High and Lifted Up

Greetings my friends.

I wanted to share a great teaching I was given this morning.

Like many of you I am tired in this long, dry journey.  I long for His appearing, but am convicted that too often I merely long for escape, not hungering and thirsting for Him—His Word, His presence, His insights, His leadership, His Spirit, His thoughts, His Holiness, His lost sheep.

Over the last few months the made-for-TV series The Chosen has been deeply moving and a blessing in deepening my awareness of the reality of Christ.  Before the Wrath was helpful as well and a good reminder that I am His and need to surrender every thought and action to Him (1 Cor. 10:5).

Very soon of course, face-to-face, united.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:1–3)

I look forward to walking more closely.

Plenty to be tired of lately, including this virus, social distancing, economic collapse, unemployment, friends in desperate circumstances, marriages under tremendous strain, unemployment, injustice and rioting to name a very few.

At our house we grumble over boredom and internet bandwidth, while God urgently shakes the world so that one more will come.

When there should be celebration and much urgent last-minute work, many have retreated into Netflix.  I confess of this I too am guilty.

In Numbers 21 right after victory over the Canaanites there was more grumbling.  No recorded praise for the victory and God's faithfulness to His promise.  No joy to be the generation to have seen the promise fulfilled.  Seemingly no sorrow over the destruction of those who were far from God.  After God's unceasing faithfulness, there was little faith and humility.

The Bronze Snake Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey, and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!” So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died.  Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed! (Numbers 21:4–9, NLT)

Steve Hadley, pastor at Harvest Family Fellowship, preached last weekend from Numbers 21.

Steve has blessed me so very much over the years.  He has a deep knowledge and love for the Word, love for people, a tremendous ability to lift it from the pages and leave you hungering to spend more time in it yourself. I would encourage you to watch this (link below):

Steve Hadley - Harvest Family Fellowship Church - Numbers 21

His knowledge of the lateness of the hour is keen regarding the parallels from our present age with those who should have been in awe, filled with a hunger for God, a passion for His Word, praise, celebration, worship, and a deep sorrow for those who did not repent.

I'm struck by the many types, parallels and bookends God has revealed these last few years.

Ponder, for a moment, the similarity to the present with those who were poisoned by an animal (a snake) from the earth and were healed when they looked up at the bronze serpent; they remembered the serpent's deception of old, remembered their sin and saw the type of cross where the wages of sin would one day be fully met.  COVID-19 has come from an animal in the earth and is killing many.  We acknowledge how we have bought into the deception and are in desperate need to be liberated from this body of sin and death.  This theme is further strengthened by the fact that the World Health Organization, which itself bears the bronze serpent on its flag, has been at the forefront of all of this, and the virus, like serpent venom, is spreading as the great red dragon begins his final attempt to keep the many from coming to Christ for healing.

These themes are so prevalent right now, if only people could see it, they could look on the final fulfillment of what Moses erected in the wilderness.  In these last moments before the prophetic flood, called the Day of the LORD, all must look to Christ.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up, that everyone who is believing in Him may not perish, but may have continuous life, for God so loved the world that He gave the only begotten Son, that everyone who is believing in Him may not perish, but may have continuous life.  For God did not send His Son into the world that He may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through Him; he who is believing in Him is not judged, but he who is not believing has been judged already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God. (Jn. 3:14–18, LSV)

Snakebites kill by injecting venom that causes paralysis, and, in turn, suffocation.  The victims can't breathe.  Likewise, COVID-19 kills by suffocation.  Now add to this the message stemming from the tragic death of George Floyd: “I can't breathe!”

It's clear my friends.  We are all snake-bitten and dead in our trespasses and sins, but if we look to the One who became sin for us, we will be saved, departing earth while those below soon suffocate from the weight of sin and the coming wrath.  Furthermore, the word for spirit, wind, and breath are the same in Hebrew.  Greek shares one word for these varying concepts, as well.  When God created us He breathed His breath, His Spirit, into us (Gen. 2:7), and now this sin-stricken, God-rejecting world is about the have God's breath removed:

...for the secret of lawlessness already works, only the [one] now restraining [will do so] until he may come out of [the] midst, and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the LORD will consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and will nullify at the appearance of His coming, whose coming is according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and in all deceitfulness of the unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth for their being saved... (2 Thess. 2:7–10, LSV)

God's people were ill prepared for the trouble that awaited them in the next chapter with Balaam.

Sometimes great trials in life are given to allow us to draw near to Him, because we are going to need to be intently focused on Him if we are to navigate the challenges of the next valley.

Very soon we will look up to the HOLY ONE and see Him high and lifted up.  New bodies, new sight, new joy, new worship, new praise.  We will be fresh and alive, with hearts aligned with His.

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