317 - The Truth of God Transcends Your Reality#
317 - The Truth of God Transcends Your Reality
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Numbers 21:4-9
They set out from Mount Hor and went toward the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. The people became very discouraged on the way, and they spoke against God and Moses, saying, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; many of the people of Israel died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Let’s Pray Together
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! As the new week begins, we are willing to receive Your provision, believing that this moment is sanctified by You. The Holy Spirit will renew each person’s heart through Your word, allowing those who seek You today to find You. Help us to stand firm in the truth, looking up to the grace of Jesus Christ, overcoming the current problems and circumstances with Your word, surrendering this time completely to the Holy Spirit, renewing everyone who comes to seek You. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord! Today's message talks about a situation where they set out from Mount Hor. Where is the destination of the Israelites? The land of Canaan. No matter how long they stayed in the wilderness, the destination is the land of Canaan. Now they set out from Mount Hor; do you know who lived in Mount Hor?
Mount Hor is the place where the descendants of Esau lived. Do you know the relationship between Esau and Jacob? They are brothers, born of the same mother. Now, the descendants of these two brothers have a problem. The Israelites want to return to the promised land of God, Canaan, but they must pass through Mount Hor.
This is a problem before them. Now the Edomites do not allow them to pass, saying, “If you dare to pass through here, we will strike you.” Now the Israelites face this problem; they are rejected and can only do one thing: first go south, then east, and then north to reach the land of Canaan.
Isn't that a big detour? They could have gone straight through, but now they need to take a big detour to get there. The temperature in the Sinai wilderness is likely over fifty degrees at this time; some say it's around fifty-five degrees. In such a hot place, they all hope to quickly pass through the desert wilderness and enter the land of Canaan.
The problem is that difficulties arise, and it seems that God is not helping them. Upon hearing that they must take a detour, this group of people becomes agitated. This is a very real issue. When you encounter problems and pray to God, hoping for a quick solution, it seems as if God has “fallen asleep.” As a result, you have to take a detour and feel like your life is going in circles, and at this time, many people become agitated. We need to learn from the Israelites, these failed examples, how to rely on God.
Share the first point: Believe in God's Word and pray about everything.
What is the current problem? It seems that God is not helping them and has not opened the way ahead. Is God really asleep? Or has God not heard their prayers? If He has heard, then I ask you, what do you do when your prayers go unanswered? Do you still believe in this God? Will you complain?
Brothers and sisters, remember that people are particularly prone to agitation when it’s hot. Just wait two days until it reaches forty degrees, and if you sit in the sun for a while, you will become extremely agitated. If a child is chattering beside you at this time, see how long you can endure it. Moreover, they are in the wilderness, and they really have to take a detour!
They feel that God seems not to help them, so they are extremely agitated. God has not opened the way ahead for them; instead, they have to take a detour. At this moment, can you still fully trust God? The Israelites' response was to complain, expressing everything they had in their hearts.
In verse five, they spoke against God and Moses, saying, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”
Is there any positive energy in these words? Are these words correct? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Brothers and sisters, was it Moses who begged to bring them out of Egypt? Did God plead with them to bring them out? No, it was their own cries that reached God's ears. They said, “We are indeed suffering too much in Egypt, working for others every day and being beaten; we can’t take it anymore. Please save us.”
God heard their cries and brought them out of Egypt, right? But the problem is that now they are in the wilderness, and when they encounter a small problem, they start to complain. They complain, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt?” The implication is that this place is worse than Egypt.
If I were that God, I would say, “Now I’ll send you back. Do you want to go back?” If they were sent back, would they really be happy? Pharaoh is particularly eager for them to return and is trying every means to bring them back. Would they want to go back? They are just complaining. Brothers and sisters, when they complain, they say something: “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?” Did God make this promise?
When did God ever say, “I will bring you out of Egypt to make you die in the wilderness?” If that were the case, I wouldn’t have gone out; I would rather die in Egypt and live a couple more years than die quickly in the wilderness. God never said such words. What did God promise at that time? Let’s take a look.
Exodus 3:16-17
“Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying: I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; and I have said: I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.’”
Is it clear? Do you believe this is God's promise to them? Is there any promise that they will die in the wilderness? Why did they change this? It’s their own thoughts. When people complain, they forget God's promises. As long as they keep complaining, they will forget what God has said and express everything they have stored in their hearts. At this moment, the Israelites began to complain because of the hot weather.
This is their true thought: “Why did you bring us out of Egypt?” Today, many people also say, “Why did you make me believe in the Lord? Why did you make me come to church? God hasn’t helped me; He hasn’t solved my problems. I seem to be going in circles.”
Brothers and sisters, is this God's problem? If you still have no answer, let me ask you something: Is complaining a solution when you encounter problems? Why does God not allow the Israelites to complain? There is only one answer to what God does not want us to do: it is not beneficial to us. If complaining were beneficial and could solve problems, God would definitely not stop them. Instead, these complaints would cause disputes and make them even more discouraged and desperate. When encountering problems, do not complain, because complaining is of no use; it will not solve your problems and will only make you feel more lost.
At this moment, the Israelites in the wilderness have not yet learned to rely on God in everything; they still complain when encountering issues. I hope brothers and sisters learn one thing: even if your enemies are still there, your mountains are still there, and your problems are still there, even if you pray and it seems that God has not solved them, I say “seems” because it appears that way, do not complain. Because complaining makes you forget God's promises and leads to nonsense. God has never said that they would die in the wilderness.
They said, “There is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food; everything is bad.” When facing the environment, ask yourself whether you still hold onto God's promises, believe His words, and pray about everything. What kind of heart should we have in the process of prayer? Let’s take a look.
Romans 12:12, “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing steadfastly in prayer.”
Rejoicing in hope, has the result come? What is hope? It can also be called expectation. What should we do? Complaining does not solve any problems. We should rejoice in hope, looking forward to where? Where are the Israelites going? If you know you are going to the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, you should rejoice in hope. Isn’t it just passing through a desert? Once you pass through the desert, you will be in the land of Canaan. You will not complain; the difficulties encountered on the way will not matter. Moreover, God is with them. If you cannot see this point, you will also complain in your life.
Now, through the problems of the Israelites, I ask you a question: Where is your destination? The new heaven, the new earth, the New Jerusalem. That is the true land of Canaan. Are we not heading there? Do not say you have not left Egypt; you have already crossed the Red Sea. You are just one step away from entering that place. Now you may encounter some problems, but do not forget who is with you.
Knowing that the place you are going to is so beautiful, the Bible describes the kingdom of heaven in great detail. God says that the streets there are made of pure gold, the houses are beautiful, and you are the lord of the city. If you think about this, you can wake up laughing at night, just afraid that you are looking at the current environment.
The current environment is that the sun is very hot, and there is no water or food; this is a fact. But we are not meant to live here. David once said in the Psalms, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Many people say that David has great faith. In fact, David just saw one thing: I am only passing through the valley of the shadow of death; I am not living there. Why should I be afraid?
You are just passing through this place. If God said you would live in the wilderness for the rest of your life, then you could complain because it is indeed not a place for people to live. You are passing through the wilderness; you will encounter some tribulations, but you are just passing through. The place you are ultimately going to does not have these tribulations; it is a land flowing with milk and honey. Therefore, you should rejoice in hope.
In tribulation, you should be patient. Patience should also be joyful. Amen! Isn’t it just a journey of forty days? Who can’t endure those forty days? If today I tell you that crossing the desert leads to the Golden Empire, and once you get there, that place will all be yours. Are those forty days still difficult for you? Just grit your teeth and you can get through, right?
Because the hope is better. Now God has made it very clear to them that the place they are going to is beautiful and rich; that is where you will live. Now you are just passing through the wilderness. In this process, you will see some problems, but you are not living in the problems.
Let’s look back and see how many problems we have encountered in life. Have they all been solved? Some have not been solved, but now they can no longer affect us. When we were young, we could fight for a long time over food with brothers and sisters, being angry and not speaking. Now doesn’t that seem quite ridiculous?
That was how it was then; life was so small. Now that we have grown up, looking back at that life seems quite interesting. I want to tell everyone that when one day you reach that destination and look back at the things of the world, it will really be interesting. Just be afraid that your life is a blank sheet, with nothing at all; that would be a terrible thing.
Prayer should be steadfast. What does steadfast mean? It’s simple: if things have not been accomplished, keep praying; if problems have not been solved, keep praying. Let God give me wisdom. Now that I cannot pass through Mount Hor, I will take a detour. What did Moses say? I will follow along; it’s just a detour. It’s not that I can’t get through. Thank and praise the Lord!
They encountered problems and wanted to return to Egypt, which actually relates to their thoughts. They thought of life in Egypt and even felt that the leeks, onions, garlic, and meat soup in Egypt were better than manna, thinking that manna was worthless food. This is the only time in the entire Bible that this is described as worthless, carrying a sense of contempt.
Brothers and sisters, do you know? This is food that came from heaven. All the food they ate in Egypt was produced from the ground, but the manna they ate in the wilderness was sent down from heaven. So, who does the manna symbolize? The true bread of Jesus Christ - the Holy Communion.
Can you obtain health through earthly things? Yes, but you have to work much harder. What I am telling you is that this, the Holy Communion, is enough to solve all your problems. The Israelites ate manna in the wilderness for forty years. Did anyone suffer from malnutrition or nervous breakdown? No, which shows that this food is powerful. Hallelujah!
It can also be understood as God's word to us. If we live solely by God's word, we can overcome all problems in the world. Today, technology has advanced, and people have come up with many methods to process food, but the problem is that after processing, the nutrition is lost. The wheat that was ground in the past and steamed into buns may not look very pretty, but today’s buns are incredibly white, which may not necessarily be nutritious for you.
Now the Israelites are eating manna every day and are tired of it. Why do they keep eating this thing? They want to go back to Egypt. Brothers and sisters, I want to ask everyone a question: Is it really good to go back to Egypt? Would it be comfortable to return to Egypt? Today, many people say after believing in the Lord, “I prayed, and God did not listen; it would be better not to believe in Him.” Is it really better not to believe?
Let’s think about it from another perspective: Do people who do not believe in the Lord encounter difficulties? What do they do when they encounter difficulties? Where do they go back to? They have no way to retreat; you are going back to Egypt. In fact, this answer is wrong. When encountering problems, you should pray to God and let Him give you the strength to overcome the problems, rather than thinking about going back to Egypt.
Have you ever thought about why God did not let them take the northern route, which is a royal road, a government road, smooth and unobstructed? Instead, they had to go through the foot of the mountain? It is not just the Philistines; the most important reason is that after crossing the Red Sea, there is no way back. Although Pharaoh is on that side, once you cross the Red Sea, they cannot come after you, and you cannot go back. This means that our saved life, once you believe in the Lord, cannot return to Egypt. Although they are trying every means to drag you back, you cannot go back. You now have a better life. You will encounter some problems, but you can rely on God; He is the solution to all your problems! Amen! Thank and praise the Lord!
We must believe in God's word. You can pray to Him. God asks us to pray because He knows we have problems, knows we are weak, and knows we will complain. But it doesn’t matter; do not say, “I am going to die.” The Bible says that Jesus also said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, you will receive.” If you really want to die in the wilderness, will God fulfill that for you? God will fulfill it, so this group of people truly got what they wished for.
Do you want to live like this? These are useless things; let’s not pray for them. They treat the best as junk food and want to eat the worst things.
Brothers and sisters, do you know that among all the words, God's word is the best? Among all foods, is the Holy Communion the best? God has already given you the best. Once, someone asked me a question: Why does God not allow us to eat the blood of animals in the Bible? Many people have various answers: because the blood of animals contains life; because the blood of animals is unclean; because… Later, God directly told me, “Because I have prepared the best blood for my children - the Holy Communion.”
This is the best. Since God has given you the best, why choose the worst? Are there bacteria or parasites in this? No. Is there life? Yes, but don’t answer too quickly by saying no. There is the life of Jesus in it. When you eat and drink, this life enters you. You must remember that God wants to give you the best; do not seek the worst.
Share the second point: Look to God in problems, believing His word transcends your reality.
Now the environment does indeed seem unfavorable; isn’t that a fact? You must acknowledge it. Do not say, “Although it’s very hot, I can pretend it’s not hot.” Do not deceive yourself. You say, “This place hurts,” but you can pretend it doesn’t hurt because a teacher once said, “You cannot mention this symptom.” I never said that. Although some people have said, “Do not mention your symptoms.” I tell you, this is indeed a fact; I acknowledge it. But I also acknowledge another fact: Jesus can heal. Amen! Which fact do you choose? In problems, you can choose to complain, “Why does this place hurt so much?” You can keep describing your current problems. This is a fact, but describing it like this is just like the Israelites, constantly complaining… It will not solve your problem. You must acknowledge the second fact: God transcends this reality. Hallelujah! When the Israelites complained, something happened below.
Numbers 21:6, “So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.”
When they kept complaining… wanting to go back to Egypt, this food was detestable to them, and they wanted to die in the wilderness… After so much complaining, our God did not come out to comfort them; instead, He did something. If you do not understand God's heart, you will describe God as very cruel. So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people. I specifically checked the original text. The word “sent” appears many times in the Old Testament, such as in Numbers and Deuteronomy, where it is mentioned that the Lord sent certain disasters upon them, or the Lord sent this disease upon them, as if God allowed this disease to come upon them. Today, some people say that we are under grace, so this will not happen. However, in the Old Testament, God would use diseases to deal with people…
Let’s put it another way: After the Israelites left Egypt, did they become God's children? Does God love them? Now they are just complaining; are they still not His children? If your child complains, is he still your child? If your child complains and is no longer your child, then this may happen. Even if he complains, he is still loved by you. When he complains, he may even say, “I don’t want to acknowledge you as my father.” Let’s not talk about the enemy; just say, if you had the ability to let snakes bite and kill your disobedient child, would you do it? You wouldn’t, would you? Would God?
First, we must confirm that God would not do that.
Because the original text of the Old Testament is in Hebrew, and the New Testament is in Greek, the word “sent” can be understood as dispatched or allowed, meaning to let things happen as they will. Why is this so? I have repeatedly told brothers and sisters that God never forces us to believe in Him or to follow Him. He hopes we will willingly follow Him. He does not force you; evil spirits will force you and control you, but the Holy Spirit will never do that. It was the same in the Old Testament. When they kept complaining and wanted to go back to Egypt, saying, “You want me to die in the wilderness,” the actual meaning is, “You are not my God; stay away from me. I don’t want you to treat me this way…”
I want to ask everyone a question: Do you know that fiery serpents have always existed in the wilderness? God did not create them. Fiery serpents have always been in the wilderness. If you have watched some adventure documentaries, you know that in hot places, it is particularly easy to encounter fiery serpents. Those snakes are hiding in those places, always waiting for prey to appear.
Brothers and sisters, in forty years, how many times were they bitten? (Once). Why didn’t the snakes come out at other times? The Lord, meaning, a hand stretched out, is connected with grace upon grace. The Chinese Bible translates it as grace upon grace. The hand of God stretched out to you is always grace upon grace.
Now the problem is that they do not want it. First, they do not believe God's promise; they do not believe that God will bring them into the land of Canaan. Secondly, they think that the manna given by God is worthless food, and they do not want it. At this time, God says, “Alright! Since that’s the case, I will take it back.” Now do you understand? This means that at other times, God's hand was always upon them, continuously pouring out God's protection, mercy, and salvation… But now they suddenly say, “I don’t want you anymore. Don’t treat us this way; we want to live on our own.” At this time, God withdrew His hand, and the snakes came out, entering among the people and biting them.
If I were one of those snakes, I would say, “Finally, I have a chance! Before, God was watching over them, and they could not get in.” Do you know about the tabernacle? The tabernacle has a stake that is made of silver, which represents the salvation and protection of Jesus Christ. But now they do not want this protection, so the snakes entered among them, bit them, and many died.
When they saw that some people around them had been bitten by snakes, some had already died, and some were dying, what should they do? Should they continue to complain? At this time, people do not complain; they become very clear-headed. Look at how the Israelites said:
Numbers 21:7, “The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.’” So Moses prayed for the people.
They did not not know how to pray; they were unwilling to pray, right? Now the problem is that they are about to die, and they know to pray. Brothers and sisters, do not become this kind of Christian. How many people only remember to pray when they are about to die? This is too late, but there is still hope. Did God fulfill their prayer? No. What are they praying for now? “Let these snakes leave us.” If God fulfills this prayer, the people bitten by snakes would still surely die. If the snakes leave you, will you live? God did not fulfill this prayer. What I mean is that many times, God does not fulfill our prayers according to our thoughts; He wants to thoroughly solve the problem.
Maybe you think, “I just got bitten by a snake; my leg won’t move. Moses, hurry and pray to let the snake leave us.” Is this a solution? No. It seems that the problem is solved; the snake is no longer visible, but you will still die. Sometimes, people’s minds are too simple. God is not like that. Moses prayed to God, and God did not say, “Alright, I will listen to your prayer and let these snakes leave them.” That would still lead to death, wouldn’t it? So how did God do it?
Verse 8, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.’”
These snakes are still in the wilderness, but the problem is that now God wants to accomplish something for them that exceeds what they have asked for, even beyond what they have thought. This is the command Moses received from God. He made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Do you know who this bronze serpent symbolizes? Jesus? In the Bible, the serpent symbolizes the devil, Satan. Be bold to answer. What does certainty mean? If you ask me three times, I will tell you this answer. If you ask me thirty times, I will still tell you this answer. That is called certainty.
Let me ask you again: In the Bible, the serpent symbolizes the devil, right? Yes. Then why does it symbolize Jesus here? It is a different context; you must look at it differently. What kind of serpent is now hanging on the pole? A bronze serpent.
Now, putting aside the Bible, let me ask you a basic common sense question: What is the difference between a bronze serpent and a fiery serpent? They look similar, but the fundamental difference is that a bronze serpent will not bite you, while a fiery serpent will. One is poisonous, and the other is not.
It is completely correct to say that Jesus symbolizes the bronze serpent, but if you say that the fiery serpent symbolizes Jesus, that would be wrong. The serpent in the Bible symbolizes a living, moving, biting snake, not a bronze one. Now let me explain this passage to you: Why can they live when they look at the bronze serpent hanging on the pole? Let’s look at a passage.
Romans 8:1-4
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
This passage explains the previous one. Where are you? “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” You are saved by Jesus Christ. Will you condemn yourself? Yes. Will you condemn others? Yes. Will you accept others’ condemnation? Yes. But God does not condemn you. Why does He not condemn you? Because you have something inside you: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made you free from the law of sin and death. Through these two verses, I want to tell you a spiritual picture. In Hebrew, when you read a sentence, you can turn it into a picture. This is currently the simplest and most powerful memory method in the world. Israel has always used it, and I hope we can learn to use it too.
Now I want to tell you that in Jesus Christ, God no longer condemns you. Although you will complain about the current problems, God only wants you to pray to Him, and He can solve your problems. In Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit will release you, freeing you from the law of sin and death. This phrase means very simply that you can imagine a picture: you were about to die, living in sin, and ultimately going to die. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit released you. Some people are captured by diseases; will this problem lead to their death? Now they are bound by death, and it seems they are about to die. At this time, the Holy Spirit enters them, releasing them and letting them escape from sin and death.
When you encounter problems, such as having a disease in your body, you can pray, “Holy Spirit, I ask You to fill me at this moment.” Do you know what this means? You know this power. When the Holy Spirit fills you, no matter what kind of disease it is, you will instantly be released. Amen! It’s that simple. It’s not a slow repair over ten or twenty years; it’s instantaneous. This power releases you. Amen!
I am now talking about victory because the following has already explained it to us. The law was weak because of the flesh. Why did Jesus have to save us from the law? Because we are weak. It’s not that the law has a problem; it’s that our flesh is weak. We cannot help but complain, and it is very difficult to escape from condemnation. We always do not believe God’s promises; this is our weakness. Now, because of your flesh's weakness, God knows you cannot do it; the law cannot help you.
The law can point out your problems but cannot help you solve them. Many people can point out your problems, especially your partner. There are many such people in the world. God does not want such people. God wants those who can point out problems and also solve them. What good is it to just point out problems? The more problems are pointed out, the less strength we have.
Now we need to know how to solve it. The law was weak and could not do what it was supposed to do. What should we do at this time? God knows this, so He did another thing: He sent His own Son. What the law could not do, God let His Son do. Can Jesus do it? So you are not asking the Ten Commandments to heal you; you are letting Jesus heal you.
What the law could not do, Jesus can do. The law can condemn you, but Jesus does not condemn you and can help you overcome your problems. Hallelujah! How does He solve your weakness? God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. Brothers and sisters, do you know what the likeness of sinful flesh is?
The bronze serpent is the likeness of sinful flesh. When Jesus was hung on the tree, did He not already have the likeness of sinful flesh? When we hang ourselves on the cross, is it not the same as hanging on the cross with Jesus? They are all the same. Jesus was crucified alongside two thieves; weren’t they all the same? That is the likeness of sinful flesh. But the difference is that those two deserved to die; they indeed had sin, but Jesus, although He looked the same as them, had no sin.
Galatians 3:13, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’”
Now the problem is here. The Israelites are now bitten by fiery serpents. God says, “As long as you look at that bronze serpent, you will live.” May I ask, can we do this? Why do you believe that you will live if you just look? How do we apply this today? We can’t find the bronze serpent anymore. Do you know that later, the Israelites worshipped the bronze serpent as an idol? You must know what it represents. Now the bronze serpent is there; who has the poison? We do. The fiery serpent has already bitten us.
As mentioned earlier, the moving serpent symbolizes Satan. Now the devil has attacked you; he bit you and transmitted his poison to you. Is this a fact? Every time you are attacked by the devil, you will become weak, complain, and feel uncomfortable all over. Some people have diseases… Now all of this is because the devil has bitten you. After being bitten, his problem has been transmitted to you, and his toxins have entered your body. Now what you need to do is to remove his toxins from you. How do you do that? At this time, there needs to be a spiritual transfer. Does the bronze serpent have poison? No, He is holy. After we look at Him, there will be a spiritual exchange: the toxins in me go to Him, and His holiness comes upon me. Because it is a bronze serpent, bronze in the Bible symbolizes God's judgment. In the courtyard of the sacrifice, everything is made of bronze, which signifies death.
Now your sins and problems are all placed upon the bronze serpent, which is what was said earlier: Jesus on the cross has the likeness of sinful flesh. All your sins have been placed upon Jesus, and Jesus’ holiness has come upon you. He must die; the wages of sin is death. This is something God will never break in His own words.
Now who is alive? Why are you alive? Because you have an exchange with Jesus. Your sins have been placed upon Him, and the Bible also says so. He bore our sins, so He must die; He must be cursed. Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.
You were originally under this curse. Now, when you look at Him, God sees that you believe in His Son, and your toxins are transferred to Him. His peace, health, and prosperity are transferred to you. This is why the Israelites could live. Amen! It’s that simple. Let’s look at another passage.
1 Peter 2:24, “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.”
Has this been accomplished? Did Jesus bear your sins when He was hung on the tree? Your weaknesses, even your diseases, your worries about the future… These were originally within you. Now through Jesus, you must hand all these over to Jesus. After handing them over to Jesus, you have died to sin. Although you did not die yourself, you see that someone has already died in your place. You are now living in Christ. When the Israelites looked at the bronze serpent, the bronze serpent was judged, and the toxins on them disappeared. You go and look to Jesus, believing in His promises and the love of the Father, and the toxins within you will disappear because you will always find hope in Jesus.
As long as you deal with people in the world, you will always be condemned and weak. Return to God, return to Christ; He does not condemn you. He will show you His righteousness, let you receive it, and let you see it again. To come alive means to have your heart come alive. You are no longer weak, no longer sad or discouraged; instead, you are renewed and strengthened. By His stripes, you were healed. Therefore, in the courtyard of the tabernacle, after the lamb was killed, it was thrown into the bronze altar and burned. That lamb must die.
Returning to the passage we just read, Romans 8, “God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.” What does it mean to condemn sin in the flesh? In God's eyes, the issue of your sin has been settled. If it were the Israelites in the wilderness, even though they complained and did not want God's protection, at this time they said, “Moses, hurry and pray to God. We know we were wrong. Pray to God to let the snakes leave us.”
When God sees this, He sees that you have given me an opportunity. So He had Moses make a bronze serpent and hang it there. As long as you look at this bronze serpent, you will live. The meaning is that I have given you a way out. Your previous complaints and unbelief have been settled.
If that is the case, how should you think? I know it has been settled; I just need to look at that bronze serpent. As long as I look, I will live. It’s particularly simple. I have shared this with some people before, but the information we received in the past was not like this. They told you that if you sinned and now have a disease, you need to constantly recognize all your sins… Suppose it were those Israelites bitten by fiery serpents. They would not look at the bronze serpent but would say, “I was really wrong; I shouldn’t have complained to You.” Would they die? Yes, they would die. Although Moses said, “Don’t do that anymore…” That would be heresy. “Moses, you are trying to kill us.” Right? Brothers and sisters, is that a solution? No. When you have a problem, you need to look to God’s promises; He can solve your problems. Do not continue to focus on the problem. Continuing to focus on your problems will only lead you deeper into your mistakes. Do not say, “I am already like this; my whole body cannot move.”
Who made your body move? As long as you move your head to look at that bronze serpent, Moses held it up high. I don’t believe you can’t see it. If your head is like an ostrich, buried in the ground with your butt sticking up high, saying, “I was really wrong…” It’s useless. God is not asking you to look with your butt; He is asking you to look with your eyes. Just look, and you will live. Amen!
I want to tell brothers and sisters that no matter how big your problem is right now, even if you are taking a detour, even if you are truly bitten by the devil in the wilderness, it doesn’t matter! Look to the bronze serpent that Moses lifted on the pole; that is a foreshadowing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This is the heart of our Lord Jesus. No matter how great your past failures have been, when you return, Jesus is always willing to accept you. No matter how much you have lost due to your past failures, when you return to Jesus, He is always willing to compensate you, just like the prodigal son returning. Amen!
Some people say, “I know God is a healing God, but why am I still sick? I still feel quite painful. What should I do?” I will ask you one thing: Among the Israelites in the wilderness, some had already been bitten by snakes. Did it hurt? Do not say, “I can pretend it doesn’t hurt.” How long can you deceive yourself?
It hurts. Just say this is a fact. But my God also said to let me look at that bronze serpent. Then I will not look at the painful place. The more I look at the painful place, the more it will hurt. When will you say, “I look at God’s promises”? Suddenly, you will find that the problem is not that uncomfortable anymore.
When Jesus became your sin offering and condemned sin in the flesh, He made the righteousness of the law fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Brothers and sisters, the meaning of this last sentence is that this is something you do not deserve, something you should not have. We call it grace. When can you receive the blessings of the law? You must obey all the laws to receive the blessings of the law. Now, because Jesus has become your sin offering, God has settled the case and has given you the blessings of the law that Jesus should have received. Moreover, God describes you as one who does not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
What does it mean to not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit? Many people explain that not walking according to the flesh means not coveting this world. We must be poor, suffer, and die in this world. Is that so? No, that is an incorrect explanation. In the original text, not walking according to the flesh means not being in the flesh but being in the Spirit.
Now let me ask you a question: Are you in the Spirit? When are you in the Spirit? From the moment you believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and you are also in the Spirit. This is not related to your behavior; it is related to your faith.
Now, are you in the flesh? No, you must recognize this fact. You say, “I am in the flesh now; later I will be in the Spirit.” No! You have always been in the Spirit. Amen! You have always been in Jesus Christ. Sometimes, because your focus is wrong, you forget that you have this ability to overcome this problem. When our focus is correctly shifted, you will see the correct result.
When Jesus came to the world, there was not much change in the world. However, Jesus could overcome everything in this fallen world, in the world of sin, precisely because of the Holy Spirit within Him. Amen! Today, God has given you the Holy Spirit and also lets you know that God delights in you. Amen! Two facts: you must choose one. One is that you really have a disease; you cannot pretend not to see it. I will never say you should pretend not to see it. I just let you believe in another fact: that is, He has already brought you healing on the cross.
1 Peter 2:24, the last part of the verse, “By whose stripes you were healed.”
This is a completed action. Do you believe this word? It’s very simple, just like the Israelites looking at the bronze serpent. If Moses tells you, “Do not look at how many times you have been bitten by snakes or how many snakes have bitten you; it doesn’t matter. Just look at the bronze serpent I have hung on the pole, and you will live.”
At this time, the most feared are the “smart people.” “I still have many snakes on me. You say that just looking at that thing will make me live; how is that possible? Moses, does this method work?” You can choose not to believe, so you are destined to die. In God’s word, you must become a little foolish; that is the true wise person.
God created this world; He knows better than anyone how the laws of the world operate. When He gives you Jesus Christ, He gives you a way out in the world of death and sin, a way to victory in everything. He does not let you ignore your problems; He just tells you that there is another fact you can rely on, which is the truth of God. The truth of God transcends your reality.
If at this moment you have a disease, indeed have some tumors or cancer, stop focusing on yourself. If you don’t believe me, you can see that if a terminal cancer patient carefully reads all the doctors’ reports every day, rest assured! He will not live for many days. But if he puts that aside and starts reading this passage, believing in God’s promise, he can live. It’s that simple. Which fact do you choose to believe? The truth of God transcends your current reality.
Numbers 21:9, “So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole; and everyone who was bitten, when he looked at the bronze serpent, lived.”
Are there any other conditions? Did it say that if you were bitten by one snake, you should look once, and if bitten by ten snakes, you should look ten times? If you were bitten for a minute, you should look for a minute; if bitten for an hour, you should look for an hour. Are there any of these issues? From the moment you believe in Jesus, everyone can look to God’s promises, and these can be given to you. But people have divided into ranks. Because you are a new believer, God may not necessarily listen to your prayer. Because he is an old Christian, he must pray for me.
Many people always feel that others have believed for so many years, so when something happens, they must find him. Brothers and sisters, this still puts the focus on people.
Why do we never say in prayer that your qualifications are not enough? It is stated very clearly here: no matter what your situation is, no matter how long you have been bitten, as long as you look at this bronze serpent, you will live. Amen! Those who believe in Jesus, as long as they are willing to pray for their environment, God can save you. It does not matter how long you have believed. Of course, if you have believed for a long time, you will experience more of God’s grace, which is a good thing. But it does not mean that because you have believed for a long time, your life will necessarily be stronger than his. There is no such concept. Today, you believe in the Lord, rely on God, and God will listen to your prayers, just as it is said here. It will happen to you. Did Jesus bear your diseases and pains?
Isaiah 53 clearly states, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” Do you know what “surely” means? In the original text, it means that He truly bore your griefs and carried your sorrows. Amen! Since Jesus has accomplished this, believe and receive it. Healing from diseases is like this; restoration of family relationships is like this; restoration of marriage relationships is like this; financial prosperity is like this. They are all the same. Believe that God has prepared it, and you go and receive it. Do not seek what God has not prepared.
If God has not prepared it, you will not find it. Just like when gathering manna, God said, “Do not go out to look for it on the Sabbath.” Those who did not listen insisted on going out to look for it and could not find it. Believe in the words of God’s promises, hold onto them, and believe that He gives them to you. Receive them with faith every day and live them out. Amen!
You need to shift your focus away from the disease. It may indeed be very painful, but you need to look to the truth of God. Do not complain; you must believe that God’s promises can help you overcome this problem. Hallelujah!
John 3:14-15
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
It’s very simple. Today, you believe in how Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, and Jesus has already been lifted up. You can live in Him as a pattern of abundant life. Amen.
Isaiah 61:1-3
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Do not focus on your current reality. I mean, do not focus on it in a way that denies it, but focus on God’s promises. Let God’s promises deal with your current problems. You must believe that God’s truth transcends your reality. You must put your focus on God’s promises. Amen!
From today onwards, make a resolution not to worry about my current problems anymore. I want to look to God’s truth and declare that I have already overcome in Christ because God’s promises have been given to us. He will give beauty for ashes to those who mourn in Zion. If you say, “I am that mournful person,” God will give you a crown of beauty.
He will give you the oil of joy for mourning. Do you know what the oil of joy is? The Holy Spirit, replacing your mourning with the joy of the Holy Spirit. The next part is the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. You say, “I am so painful inside; I am so sorrowful; I am so troubled.” Praise! Brothers and sisters, God wants to use praise to replace all your past sorrows. Hallelujah!
Then God says, “I will let you receive glory.” He calls you “trees of righteousness,” the planting of the Lord. Since you are planted by God, the devil cannot shake you or kill you. Amen!
Believe that as long as God’s hand is there, fiery serpents can never come in. Believe that you are in Jesus Christ; you have already received this blessing. Let us start living by looking to Christ’s promises. Even if you have problems now, it is not pretending they do not exist. It is believing in another fact: that God’s truth transcends your reality.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank You and praise You! Thank You for helping us through this word. Although we will have problems, God’s truth can overcome all problems. In problems, I look to You. Although sometimes I pray, and it seems that God has not opened a way, I know You will prepare the best for me. At the right time and in the right place, You will let me see the most beautiful blessings. Thank You and praise You!
Let me live by relying on Jesus. When I have no hope, He is my hope. Every time I look to the promises of Jesus, look to the cross of Jesus, I know that is the sign of Your love for me, the promise You have given me, an unchanging love. I am willing to live a new week in this love. Please lead me to meet You in the problems I encounter this week, experience You, and overcome my circumstances. Thank You and praise You! All glory will be given to You! In the name of our Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!