The Brazen Serpent by Dr. 'Tayo Brown
December 14-20, 2003

"And the people spake against God, and against Moses…And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died…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 up shall live" Num. 21: 5-8 The brazen serpent here represents Christ bearing the sins and sicknesses of all men. The serpent is a symbol of sin and Christ was made sin for us that we might be made free from sin (11Cor. 5: 21). Jesus said, just the same way the serpent was lifted upon a pole he also would be lifted upon a cross (Jh. 3: 14-15) God's power was the invisible force in the brazen serpent just as the power of salvation through Christ (Eph. 2: 8-9).

When the Israelites looked on the serpent they live likewise whoever look to Christ will live eternally. You see there is no real power in this brazen serpent it is only to activate the people's faith in Christ. It takes faith after being attacked by the fiery serpent to run quickly to where the brazen serpent was lifted and looked up to it, this was what activated the healing power of God. However the Children of Israel after 900 years turned this brazen serpent to an object of worship "He (Hezekiah) removed the high places, and cut down the groves AND BRAKE IN PIECES THE BRAZEN SERPENT THAT MOSES HAD MADE: FOR UNTO THOSE DAYS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID BURN INCENSE TO IT: AND HE CALLED IT NEHUSTAN" 11 Kings 18: 4. Nehustan means something that was made out of copper. Jesus is not something made out of copper and Hezekiah had this revelation, he knew that the children of Israel have turned this symbolic representation to an idol. Similarly there have been many symbolic things the Church of today turned to idols.

The brazen serpent was over 900 years old by this time. It had been an object of worship all these years. Hezekiah destroyed the brazen serpent that Moses made and he cleaved to the Lord. The Lord made him prosperous for doing so. Friends, I believe if we will take time to destroy every symbolic brazen serpent that has taken the place of God in our hearts (and there are many of these in the Church of today) or whatever we have lifted more than the word of God we will as well prosper. When we are only focused on the gifts rather than the giver of the gifts then we are worshipping the same brazen serpent.

Do we know the living God that is being celebrated at this Christmas or Christmas has become our brazen serpent? Do we have a personal revelation of the God of Christmas? He is not that same baby Jesus, He is coming back any moment from now "…Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go to heaven. Then THEY RETURNED unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet…"Act 1: 11-12

Friends, why do we stand here only to gaze up into the sky looking at the brazen altar, we must return to our first love, we must return to prayer and consecration. We must return to doing the word of God, preparing ourselves for his soon return as we take the gospel to the yet to be reached areas of the world. This same Jesus that is being celebrated will soon return.

Who is Jesus to you TODAY? Is he the brazen altar being worshiped by the Children of Israel or the one that is lifted on the cross, raised from the dead and sited at the right hand of God the Father and coming back for his own? Are you expecting the return of the captain of our salvation? "And the people spake against God, and against Moses…And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died…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 up shall live" Num. 21: 5-8 The brazen serpent here represents Christ bearing the sins and sicknesses of all men. The serpent is a symbol of sin and Christ was made sin for us that we might be made free from sin (11Cor. 5: 21). Jesus said, just the same way the serpent was lifted upon a pole he also would be lifted upon a cross (Jh. 3: 14-15) God's power was the invisible force in the brazen serpent just as the power of salvation through Christ (Eph. 2: 8-9). When the Israelites looked on the serpent they live likewise whoever look to Christ will live eternally. You see there is no real power in this brazen serpent it is only to activate the people's faith in Christ. It takes faith after being attacked by the fiery serpent to run quickly to where the brazen serpent was lifted and looked up to it, this was what activated the healing power of God. However the Children of Israel after 900 years turned this brazen serpent to an object of worship "He (Hezekiah) removed the high places, and cut down the groves AND BRAKE IN PIECES THE BRASEN SERPENT THAT MOSES HAD MADE: FOR UNTO THOSE DAYS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID BURN INCENSE TO IT: AND HE CALLED IT NEHUSTAN" 11 Kings 18: 4. Nehustan means something that was made out of copper. Jesus is not something made out of copper and Hezekiah had this revelation, he knew that the children of Israel have turned this symbolic representation to an idol. Similarly there have been many symbolic things the Church of today turned to idols. The brazen serpent was over 900 years old by this time. It had been an object of worship all these years. Hezekiah destroyed the brazen serpent that Moses made and he cleaved to the Lord. The Lord made him prosperous for doing so. Friends, I believe if we will take time to destroy every symbolic brazen serpent that has taken the place of God in our hearts (and there are many of these in the Church of today) or whatever we have lifted more than the word of God we will as well prosper. When we are only focused on the gifts rather than the giver of the gifts then we are worshipping the same brazen serpent. Do we know the living God that is being celebrated at this Christmas or Christmas has become our brazen serpent? do we have a personal revelation of the God of Christmas? He is not that same baby Jesus, He is coming back any moment from now"…Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go to heaven. Then THEY RETURNED unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet…"Act 1: 11-12 Friends, why do we stand here only to gaze up into the sky looking at the brazen altar, we must return to our first love, we must return to prayer and consecration. We must return to doing the word of God, preparing ourselves for his soon return as we take the gospel to the yet to be reached areas of the world. This same Jesus that is being celebrated will soon return. Who is Jesus to you TODAY? Is he the brazen altar being worshiped by the Children of Israel or the one that is lifted on the cross, raised from the dead and sited at the right hand of God the Father and coming back for his own? Are you expecting the return of the captain of our salvation? GRA

GRA