Chapter 7
Worshiping the Serpent
Revelation 12:9 – And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
This brings me to a story in the Bible that has never been interpreted correctly until now. Every sermon you have ever heard preached on Numbers 21:4-10 are referenced by John 3:14-15. But while you have heard was many wonderful messages from John 3:14-15, you have not from Numbers 21.
John 21:41-20 – As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
They reference back to Numbers 21:4-10 is only half the story. So let’s tell the rest of the story. The story of the serpent on the pole has never been told like I’m going to share it with you. The story in Numbers is about Satan and man’s willingness to worship and serve him in order to save their lives here on earth. So let’s start with what God has to say.
Numbers 21:4-10 – 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. 10 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth.
Now let us put God’s Word into context and not deceive ourselves by changing it to mean what we might think it to be. All we have to do is let it mean what it actually means. Have we forgotten the Ten Commandments, just two books back in our Bible?
Exodus 20:1-5 – And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.
This brings to mind a couple of other verses.
Matthew 10:28 – And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Luke 12:4-5 – And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Mark 8:35-37 – For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
God commands Moses to make a brazen serpent and to put it on a pole. When the people looked upon it, they would be delivered from the fiery serpents that were killing them. In our own day, so many die only to hear God say, “I don’t know you.” People are lifting Satan up in order to prolong their earthly life only to die and go to an eternal hell. If they knew this, would they change from the god of this world to the God of Creation? There are two verses in the Bible that refer to the serpent and Satan as the same.
Revelation 12:9 – And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Revelation 20:2 – And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.
I believe without a doubt that God put these stories in the Bible in order to teach us something about ourselves, if we would only ask Him for understanding. Before you can do that, however, you must first know Him. The people of this story had disobeyed God and God sent fiery serpents among them. Many died, and those that lived by looking to the serpent on the pole only prolonged their life for a short time.
You see, many people have turned to Satan unknowingly only to find themselves in an eternal Hell at the end of their life. Satan has the ability to offer life in this world for he is the god of this world. Sin takes people down a path of destruction that affects their jobs, their families, and their health—even to the point of death. And that’s when Satan comes and offers the world to them. Most people, however, just want to live in this world, free from the bondage of sin, free from alcohol, free from drugs, free from any and all bondage they find sin has gripped them in. In their desire for freedom, they turn to Satan. The 12 step programs, 10 Principle programs, and all the other support groups that are out there, offers freedom from disease and bondage to sin in the same way Satan does.
Matthew 4:1-11 – Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
If Satan would offer God (Jesus) the world, don’t think for one moment you and I are above God. Don’t think Satan isn’t going to come to us when it seems we need God the most. Satan has been getting man to serve and worship him since Adam and Eve. And how does he get them to do it today? He does it by perpetuating the lie that sin isn’t really sin. It’s just a disease.
I went and told my pastor about my findings, due to Reformers Unanimous, and he told me God would not do that. He said the serpent in Numbers 21 isn’t Satan. This is our conversation:
2/5/10
Bill,
I looked up what you said about the Serpent on the staff of Moses as being a Type of Christ, It’s also taught in several Commentaries as such. So I need your help in understanding some Truths, that I have some deep convictions I believe the Holy Spirit has lead me to believe to be true and that is the Brazen Serpent on the pole of Moses is in fact a representation of Satan himself. Yet if you will reason with me Bill, you will find that the Serpent on the pole of Moses is not a Type of Christ, that has been taught for so long, is in fact false. I guess sometime, In the past a man came up with that, but you will find that we shouldn’t make Jesus (Christ) and Satan as being one and the same, the TEN BASIC LAWS FOR INTERPRETING THE BIBLE, you gave me.
LAW III. THE LAW OF FIRST MENTION-We may expect the first mention of a subject or truth to forecast its treatment throughout the scriptures:
Genesis 3:1-5 – Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
You see Bill, I don’t have to tell you that the serpent here in the Garden was Satan or deeper yet a serpent indwelt by Satan, let’s go to the only two verses in the Bible that mention that Satan and the Serpent are One and the Same.
Revelation 12:9 – And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Revelation 20:2 – And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.
So Bill, that Serpent on the Pole of Moses is “Satan” himself. The scriptures have been misinterpreted. I guess the reason the LORD has given me this information is because there are so many people dying and going to HELL and hearing these Words I DON’T KNOW YOU.
Bill it’s not that I am right and your wrong, it’s not that at all, it’s that the LORD has a work for me!!! There is so much about the Serpent on the Pole that is relevant for us today. And I have so much more to prove my case.
You want it to be said that Bill Monroe turned Florence SC, Upside down and I want it to be said that Those Christians turned the World Upside down.
Yours in Christ,
Sal
Bill Monroe Reply to me on 2/5/10:
Sal,
In no way do I want to argue with you, but Jesus Himself in John 3:14 compared the account of the brazen serpent on the pole with His being lifted up. Words cannot be clearer: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up….” The words, “as” and “even so” connect the two events. This is both logically and grammatically true. However, it was a type. They had been bitten by serpents, were dying and were told to “look and live.” They were promised that they would be healed and live if they looked at the serpent on the pole. If the serpent represented Satan, that would mean salvation came from looking to Satan? If the serpent represented Jesus, salvation comes from looking to Him. Which is it?
I am not making Jesus and Satan “one and the same” as you say in your post. The type represents Christ on the cross where the Bible says, “he was made sin” for us. But that’s another issue, John 3:14 should be enough to settle the issue. That’s the bottom line, Sal.
Sincerely,
Bill Monroe
My Reply to Bill on 2/16/10:
Bill,
First I just want to Thank You, Thank You So Much, for responding. I will never argue with you, you are no doubt a Man used of GOD in the days that we live in; your Ministry goes far beyond the city of Florence, SC. You have a Doctorate in Theology, and no doubt your time is very valuable, using every minute you have for the Lord, This is just an open line of communication.
You bring up two very good points the word “as “and “even so”. And you are correct in that they tie the two together, which I will explain and will answer. The second point or question you bring up, “However, it was a type. They had been bitten by serpents, were dying and were told to “look and live.” They were promised that they would be healed and live if they looked at the serpent on the pole. If the serpent represented Satan, that would mean salvation came from looking to Satan? If the serpent represented Jesus, salvation comes from looking to Him. Which is it?
You see John 3:14 is just half of the story, there have been so many wonderful messages that have been Preached on that verse and I believe I’ve heard you Preach one message maybe Two, on John 3:14. Let’s start with your second point, it is taught that the two passages are a type of Salvation in Jesus, yet as we go further you will see that they are two different Salvation's, the first is a Physical salvation that is temporary for this world and the Second is Eternal Salvation in Christ. Satan can and will offer life in this world, I mean if he offered the world to Jesus, will he not offer life in this world to men.
Matthew 4:7-9 – Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Luke 4:5-7 – And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
The question should be What will a man give for his Soul? Let’s leave John 3:14 and go back to the Old Testament
Numbers 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.
God gave them everything they needed and they again complained. The one thing I learned in school was the 5W’s Who, What, When, Where and Why? Who was bitten Those that God said were not going into the Promise Land” read Numbers 13 and 14” and here is a snippet, from Numbers.
Numbers 14:20-35 – And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: 21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land where into he went; and his seed shall possess it. 25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea. 26 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. 28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: 29 Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, 30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. 32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. 34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. 35 I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
Bill, I can go on and on, I guess the bottom line is. A.A. works and Reformers Unanimous and all the other Support Groups that have been formed. This book we call are Bible is about Jesus and him alone. We are to look to Him and Live and not Satan who offers life in this world. The answer to the first question where we link, John 3:14 to the serpent on the pole. John was saying we should look to Jesus for Eternal Life like those who look to Satan for only life in this World. Satan has lost; it doesn’t mean that he has stopped fighting for the souls of men.
Bill, that Serpent on the pole that Moses made, if it were a type of Christ you would think that it would have been put into the Ark of God, along with the Tablets of stone, the jar of Manna and the Budded Rod of Aaron, but What happed to it?
2 Kings 18:1-4 – Now it came to pass in the third year of Hosea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. 2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. 3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did. 4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, 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 Nehushtan.
Bill, not to mention the First Three Commandments, one last thing Bill you ever noticed the Medical Emblem. Hope to hear from you.
Reply from Bill Monroe on 2/20/10:
Dear Bro. Sal,
If you want to believe the serpent represents the devil, that’s your choice. I didn’t really want to spend more time on it but I have looked in Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s commentary, John McArthur’s study Bible, the Defender’s Study Bible, The Companion Bible and several other commentaries and everyone of them agree that it represents Christ being lifted up for the sins of humanity. Types in the Bible basically make one point. The point here is 1) Christ was lifted up as the snake in the wilderness was lifted up and 2) Christ was MADE SIN FOR US. The serpent represented the deadly poison that was killing the people as the snake bite of sin kills in a spiritual sense and as it was lifted up, so was Jesus. John 3:14ff. makes it abundantly clear. Satan is not in the context in either passage—so you have to take a leap of logic to connect him to the passages, which always results in questionable interpretation. The focus is not on the snake cf. Christ but on Christ being made sin for us—it being clear the serpent represented sin and death. The closest you could get to the serpent representing Satan would be that it represented the result or product of the devil’s work. However, that is not the same as the serpent being the representation of the devil. As I said previously, if the serpent represents the devil, Jesus was directing people to look to the devil for salvation—which makes absolutely no sense. Your argument ultimately is with John 3:14. However, I think you have already made up your mind. The name of your website would indicate you have staked out a position on this so it is unlikely you will change. My concern at this point is that you not let your pride cause you to maintain your position in the face of overwhelming evidence and the clear statements of the Lord in John 3. Therefore, I don’t think it would be productive to continue with this exchange. I am not going to ever say the snake represented Satan for the several reasons I have given. Additionally, I don’t think it proper to quibble over obtuse points of theology when there is too much to be done in terms of ministry, evangelism, etc. You are a good man but I am concerned that you do not seem to have a teachable spirit which can lead to worse problems. However, my pray is that God will bless you as you serve Him.
With warmest regards, I am,
Sincerely,
Bill Monroe
I love my pastor, but when you say that God will not do something, make sure you know your Bible. There’s a verse that can be easily overlooked. Ezekiel 20 speaks on the wilderness wanderings, and then you come to verse 25:
Ezekiel 20:25 – Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live.
One could easily miss verse 25. There are some statutes that God has given us that are not good. The teaching that the serpent on the pole of Moses can’t possibly be a representation of Satan and that the serpent was a representation of pre-Jesus manifestation of payment of Salvation for man’s sin, would contradict the Ten Commandments when God said:
Exodus 20:1-6 – And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
God wrote His Word down to show us to what length we would go to save ourselves in this life. Therefore, to even worship the Brazen Serpent, which represents Satan, was not a good commandment, and God commanded Moses to fashion the Brazen Serpent so that man might be saved if they looked upon it. This was God’s way to show us our true nature in trying to save ourselves in this world, only to lose it in the end. Yes, Jesus said that He would be lifted up as the serpent was lifted up. And most men and women lift up Satan to save their bodies and do not lift up Jesus to save their souls!
Ezekiel chapter 20 talks about Israel’s rebellion in Egypt and their refusal to give up the worship of Egypt’s idols through their wilderness wanderings.
Ezekiel 20:1-49 – And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat before me. 2 Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, 3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you. 4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers: 5 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God; 6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands: 7 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt. 10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. 11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. 12 Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my Sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. 14 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out. 15 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; 16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness. 18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: 19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; 20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God. 21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth. 23 I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries; 24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. 25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; 26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD. 27 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me. 28 For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings. 29 Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day. 30 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations? 31 For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you. 32 And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone. 33 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: 34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. 36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. 37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols. 40 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. 41 I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen. 42 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. 43 And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. 44 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. 45 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 46 Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field; 47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein. 48 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched. 49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?
So to say that God would not have Moses raise a serpent to represent Satan on a pole to save people’s lives are a little misled in their thinking. The Bible is an example of what to do and not do. We are to look to Jesus and live, not to Satan just to save our physical bodies.
We live in a world where we can follow 12 steps for sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous or 10 Principles to live by in Reformers Unanimous, and yet God has only two steps by which we should come to Him:
Step 1. Repent
Step 2. And be Saved
Luke 13:1-5 – There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
John 3:36 – He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
You can have two balls identical in color, size, and appearance, but when you take them in your hand, one could be as heavy as a bowling ball while the other is filled with air or hollowed out. They are identical in almost every way. You can’t tell them apart just by looking at them, and yet they are not the same.
Jesus offers life eternal. Satan offers life only in this world!
With overwhelming evidence proving that God’s commandment to look to the serpent on the pole and live was not good, you would have to ask: what was the reason for God giving us a commandment that was not good? Was it not to show us how weak we are in our willingness to do anything to save our physical life in this world? God gave us a letter, the Bible, and He tells us over and over, but we still don’t get it.
Matthew 16:24-26 – Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Why would a preacher say that God wouldn’t put Satan on a pole with the evidence I have given? Why does he still stand by all these other preachers if they were wrong in their teachings? Is it because, if I’m right, that all these good and well-meaning preachers will have to save face and apologize for their wrongful teaching and kick programs out of their churches like AA and RU? If you are a preacher that promotes these programs—and you know who you are—how could you have allowed these programs into the church that send the wrong message to your flocks? They teach you can work your way into Heaven! What will it take for them to get it right?
Jesus told us that we just have to take Him at His Word! Perhaps they don’t see this truth because they don’t understand what it is like to be under all these different bondage's that drive people to the support groups. Perhaps they don’t understand how these bondage's only cause you to think of yourself. Perhaps they truly do not understand what is that God calls SIN (Self Independent Nature) and continue to focus on the fruit of Sin and not it’s Root. Sin is saying to God that, I don’t need You. Repentance says to God I do.
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