Num. 21:4-9, "And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."

John 3:14-15, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

Old Testament Stories tell us the simple story of the Gospel --- Examples:

1. Naaman --- 2 Kings 5

2. The Passover --- Exo. 12

a. Lamb without blemish,
b. Lamb slain,
c. Blood must be applied,
d. The blood was enough.

3. The Brass Serpent.

A. Their Reason for being plagued was their own Dissatisfaction.

Num. 21:5, "And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread."

B. Our reason for suffering sin and facing death and judgment is the same --- our Voluntary Transgression plus our nature.

C. Our Sinful Nature comes by Inheritance.

Psalm 51:5, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."

Eph. 2:3, "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

D. Since sin come by nature, All Are Affected and in danger.

Rom. 3:10, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" --- V. 23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

Eccl. 7:20, "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not."

Jer. 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

A. Before they Called for help, they had to Need help.

B. Before a lost man calls for help, he must Know that he need help.

C. Before a Complaining Christian calls for help, he must know he needs help.

D. As long as one can help himself (or thinks he can) he won’t look to another.

A. They Prayer --- men must.

Rom. 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

B. They Confessed their sins --- men must.

Rom. 10:9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Num. 21:8, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live."

A. It Wasn’t Forced on anyone --- Neither is salvation.

B. They Had To Look --- So do men today.

Isa. 45:22, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else."

C. Define "Look" as:

1. A Dog "Looks" to his master,

2. A Child "Looks" to his parents.

A. Perhaps it was even Foolish because it was so much like the problem afflicting them.

B. So is God way of life Foolish To The Men of The World.

1 Cor. 1:23-25, "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

A. If one Refused to look at eh Brazen Serpent, Death was Sure.

B. So must man look to Christ or Perish.

Luke 13:3, "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Acts 17:30-31, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

John 1:12, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"

A. If one Delayed to look at the serpent, the venom might have killed quikckly.

Only an Instant Remedy could save.

B. So it is yet --- Snake venom is not nearly so bad as Sin.

Rom. 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

2 Cor. 6:2, "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"

C. God Promised It --- All Who Accepted It Lived.

John 6:37, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."