inform the people to look at the
serpent on the pole, and they would live. (Numbers 21:4-9).

God was informing Israel that in the future, he would send One who would
be raised up on a pole, just like the bronze serpent. A serpent in the minds of Israel represented SIN.
Satan took the form of a serpent in the Garden and thus the serpent was cursed to crawl on its belly.
The serpent was a cursed animal. Yet, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and hang it on a
stake. God was telling them that the future Messiah would come and like the serpent, would be hung
on a pole and become sin on their behalf, that they might be redeemed.

This illustration is confirmed by Jesus in his discussion with Nicodemus in John chapter 3. Jesus told
Nicodemus that he must be born again. Nicodemus responded that he did not quite understand what
Jesus was telling him. So, Jesus reminded Nicodemus of the illustration of the serpent on the pole:

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14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that
whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Through this act, Moses was teaching Israel and all mankind that One was coming in the future who
would take upon Himself the sin of mankind’s rebellion, and that by looking to that One who was on the
stake, one could be saved from the sting of the serpents bite.

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John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him
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should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not
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condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the
name of the only Son of God.

Abraham offers up Isaac as a Sacrifice

It was upon Mount Moriah where Abraham was told to offer Isaac: “Take now
your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and
offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell
you” (Gen. Gen. 22:2). What transpired upon this mountain, as recorded in
Genesis Gen. 22:1, is a foundational event, both for Judaism and Christianity.
To those who are familiar with the Torah, the opening instruction given to
Abraham is shocking! For the Torah—the very Word of God—specifically
indicates God’s opposition to child sacrifice (Deut. 12:31; Deut. 18:10). Yet
here, the Almighty Himself instructs Abraham to offer child sacrifice! Why

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